The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-07 00:00:00

4
,/z-0,.

PRICF 4d.
STAMPED sd.

present, and that, had the attack been continued, it I
could not have failed to result in disaster." -
Commander Amman, of the Patapsco :
" Forty-seven projectiles of the enemy struck the
vessel. No damage was done which disabled her,
although injuries were received which multiplied
would do so. Forty bolts of the smoke-stack were
broken, and a chain around it will be necessary to
its continued security. I am indebted to Acting-
Master Vaughan, transferred temporarily to this
vessel, for valuable aid in avoiding collisions, as it
is out of the question for one person to observe pro-
perly from the various light holes. I think a want
of vision one of the most serious defects of this
class, making it impossible to fight them
advantageously, and to avoid dangers, or
to make a satisfactory reconnoissance. Another
question of great importance as relates to their
efficient employment is the character• of the battery.
If it is proposed to batter down forts with a 15-inch
gun, then it is quite plain that we have to come
within distances which heavy ordnance, if employed
in heavy batteries against us, cannot fail in the end
to inj nre or, perhaps, disable us."
Commander Rogers, of the Catskill :
" I was surprised to find, even with this severe
fire, that these vessels could be so much injured in
so short a time, two or three having passed me dur-
ing the action to which some disaster had happened.
This vessel was struck some 20 times, but without
any serious injury, except one shot on the forward
part of the deck, which broke both plates, the deck
planking, and drove down the iron stanchion sus-
taining this beam about an inch, causing the deck
to leak."

Commander Fairfax. of the Gantucket :
" Our fire was very slow, necessarily, and not half
so observable upon the walls of the forts as the rain
of their rifle shot and heavy shell was upon this
vessel. After the third shot from the 15 inch gun

the port stopper became jammed, several shot strik.
ing very near the port and driving in the plating ; i
was not used again. As the fleets withdrew the forts
materially slackened their fire,evidently not wishing
to expend their ammunition without some result.
Certainly their firing was excellent throughout;
fortunately it was directed to some half dozen iron-
clads at a time. The effect of their fire upon the
Keokuk, together with that of their heavy rifle shot
upon the monitors, is sufficient proof that any one
vessel could not long have withstood the concen-
trated fire of the enemy's batteries. The obstruc-
tions being placed at a concentrated point of fire
from the three forts shows conclusively that they
must have been of no mean character. Our fire
always drew down upon us four or five heavy rifle
shots aimed at our ports. One rifle shot struck
within less than six inches cf the 15-inch port—
several struck very near. I am convinced that,
although this class of vessels can stand a very heavy
fire, yet the want of more guns will render them
comparatively harmless before formidable earth-
works and forts. I must say that lam disappointed
beyond measure at this experiment of monitors over-
coming strong farts. It was a fair trial."
Lieut. Beardslee, of the Nantucket :—" One rifle
shot struck on the lower corner of the 15-inch port,
disabling the outer plate about 12 inch, and bulging
the whole thickness, so much so as to prevent the
port stopper from swinging. This shot was received
after the third fire of the 15-inch, and disabled the
guh for the rest of the fight, we not being able to
open the port. A 10-inch shot struck directly oppo-
site, and near the top of the turret, starting a num-
ber of bolte, and breaking the clamp ring inside.
During the action the turret became jammed. On
examination we discovered six or seven bolt-heads
and nuts that had fallen inside and into the recess
around the bottom of the turret, rendering it neces-
sary to keep the turret higher in order to clear them.
Upon attempting to revolve the turret again to-day
found that another had fallen since the first were
removed. The pilot-house was struck once, a square
hit, but doing no damage. The side armour was
struck nine times—once below the water-line. A
number of the side plates are started so much that
another shot in their vicinity wouid, in my opinion,
knock them off. One bolt was driven through
the iron and is buried in the oak. One of the
deck plates is started from a blow on the side
armour. The smoke stack was riddled in the
upper sections, and received five shots in the
lower sections--one, a solid 10-inch, fell, after
striking upon the deck, and was secured. The
steam-whistle was cut off. The deck-plates were
cut in 12 places. One shot cut through the iron,
and about two inches into the beam, starting the
plate, several bolts, and the planking for some feet
below. This was directly over the Andrews pump
in the engine room. The others are not serious.
The discharge of the 15-inch gun blew off eight of
the heads of the bolts securing the muzzle-Lox.
The discharge of the 11-inch gun, or else the blow
of a shot on the turret, lifted one of the perforated
plates on top. These plates are not properly secured.
The outer turret plate, in the 15-inch port, is started
about one-fourth of an inch—the next layer in a less
degree. Two of the guides' to the 11 carriage
were carried away through the gun not being
properly compressed. Some of the gear to the
engine-room bell was disabled at the first fire,
causing trouble and confusion in getting orders
promptly conveyed from pilot-house to engine-
room."

