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Show Built First Sea Sneak j - .I . . -- - "I built tho first torpedo boat that over worked,1, Enid Jnmea C. Cousins, a local newsdealer, to n reporter, In discussing tho mo of torpedoes in tho nusso-Jnpanoso war, snys thoTotonto correspondent of the Now York Herald. Her-ald. "I was a ship carpenter at Charleston, Charles-ton, S. C, when tho civil war began, and as thoro were a lot of Yankee vcssols about there don. Beauregard asked mo ono day to see what I could do In tho way of a torpedo boat. "I took somo one-Inch- boards nnd built a cigar-shaped boat thirty feet long. At tho bow wo rigged a copper kottlo holding about soventy-llvo pounds of powder. Tho kottlo was fostencd to a pole, so that wo could lift It out of tho water when tho boat was going, nnd then sink It nbout eight feet under wntcr when wo "got to closo quarters. Tho polo was at an anglo of forty-flvo forty-flvo degrees, so that tho kottlo would strlko tho hull of tho enemy below tho water line. Tho kottlo hnd somo percussion per-cussion caps on the top, and tho forco of tho collision would mnko them ox-plodo ox-plodo tho powder. Tho boat was mado llko this," said Mr. Cousins, and, pulling pull-ing out a pencil, ho drew n sketch. "Wo rigged tho boat In Capt. James Eastman's yard and called It tho Lit-tlo Lit-tlo David. That was In 1802, When It was finished wo saw tho big Yan- keo wnr vessel Ironsides Just outsldo of Charloston harbor, nnd sent tho Lit-tlo Lit-tlo Duld after her. The boat was in Chnrgo of Mr. .Mills nnd tho crow were I.lcut. I.ascelle. Clinrlos Ilnncc, Mho acted ns pilot, nnd n big Irishman Irish-man I forget his name. Tho I.lttlo David went straight for tho Ironsides, tho torpedo was lowered nnd exploded against tho hull. The water washed over tho I.lttlo David nnd somo of It wetjt down tho smokestncU nnd put out tho fire. Lnscello and tho Irishman Irish-man Jumped overboard, but lliuico and Mills managed to get tho I.lttlo David back Into tho harbor, nnd sho often did good work after thnt. Tho Ironsides Iron-sides did not sink, but slio wns so badly damaged thnt sho had to bo towed away by two other vessels." Mr. Cousins, who was born in Now-cnstle-on-Tync, England, hns had a varied career. After a trip through tho llatllc ho sailed for years In tho Mediterranean, Ho worked in a shipyard ship-yard In Quebec about llfty years ago. but, becoming tired of tho Job, traveled trav-eled through tho United States. After sovcrnl yeors in Huropo ho went to Charleston, S. C, nt ho opening of tho war and Joined tho Charleston Light Infantry, under Capt. T. G. Simmons, Sim-mons, lie spent four months In garrison gar-rison nt Fort, Sumter after tho surrender sur-render of Mnj. Anderson, nnd nftor-wnrd nftor-wnrd took part In fourteen engagements. |
