The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-27 00:00:00

degree. The real instruments of our defeat were
the apparently insignificant and contemptible bar-
ricades of ropeworks and netting stasp,nded across
the channel, and which kept our vesels at a point
which the rebel guns had previously been concen-
trated. Forts might have been passed and batteries
silenced; but those twining enemies, which, like
the serpents of Laocoon, coiled themselves around
the motive machinery of our vessels and prevented
the play of their iron arms, were not to be got rid
of by force. In their grasp our vessels were in-
nocuous. And, therefore, the unfavourable result
of the enterprize is not to be accepted as any test

of the relative powers of iron-clands and land

batteries. Without those obstructions, all the forts
that defended Charleston from Lighthouse Point to
Castle Pinckney, would have been insufficient to
stop our Monitors from anchoring off the battery at
Charleston.

It has been calculated that some 3,500 rounds
were fired by the rebels. In one minute there were
one hundred and sixty counted. Oa our side there
were but one hundred and fifty shots fired
,in all;
so that the rebels fired over 20 shots to our 1. The
Ironsides fired but one broadside, and that was at
Fort Moultrie. That was her only offensive opera-
tion throughout the day. The Keokuk only fired
3 shots before she received her death wound.
The result of the day's operations may be summed
up thus :—The injury to the rebel fortifications is
not such as will work any great loss to them, as we
cannot renew the attack immediately. On our side
we lost the Keokuk, which sunk this morning, and
which is to be blown up to-day, to prevent her fall-
ing into the hands of the rebels. She was struck
by 96 shots, Of these 19 were on the water line,
15 in the after turret, 12 in the forward turret, and

25 on the sides.
The Cassias is disabled by having her turret so
injured that it cannot revolve, and she has to be
sent to Port Royal for repairs. She was struck 68
times. The Catapseo was injured by t tiering tar
200 lb. Parrot gun disabled. She was struck from
40 to 50 times. The Nahaut was struck 80 times,

and had her pilothouse completely shattered,
The Ironsides was bit from 60 to 70 times, re-
ceiving no material damage beyond the knocking
off of her port shutters, thus exposing her gun-
deck. The Weehawken was struck 59 times, and
her funnel deeply indented, so that she worked
with difficulty. The Montauk was hit 20 times.
The Nantucket and Catskill ware each hit about
50 times, having their decks considerably torn.
The New York, 7inzes of the 14th publishes a
lengthy account from its correspondent on board
the fleet, agreeing in the main with the statements
of the Herald reporter. The injuries received by
the attacking squadron are stated as follows :
" The Nahant received in all 30 wounds, several
of them bad fractures of the deck and sides, below
and above the water line. The most fatal blow,
however, was given by a heavy rifled shot, which
struck the pilot-house and dislodged several of the
bolts, one of which, driven violently inwards,
wounded all the three inmates of the pilot house—
captain, pilot, and quartermaster.

"The Passaic also received 25 or 30 wounds. The
most extraordinary shot was from a large 10-inch
rifled projectile, which struck the top of the
the turret, scooping out a large portion of the iron.
breaking all of the 11 plates of an inch thickness
each, and spending its forca on the pilot-house
(which is placed on top of the turret). in which it
made a crater three inches deep, and producing such
a shock on the pilot-house as to start its top and
raise it three inches. Had not the force of the
impact been broken on the turret, there can be
little doubt that this shot would have gone clean
through the pilot-house. Another shot hit the
turret, forcing the place struck inwards, and pro
ducing a big swell o❑ the interior. The same shock
disabled the carriage of the 11-inch gun, while per
bone of the interior iron casing fell, and lodging iu

the groove of the turret stopped its revolution.
'•The Nantucket, besides receiving a number ol
wounds, had her turret so jarred that the cover of
the port could not be opened, and consequently thc
15-inch gun could not be used. These three are all
of the Monitor type.
"In adaition, the other Monitors each received

thots more or less, though not disabling them.
Thus the Catskill aas hit 20 times. The worts
wound was from a rifled shot, which broke the
deck plating forward, going through breaking a
beam beneath, and spending its force on an iro❑
stanc,,ion, which it settled half an inch.

"The Ironsides was frequently struck. One of
shots broke off and carried away one of her Fort
shutters, and her wooden bows were penetrated by
shell, though they were prevented from doing the
damage they otherwise must have done by the ex-
posed part of the vessel having been protected with
sandbags.

" But the poor Keokuk—she of all others, was
the most fearfully maltreated. This vessel was
struck 90 times, and she had 19 holes above am,
below the water-line, some of a size through which
a boy might crawl. Her turret (6f; inehes of iron
in thickness) were fairly riddled, and came out of
the contest mere sieves, During the night her
pumps were kept at work, to throw out the leaks
she was making. The sea had become somewhat
rough, however, and was washing in through the
holes in her bows. By daylight it became obvious
she must sink. Barely time enough was afforded
to gat off her wounded and crew, for she had by
this time settled so much that the water waspouring
into her turrets. Two or three of the men, indeed,
and to jump into the sea, and were handed into the
small boats which had come to her assistance.
Suddenly she gave a lurch to one side, then
a lurch to the other, and plunged under. She went
down at eight o'clock at the spot of her original
anchorage, nerr Lighthouse Inlet, and all that is
visible of her is the upper portion of her smoke
stock."

SEMI-OFFICIAL WASHING TON OPINIONS

OF THE FIGHT.

Upon this subject the Z%ew York Herjd of the
.4th says :

" WASHINGTON, APRIL 13, 11 p.m.

" The Navy Department states that the de-
spatches received on Sunday from Admiral Dapont
are not of so complete and definite a character as to
make their publication expedient, and consequent!)
they will
,await the receipt of the full reports of the
commanders of the different vessels engaged, Ali
Important detaila have already been published.
The Navy Department does not regard the result
of this preliminary bombardment as decisive or
essentially discouraging.