The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-05 00:00:00

AN IRONCLAD IN A GALE.

One who was on board the Lehigh, on her passage to
Charleston Harbour, gives the following account of her :
" We left Brooklyn Navy-yard on the 25th August, in tow
of the steamer Star of the South. We made good time, with
nothing of importance to note except the vary sudden change
in temperature on leaving the Narrows. At 2 p.m. the ther-
mometer indicated a temperature of S 5 degrees on the upper
turret deck ; at 3 p.m. it was but 70 degrees, while on the
berth deck, at the same time, it was 95 degrees. Next day e
gale came on. The solid shot beneath the berth deck were
rolling about adrift, efforts to check them being of no avail.
Officers and men thronged the upper turret-deck, awl
anxious glances were cast upon the rubber-raft, which was
inflated in readiness for use ; lifepreservers and bread awl
water were sought for, and the fate of the gallant crow of
the first Monitor canvassed. A heavy sea, which covered
the deck from the bow to the turret with a solid mass of
water, lifted our ship's b-11 bodily out of its socket, son)
six inches deep, and bore it off like a chip overboard. The
bell and fittings must have weighed about 3001 b., and were
fastened to the turret, seven feet above the deck. The waves
were stzarp-toppod combers, and repeatedly broke over the
top of the elevator, 12ft. high. They broke over the turret
top, flooding the engine-room beneath. Several times a largo
wave would roll over the deck, etrike against the front of
the massive turret with furious shock, its top striking offi-
cers in the back, and sweeping them across the turret deck
to its other side. We were now heading the sea, our officers
on the front part of the turret deck holding on to stanchions
to prevent being washed overboard, the men occupying the
after part. Our good ship would seemingly crawl up the
face of a big sea, like a cat crawling (the sensation of crawl-
ing or creeping upward was prominent) up the steep roof of
a house to the ridgepole, and, reaching its summit, look
below, and hesitate whether to descend upon the other side
or fall back, and descending would appear to be diving to
the bottom. With 'bated breath we waited, saw the ship's
iron snout thrust into the second wave, take on deck much.
water, but yet rise up as before, and, again descending,
take the greater part of the third and greatest wave upon
its deck, not being able to rise quick enough to surmount it
and thus at every moment gaining greater confidence in our
noble, though heavy and uncouth, iron-clad vessel; though
still fearing that some of the powerful seas, as we fell upon
them, would force up our overhang, and once starting it
sweep in a moment our whole iron deck from the hull.
While this scene was passing above tb.e beak below was
more provoking. All night long innumerable little streams
of sea water, yellow with iron rust, poured down upon every-
tla ingin cabin, wardroom, dispensary, and berth deck, wet-
ting beds and bedding, wardrobes, mess stores, &c. State
rooms were flooded, no one escaped; rubber boots became a
necessity in the cabin, and to-day we can all show clothing
wet as if it had been thrown overboard, books ruined, and
boots thick with green mould. The gale, the high sea, and
the night passed away together. Not so our leaking deck,
however ; and, to add to our comfort, the necessity of hav-
ing hatches and deck lights down and shut, causing a resort
to candle lights, daylight being of course excluded, and the
heated foul air (ventilation being very imperfect when the
hatches are down), causing headache, and a feeling of faint-
ness, loss of appetite, &c. The temperature on the berth
deck at the ward room door ranges between 95 and 101 del!•
day after day. Arriving in sight of our fleet we were repaid
for our peril and discomfort ; anchoring for an hour to
prepare for action, we weighed and stood in to join our fel-
low ! I iron ships and iron men, the guns of the iron cladf:
and
) replies of Sumter and Wagner cheering our progress.'