The Whig Standard

LOCAL NEWS.

THE SUB-MARINE BATTERY.--An immense concourse of people of both sexes and of all colors and descriptions--in carriages, on horseback, and on foot--were attracted to the Eastern Branch on Saturday afternoon, to witness Col.'s experiments with his Sub-Marine Battery. The bank of the Branch, from the Navy Yard to the extreme end of Wind-Mill or Buzzard Point, was literally crowded with human beings. About half a mile below the Navy Yard was seen the fated vessel, under the command of Lieut. Boyle, of the Navy. She was a barque of 500 tons burthen, full-rigged, her sails partially set, with a blood-red flag from her mainmast and the U. S. flag from her stern. A melancholy sensation seemed to pervade all present, that a ship presenting so fine an appearance, was so shortly, and by design, to be destroyed--and these feelings were frequently expressed by the multitude.

At half past 4 o'clock, the arrival of the President of the United States at the Navy Yard was announced by the discharge of artillery, and shortly after a sound resembling the far-off discharge of a cannon notified the spectators that the anxiously-looked-for experiments had commenced. Every eye was turned towards the Branch, from which an immense body of water was seen to arise in the air about an hundred and fifty feet, resembling a gigantic and magnificent jet d'eau. The crew of the barque were immediately in motion, the U. S. flag was lowered, the cable slipped, and the vessel slowly and gracefully moved towards the submerged battery. When within an hundred yards of the battery, the commander and crew left the barque in a boat, and a rocket was sent up from the latter as a signal that they were in safety. Almost immediately two batteries were discharged, in quick succession, a few yards before the vessel, which agitated the water tremendously, and threw up great quantities of mud from the bottom. The vessel, however, kept steadily on her course, and, on arriving at the designated spot, another battery exploded, and the graceful ship, which had a moment before "walked the water like a thing of life," was a huge ill-shapen wreck.

The battery had struck her directly under her foremast, tearing her bow to atoms--what remained of the wreck immediately settled on the bottom of the Branch. She was then boarded by Lieut. Boyle, and the U. S. flag again raised, (probably to indicate to the occupants of the numerous boats in the vicinity that the wreck was not literally public property.) With another explosion, such as we have attempted first to describe, the experiments were completed, and the crowd dispersed in every direction, all appearing fully satisfied with their entire success.