CHASE AND DESTRUCTION OF A BLOCKADE RUNNER.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2176, 7 March 1865, Page 5

CHASE AND DESTRUCTION OF A BLOCKADE RUNNER.

The Bermuda Advocate gives the following account of the chase and destruction of the Lynx, while attempting to run out of Wilmington on the night of the 261h of September .* — ' Having passed safely over the bar, the pilot acquainted the captain of the fact, when he directed his course due east. The order had no sooner been given and the helm answered, when the night became brilliantly illumined by rockets and blue lights from all quarters. Shot after shot was fired in quick and rapid succession near and over the gallant little ship. The first one, passing through the wheelhouse, wounded the mau at the wheel, and threw particles of glass and splinters over a lady passenger who had taken refuge therein. Captain Reed directed his steamer through the narrow passages between the hostile ships. Speed aloue could save the ship from the whizzing balls, ior the calmness of the sea gave the enemy too great an advantage in firing. The little steamer leaped and trembled through the water, passim? succsssively each of the enemy's ships as each kept banging, banging away. A rifled shell soon passed through the cabiu below the water-line, and again near the passenger who had descended from the wheelhouse, Seven more, in rapid succession, struck the ship, and each time she trembled like an aspen leaf, At one time the enemy were so near as to give the order to Captain Reed to heave to, ' Drive her, Mr Lake, drive her!' was the cool respons< of the captain. A whole broadside renewed the enemy's order, yet the Lynx, uninjured in hull sped rapidly onward with her immense power 120 shots in all were fired at the ship, besides i volley of musketry, which, whistliug through th< air, rattled against her sides. Teu of the flee were thus passed, amidst the most rapid au< effective fire rattled against any blockade runner The steamer having now passed the biockader had her course changed direct ; and Mr Boggf chief officer, was sent to ascertaiu the damage He soon returned, and reported eight shots be low the water-line, and the steamer sinkiuj c The idea of running out and in the same nigl rl, wasobjeciionable iv the extreme, and no ihougl; >c of surrender once entered the captain's head Still no fear or trepidation was felt by anyom c- All were subordinate and obedient to the caj of tain's order, and no breach of discipline one i\\ occurred to mar the management of the shi ?n The Lynx was headed for the beach, the cottc ly cargo buoyiug her up. Fortunately Jthe eugin ey co.npartment was uuiujured, and* the motii lie power, pushed to its utmost, drove the sinkir 3iv ship onward to her now certain end. Eve ge preparation was made for the safety of the cr« nrt and passengers. The steamer at last struc at, bet steel hull sprung forward with the conci

j sion, and q» the nejtt swell a few yanismof f were obtained. In the mid6t of perfect oqql< - ness, as if embarking for pleasure, Captain Beet • directed the transfer of the coin and bonds him 3 self, and the pilot left the ship with the panel 1 and passengers. No good boat was now left, , yet all the crew, in perfect discipline and obe- ; dience, promised to stick to the last. The oar* t peuter soon reported the boat repaired. The ; rest embarked ; Captain Reed and Chief Offices : Boggs were the last on board. Six barrels of . spirits of turpentine were poured over the equally , combustible cotton, aud almost with tears in bis 1 eyes and a heavy, heavy heart, the captain , applied the torch to his ship. All reached the , shore in safely.' Bermuda dates up to the 23th ult. give the 1 following details of the blockade-running fleet: —The Armstrong: and Talisman had arrived, the former with 700 and the latter with 400 " bale 3of cotton. The Chickamauga bad arrived safely at Wilmington, after a slight brush with the Federal fleet, and the Tallahassee was safely in port, loading with cotton for Bermuda. The following blockade-runners were at Nassau oa the 12th .-—Will 0' the Wisp (chased back), Col Lamb (ditto), Caroline (ditto), Stormy Petrel (put back leaky), Wild Rover (chased back and afterwards sailed), Owl (loading), Ella (loading), Gem (put back in consequence of heavy weather), Star (in the dry dock), Kate Gray, Druid Coquette, and General Clinch (from Charleston)* Little Hatlie and Beatrice (from Wilmington Mars (laid up), Marmion, Syren, aud Laura (loadtug) ; Falcon (broken down), Ptarmigan (machinery damaged) sailed for Havana. Later advices per the Moravian, from Port* land, on the 10th instant, confirm the account of the capture of the Confederate Government blockade runner Vixen, and also news of the capture of the steamers Mail and Armstrong. The Lillian, the eteamer in which Mr Frank Lawley, the Times' Southern correspondents lately ruu the blockade, and of which vessel Mr Lawley gave a most glowing account, is the vessel which captured the Armstrong. The ' Armstrong is the third blockarle-runner which has been captured belonging to Mr Edward Lawrence, of Liveipool.