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Chicago Tribune, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER, 5 1863, FROM WASHINGTON, THE GREEK FIRE AT CHARLESTON, History of the Article and Its Use by Our Army, [From Our Regular Correspondent.] Warrmacron, Saturday, Apr. 20, 1863, The sensation produced among the Char lestonians, by the Greek fire with which Gen. Gilmore has presented them a few specimens, has produced much curiosity as to the origin of this new, or,rather, ancient but newly revived instrument of,war. The arfigls now need under that name is a very recent Amer ican invention. In fact, two patents for the Greek fire have been issued since, the com mencement of the rebellion. .The first to Alfred Berney, of Jersey City, bears date of November 11, 1662, and the‘second] to Levi Short, of Buffalo, New York, wan'g d in June of the present year. Doubtless the Government has made use of one of these in ventions, probably the first. The principal ingredients used in these terrible instruments, of combustion, are petrolium, “coal tar, ben=7 zinc, turpentine, sulphur, antimony, and a few others, in what proportions I have not taken the trouble to examine, and have no wish to state, as the information might, by possibility, find its way to and be used by the rebels. The name given to these inventions is de rived from a similar compound, which was invented and used with terrible effect upon their enemies by the degenerate Greeks of Constantinople, in the seventh century. In the year 665 the Arabs, or Saracens, after having overrun and converted to the faith of Mahomet all the Asiatic provinces of the Exctern or Greek Empire, laid siege to Con stantinople. The Aoxcrament of the empire was in the hands of a weak and contemptible prince, while the spirit of the people had forg been broken by tyranny, corruption and licentiousness. The warlike and high spirit ed barbarians, flushed with a long career of Buccesece, expected an conquest; but the decaying civilization of the Greeks was more than a match for barbarian valor. After six years of irregular siege, the Saracens abandoned the enterprise in despair, having lost our thousand men,with ships and misteres. We are informed by Gibbon that the Greek fire was used prob ably for the first time, by the beserged, on this occasion, and with great success. But the then new instrument of destruction acquired its wide fame in the second siege of Constan tinople, by the Saracens, which took place half a century later. The second invasion of the Christi Empire by the Saracens took pace under Moslemah, the brother of the Ca iph, who after a series of victories and suc cesdful sieges in the provinces, set down be fore Constantinople. THe came with 120,000 Arabs and Persians, for the most part mount ed on horeca and camels. This army was re inforced and provisioned by an Egyptian and Syrian fleet or navy, said to co of 1,800 yeccele, of which, as Gibbon remarks, “the number betrays their Inconsiderable size.” There were also twenty large vessels of war, each manned with heavy armed soldiers. “This huge armada, says Gibbon, “ pro ceeded on a smooth sea, and with 4 gentle re, towards the mouth of the Bosphorus; a surface of the strait was overshadowed, in the language of the Greeks, with a movin forest, and the same fatal night had been axed by the Saracen Chief for a general assault by sea and land. To allure the confidence of the enemy the Emperor had thrown aside the chain that usvally guarded the entrance of the harbor; but while they hesitated whether they should seize the opportunity or appre hend the entire, the ministers of destruction were at hand. The fine ships of the Greeks were launched against them, the Arabs, their arms, and vessels were involved in the same flames, the disorderly fugitives were dashed against each other or overwhelmed in the waves, and I no longer find a vestige of the fleet that had threatened to extirpate the Ro man name.” There can be no doubt that the safety of Constantinople, and the arrest of the pr:t of Mahometan barbarism was almost entirely due to this Greek fire. It is a most interest ing historical fact, that the Capitol of the Christian empire, which was 60 near destruc tion in the eighth century, held out against Mahometaniem for six hundred years longer, until a more hardy race, the Turks, from the Northeset, had at once subdued the Saracens, adopted their religion, and with the zeal of few converts, went to work in its propaga tion, with fire and sword, Mr. Gibbon little respect for the Byzantine historians, and adds: “From their obscure, and perhaps fallacious hints, It should seem that the prin cipal ingredient of the Greek fire was the apa, or liquid bitumen, a light, tenacious, and inflammable oil, which springs from the earth, and catches fire 28 soon as it comes in contact with the air. The raptha was mingled, I know not by what methods or in what pro ortions, with sulphur and with the pitch iis extracted from evergreen firs. From this mixture, which produced a thick smoke and a loud explosion, proceeded a fierce and obstinate flame, which not only rose in per pendicular ascent, but likewise burnt with equal vehemence In descent or Internal pro