752 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



torrents through the chimney, put out the fires, and rendered 

 the " cigar boat " helpless. 



For a moment everything on board the Ironsides was in 

 confusion ; but the discipline of the navy was equal to the 

 emergency. The drums beat to quarters, the guns were 

 manned, and the marines poured a steady fire upon the little 

 craft, now floating helplessly on the sea. Lieutenant Glasselis 

 jumped into the water, to escape death from the shower of 

 balls ; the pilot followed him, but the fireman remained at his 

 post, as the boat drifted away from danger. Glasselis then 

 called for help ; the marines ceased firing, and a small boat 

 from the Ironsides rescued him from the water. The pilot 

 swam back to the " cigar boat " and he and the fireman bailed 

 her out, rekindled the fire, and escaped to Charleston. Glas- 

 selis was afterwards sent North, and under confinement his 

 health broke down. The Ironsides was sufficiently injured by 

 the explosion to be sent from her station for repairs. Had 

 the torpedo struck her further below, it is thought to be prob- 

 able that she would have been sunk. 



Another torpedo boat was also built in Charleston, upon a 

 different model. This was called the " fish boat." It was 

 built of boiler- iron, was thirty feet long by five feet eight 

 inches deep, and about four and a half feet wide, amidships. 

 Its middle section was an ellipse flattening to a wedge shape at 

 both ends, which were alike. It was intended to rise or sink 

 in the water, like a fish, and in order to do this its specific 

 gravity had to be kept equal that of water. In navigating 

 under water the boat had also ^J|ppkept upon an even keel 

 On her bowsprit, which projected* ten feet, the torpedo was 

 secured, and in order to balance the hundred and fifty pounds 

 this weighed, an equal amount of ballast was stowed at the 

 stern. Ten feet from her bow she had two iron fins, one on 

 each side, about four feet long, seven inches wide and three- 

 eighths of an inch thick. These fins were fastened to an inch 