Captain Downes, of the Nahant :
" We soon began to suffer from the effects of the terrible,
aril, I believe, almost unprecedented fire to which we were
exposed, and at 4.30 the turret refused to turn, having be-
come jammed from the effects of three blows from heavy
shot, two of them on the composition ring about the base
of the pilot-house (one of these breaking off a piece of iron
weighing 781 b. from the interior that assisted to keep the
house square on its bearings, throwing it with such violence
to the other side of the house, striking, bending, and dis-
arranging steering gear in its course, that it bounded from
the inside curtain and fell back into the centre of the house),
and the other on outside of turret, bulging it in and driving
off the 11-inch apron bolted on to the inside to keep inplace
the gun rails, and down the main trace of turret. The
bolt-heads flying from the inside of pilot-house at the same
time struck down pilot, Mr. Sofield, twice struck and
senseless ; and the quartermaster, Edward Cobb, helmsman,
fatally injuring with fractured skull, leaving me alone in
the pilot-house, the steering gear becoming at the same
time disarranged. We were within 500 yards of Fort Sum •
ter unmanageable, and under the concentrated fire of I
think 100 guns at short range, and the obstructions close
aboard. But, fortunately, we got the preventer steering gear
in working order in time to prevent disastrous results, and,
getting my vessel once more under command, I endeavoured
to renew the action, but after refuted futile efforts to turn
the guns on to the fort I concluded to retire for a time from
close action, and endeavoured to repair damages. We re
ceived the following injury to the vessel and fittings, be.
sides those already enumerated—The plates OR side armour
broken badly in several places, and in one, where struck by
two shots in close proximity, partly stripped from the wood
and the wood backing broken in, with edging of deck plates
started up and rolled back in places. On port quarter side
armour deeply indented and started from side and extremity
of stern. The deck is struck twice damagingly—one shot
near the propeller well, quite shattering and tearing the
plating in its passage, and starting up 25 bolts ; another
starting plate and 20 bolts ; the slighter blows are nume-
rous. In smock stack armour there are three shot marks,
one that pierced the armour, making a hole 15 inches long
and 9 inches broad, displacing grating inside and breaking
seven bolts. In the turret there are marks of nine shots, 56
of the bolts are broken perceptibly to us, the bolt heads fly-
ing off inside of turret, and the bolts starting almost their
length outside, some of them flying out completely, and
being found at a considerable distance from the turret on
the deck. Doubtless many others are broken that we can •
not detect, as by trying them we find others loosened. One
shot struck the upper part of the turret, breaking through
every plate, parting soave of them in two, three, and four
places. In pilot-house there were marks of six shots, three
of them 11-inch ; 21 of the bolts were broken perceptibly
and others evidently started. The plates are also much
started, and the pilot-house itself, I think, much damaged
and wrecked ; indeed, it is my opinion that four more such
shot as it received wou:d have demolished it. One shot at
the base broke every plate through, and evidently nearly
penetrated it."
The facts here stated prove that if Admiral Du-
pont had immediately renewed the attack, as i e
was pressed to do. and badgered for not doing, by
Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Welles, such an act of rashness