gress; instead of being extinguished, it was nourished and quickened by the element of water; and sard, wine, or vinegar were the only remedics that could damp the fury of this powerful agent, which was justly denom inated by the Greeks, the liquid or the mari time fire. For the annoyance of the enemy, it was employed with equal effect by sea and land, in battles or messeges. It was either tired from the ramparts in large boilers, or yocked in red hot balls of stone and ire, or darted in arrowa and javelina, twiste roond with flax and taw, which had deeply imbibed the inflammable oil; sometimes it was deposited in fire-ships, the victims and instruments of , more staple revenge, and was most commonly blown through long tubes of copper, which were planted in the prow of 8 ey, and fancifully shaped into the mouths of savage monsters that seemed to vomit a stream of liquid and consuming The Greeks—for such the Byzantine branch of the Roman empire were in language, and partially in origin—affected to have received this celebrated fire from an angel, who com municated it to Constantine the Great with s evered injunction against communicating the secret to any foreign nation. It was a source of as great horror to the barbarians of the pe riod as 10 Beauregard and the Charlestonians of our day. ‘It came flying through the air,” says Jeinville, “like a winged, long-tailed dragon, about the thickness of a hogshead, with the report of thunder and the velocity of Ughtning; and the darkness of the night was dispelled by this deadly illumination.” ‘The Greek fire was in use until the fourteenth century, when the invention of gunpowder superseded it. It is remarkable tan age which has carried the utility of canpowder to the highest pitch of perfection, should have resumed the use of one of the lost arts, by a second discovery. But the fact only demon strates the superiority of modern science, which turns every force of nature to account. It is peuble In Beauregard to characterize a more efficient engine or instrument of war as barbarous, 28 if the art of war did not con sist in the aphen of the most destructive agendis, 1 ¢ barbarism of war consists not in the instruments used, but in the unneces sary vigor with which it is conducted—as, for instance, in the confinement of prisoners in Scuthrome dungeons, and feeding them on by, unwholesome, or inadequate food; or their murder outright; or crucity to con quered districts, and the like But to Iinvent more effective engines of war is not a mark of barbarism, but of progressive civilization ; and it is becoming a reverb that the hance and the horrors of war ve been mitigated by the discovery of gri nder, which compensates for its terribly estructive force by its tendency to hurry war to a speedy conclusion. On Beauregard's theory, war would be child’s play, in which it is understood that the es are not to hurt each other; at most, a duel on a large scale,in which the combatants are compelled to use similar weapons, and fire or cut and thrust at a given signal. A nation at war in this age, which should report to the weapons used by barba risng, Would be regarded as imbecile, once It would be the substitution of scfence and chill by ignorance and brute force,. Beauregerd and his Charleston friends, if they manage to protract the siege a few weeks longer, will, if we are correctly in formed, base their sensibilities shocked by another destructive engine, which is in pre aration for them. It is said that the new Tromcind Ozark, which is abort completed at St. Louis, is destined to assist in the siege of Charleston, and will have on board a new and most destructive missile, invented by one of our naval officers. The only escape of the Charlectonians from this new terror is to be found in a speedy surrender. SreeTaToR. The Fashions and Fashionable Life in Paris. (WE LADIES WEARING TELEE CORNERED HATS, ETC. : The Paris correspondent of the Philadelphia North Amaican writen as follows in reference to is factions prevalent in the French “cut et . have already spoken of conside and rustic toilets as those to which attention is chiefly directed at this moment. A new hat hes made its appearances this is no other than the Louis XV. hat, never, during that monarch’s time, intended to grace any out the male sox, whereas several ladies at Vichy ‘actually showed themselves with a three-cornered hat on their heads. It is true the frat appear ance was ons theatrical celebrity, but with that mania for rivalry and imitation of what ever is “last” which pervades all classes, the three-cornered hat was immediately copied and worn by one or two of the haute volte, and goon became the type of supreme elegance of fashion. These hats were first made of rice Elraw, bound with some bright color, such as Mexican blue or ticlet, trimmed with curled feathers of the same hue; some had their feathers arranged around the edge of the hat, others round the crown only. ¢ ' yfnother escape, more likely to be adopted by persons of good taste, is the Marie Antoin ele, which in front produces the effect of a round hat, lowered on the forehead, which it Protects, and having at the back a wide straw curtain, placed in larger plaits. One of these hats in white rice straw Wag