The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-04 00:00:00

A TURRETED GUNBOAT AT SEA.

The passage of the Federal iron-clad vessel Wee-
hawken from Fortress Monroe to Hilton Head, in
tow of the Ladona steamer, is thus narrated :
When it commenced blowing again, the wind
rapidly shifting and blowing from all points of the
compass, raised a dangerous cross sea, which came
in upon the Weehawken with great violence from
every quarter, bringing her under masses of seeth-
ing, foaming water, that rushed across her as if they
would engulf her and send her trembling to the bot-
tom. She would appear enshrouded in this white foam
for an instant, and then,shooting up sand shaking the
sea from her deck, she would dash forward like
an arrow from a bow, only to bury herself again in
the waves, and again emerge, throwing them from
her in gleaming, sparkling foam. She rolled very
little ; but she performed some very lofty and deep
pitching. Still she remained as safe as a lifeboat,
though a pump was at work keeping her clear
from the inevitable leakage of water. At twelve
o'clock on Tuesday the wind again suddenly shifted,
and a terrific blast came out of the northwest with
such violence as to detach and hurl into the sea
from its position the heavy brass top of the
compass as if it had been a feather. The maker
of this had supposed its weight to be sufficient
to keep it in its place. The Weehawken careened
over slightly before this terrible blast, and the sea
became still more threatening and irregular; but
she made good weather, not being excelled in this
respect by the Ladona. The blow abated consider-
ably during the afternoon and night, and the sea
fell in a corresponding degree, although it con-
tinued to be irregular and in heaps—a very trying
sea to any craft. On Wednesday the wind shifted
to the north-east, and gradually increased in vio-
lence until night, when it blew a furious gale,

imperilling both vessels by its violence and the tre-
mendous sea it raised. The Ladona was compelled
to scud before it under canvass, drawing the Wee-
hawken after her with almost lightning speed. The
latter was working her own engines to their greatest
capacity, but the immense cable attaching her to the
Ladona was tightened to its utmost tension, so
rapidly did the former rush through the water,
keeping before the sea, the only resort left her to
save either vessel. Frequently the Weehawken was
buried deep in the raging seas, and it seemed an age
to those on the Ladona before she would emerge for
an instant, and again plunge, as if finally, into the
foaming waves, leaving the top of her turret only
visible, as a buoy to mark the spot where her iron
mailed hull, with its precious cargo, was swiftly
ploughing under the furious waters. The scene was
thrilling, and as the gallant iron clad made her ter-
rific plunges, and as the cable tautened until it was
as straight and rigid as a bar of iron, the hearts of
those on board the Ladona grew faint, lest it should
part, 0t
alone a
ri
do
tt
hh
ee
howling tempest and the wild b . ,
and the Weehawken be left
slept that night it
latter there was nervousness,
unceasing watchfulness. None s but no ear, and au
may be assumed. They may be excused for this
wn-
w
nearr d
vous feeling, as the sensation created by a do
plunge of the vessel which would seem never
to terminate until the iron bow had touched the bot-
tom was anything but agreeable. But the Wee-
hawken weathered the gale in fine style, and on
Thursday the lightship off Port Royal was made
directly ahead, and the vessels crossed the bar in
safety.