edged with nar row black velvet; a moss rose, with a lowg spray of leaves and buds, was placed by 15 center of the front, and fell on to the curtain. A bow of very wide black velvet, with long ends, trimmed with fringe, was fastened on the other side ; and underneath, over the left ear, there WAS a moss rose, “with’ buds. ‘White horse hair hats are very much worn of this shape. . WHITE DRESSES POPULAR. The excessive “Best”, which* seems univer sally complained, of, has caused white; aly: sorta of materials, to be more worn than ever. White camtous or bodies are very generally worn, as are every description of casaques, zouaves and jackets of light material, instead of the hot, close-fitting body. The body is often made low, with short sleeves, and over this a pelerine or camzou is worn. The Rus sian chemises, embroidered either with black or colors are much worn, and with these the gilt Aurelan belt, which, to our taste, is far prettier than the English leather belts, only it for a travelling or neglige costume. Very pretty coverings for the shoulders and heads are shtp made, half-hood, half-cape, Which are both light and becoming. Alge- Tixntisenes of a genzy texture, with a sliver stripe, are remarkably elegant employed in this manner, and make an expensive wrap, under which most faces appear to advantage. For the seaside plaid flannels are the grest mode—mantles in the shape of talmas or camails being trimmed with fringe to corres pond. Nankin and toile de lin dresses are worn for morning dress, and often soutached in patterns and edged with Erelots. The “ Pin Experiment.” Bostoxs, Aug. 95, 1563. To the Editors of the Evening Post: Your “pin experiment”’ correspondent is quite correct, not only in his statement but in his explanation, which he does not think efficient. It is quite an old trick, and it seems scarcely necessary to explain 60 simple a phenomenon. The glass must be perfectly dry, or the pins cannot be put in as described; and the larger the diameter of the top, the more pins can be put in. The exp ont of the matter is, that the capillary attraction of the glass, at the margin,prevents the Water from rising where it is in direct con tract; but it may be made to rise in the cen ; £ 0 that its surface assumes a convexi y proportionate to the amount of displace ment below. The same thing is seen in ev ery epoonful of tea or coffees which we raise to our lips; the fuid taken up being consid erably higher than the spoon margin, is held perfectly level. The same thing is seen when drops of water stand on a waiter, or on a dry table cloth. The capillary attraction around the drop holds it sometimes almost spherical, and it is even difficult to force it to become difused. If the pins should be melted into a solid mass, it would be seen that the bulkin soat proportionate to the rise of the water. But the great number of them, and the loosely tangled manner in which they fall, deceives the observer. If the margin of the glass be wet, the iment cannot be made, because the elevated surface of water will follow the ordinary laws of gravity, and flow off in the channel made in the rim of attraction around by the moisture, which leads to a current over the restraining margin. Of course, the greater the diameter of the top of the place, larger the bulk which It will take in, as the area of surface is greatest at the margin. The reason why the glues cannot be poured fall as this is, that the dropping ‘of the water agitates the surface; while the dropping of Pins data not move it. . 20. 8. African Incidents, . REGLO Wil. One of the agents for the distribution of articles cent to Gen. Grant's soldiers, tells the following : + ‘While upon a steamboat on the lower Mis sissippi, a big, fat, Jolly negro soldier was upon the deck of the boat standing guard. The boat landed at Helena, when a white soldier came on board, and seeing the negro in uniform, with musket, c., he stepped back a Little, and the following questions and answers were propounded and replied to: White Soldier—“ Hello! darkey, are your soldier !”' Negro soldier— ' Yeth, thar, ‘' [th a thol r. . eWhite soldier—* Look here, darkey, is your Colonel a nigger?” ' Negro soldier—‘'No, thar, he ith’ent a nigger w ith yourn ]? ay No answer was made to the last question, RRMALICIONS NEGRO. A negro soldier about dying, was told by his chaplain that he must forgive a certain darkeygainst whom he seemed to entertain very bitter feelin. ‘Yes, yes,” he replied, “If I dies, I forgive dat DIEES; but if I gite well, dat nigga must take care.” HOW TO DEAL WITH BLOODHOUNDS A black man tells how to deal with blood hounds. He had been chased himself. “He told us when the dogs followed us in the canebrake, in order to prevent them from keeping the trail, we should travel as much as possible in the water; but if we should be closely pursued, to leave the canebrake and take to the Ocmulgee river. Ile assured us that the dogs were fearful of the alligators with which that river sbounded, and that the slaves were taught that the alligators would destroy only negroes and dogs. He didn’t believe it himself, although his master thought he did. He added: : z “+)fdem honns gits,close onto you, why you Sist gita doug pals and hop about twenty eet if you kin. You do dis four or five times and whenever you Ught, why jis put some pepper in de holes what your heel make, and when de horns come dey lose der scent, and den dey goes a enaffin and a snuffin roun,’ and by meby dey snuffies up dat ‘ar pepper into dar nostrils, and den dey'll go chee! chee! chee! and dat'll be do Inst dem doge can do dat day.’ “ This piece of information, and the man ner in which it was conveyed, accompanied as it was by violent gyrations of the body, and an exact imitation of a dog sneezing, was very suusing.”” The King of Dahomey. The following letter has been received by the Duke of Wellington from the celebrated sow hunter, BL. Innes Gerard, Mossierr 18 Duc: Your grace is well aware that few men gain by being seen close, unless they are men of intellect and merit. The King of Dahomey, despite his cognomen, which signifies the “Eternal,” or the “Infin ite,” tally justifies that rule, to which he is no exception. Physically, he is similar to other blacks of his country—tall, well -built, s bead like a bulldog. Then most usual ex pression of his countenance is that of can nog and cruelty. His moral qualities are in parfed keeping with his physical conforma ton; he is more gracious than the Kings who have preceded him, fanatical for old tradi tional and customs. The traditions of that microscopic court are to turn the whites to the best possible account, (exploiter or blancs,) but especially to induce them to make pres ents. It is the custom to excite the people with criguinary spectacles, 60 25 to be able to carry off the neighborly, population when a alavedesser makes an offer to the King, and alest the annual custom of human sacrifices. I have just spent two days at Kana, where the King was staying for the celebration of the lesser ceremonies. On the day of my presentation I was conducted across the market place, where twelve corpses were ex poced to view on separate sites. Six were heaping They, the feet, the six others were upright men about to walk. Those whom Jean close were horribly mutilated and not beheaded. An enormous pool of blood covered the ground beneath the scaf fold, giving unmistakable evidence of pre vious sacrifices and of the tortures which ac companied them. Our reception by the King was brilliant, very cordial for myself as well as for the French Congul, but we were seen able to convince ourselves that this was but a comedy always performed by this poor paladin to get the presents brought by the whites. Born and brought up in the midst of these spectacles, which would be mdiculous if they were not horrible, the pre sent King is actually more fond of them by his objects. meac him on that day admir ing, with the delight of a child, the Stang dances and ridiculous pantomine of his Sisters, and then of the princes, and then, of all precent, for our amusement. A most infernal music, which nearly deafened us, de picted the King, who seemed to be in a state of ecstacy ; and this, M..le Duc, lasted for six hours. On the following day his Majesty in vited us to witness a procession of the King’s riches. On reaching the square of the palace (reed hunts) an agreeable surprise had been prepared for us. The entrance gate was flooded by a pho! of blood two yards in width, and on each side a column of recently decapitated heads formed two immense chaplets. It is true that on this day the wore the em blem of Christ on his breast. It must be pre sumed that it was the croes of execution that he meant to imply by this armament. As re garde the procession of his wealth. It consist ed of a few old carriages, bath chairs carried by men with figures like Polichinello. One thousand women carried each a bottle of Aquor on her head, a brass basin in the shape of steet-bath to receive the blood of the human victimes on the joy of the King’s ban quet, an image of the Vicarlons bas ketsfull of human skulls; an image of St. Lawrence as large,as life, carried by the placks; finally, the dram of death. At another festival the King commanded on foot his Amazons, who maneuvred with the precision of a flock of sheep. On the market place already mentioned each step was ornamented by a dead body, and the King came and went in the midst of poole of bloo: d fragments of human flec in a state of putrefaction. On this occasion he had daubed his face with cosL’ .The ceremony terminated by a mad dance, in ‘which the Kin g took part, dancing vis-a-vis to drunken sol ‘ery and musicians. Such are M. le Ducc,the man, the government and the people whom we have hitherto hoped to turn into a path less contrary to the laws of humanity. I regret that Capt. Burton should have arrived at Kane juet at the moment of the King’s de parture, as he might have been enabled to sea ar a judge of all these things, Sam, 3M, le Due, your most obedieal servant, Ser . JULES GrRanD. P.8.—On the day of his departure the King invited us to a review of his army pre pared for war. It was from 12,000 to 14,000 Bireng, comprising 12,000. Ariizona, 1,000 men of the body guard and 3,000 archers.
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Chicago Daily Tribune
Chicago, Illinois, US
Sat, Sep 05, 1863
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