The New York herald., 1861-12-08
PROCLAMATION or GENERAL PILLOW.
Mississippi Steamer Bound for Menu
phis and New Orleans.
guE REnEL BATTERIES DgrrEp.

[from the 81. Louis Republican, Dec. 81
Several months have elapsed with their events duly
Of boa. in the port OF st. LOUIS making ready for
age to New Orleans aad way points The Lower Mssis.
stpp river The heading Of this article viii therefore be
novelty, aud may somewhat astonish the people the
lower river, who are not at present expecting visiter
from IA section in the shape of steamboat shippers
and passengers will therefore make ready for Surprise
We visited the gunboat Renon yesterday and fouad
her nearly ready to leave for the South ing board
sign psined q Renton for Memphis and New orleansn
She VIII leave to-day about twelve O'Clock NJ, with
hoayy armament and full crow, from the foot Of Lsspe
rance street, where she has just been equipped
The Benton, formerly the United States sragboat Tom
psnton, and afterwards Messrs Eads & Nelson Sub
marine No. Z, lately sold by the Wrecxiug Company
the government again for the 6 600 was ordered
10 be metsmorphosed into guuboat.
The change in the appearance Of the craft is wonderful
in the gunboat Benton resemblance 10 the Subma-
rne No. can be traced by the mnucs inspection. She
is the strongest and doubtless the most effective gun.
boat aioat anywhere either East or West, on ocean
river.
Some facts concerning this war vessel to leave port TO-
day for Dixe's land, may not be uninterestng. The
Benton 1so feet long deck and seventy feet wide
at the beam Her bold is eight and hah feet in depth
and with heavy armament and crew aboard will draw
about i've feet She has double hull with the wheels
working in the recess, the Flor hull is Of
four inch plank, and timbers eight by ten inches The
hull is divided by 1--WE fore ana aft bkheads and thir
teen cross bulkheads making forty five water tight
vartments The deck franc beams inches square
Tie main deck panksd with four and half inch pank
The forward defence down two feet water line
and ia OF twenty -four inch timber all shea thed with two
and onethird inch iron plating The entire boat sealed
with three and four inch oak plank, caulked and made
perfectly tight Classmates extend around the whole boa
and made Of twelve inch timber the knuckle
the main deck the timber from three four feet
thickness aod.
The Benton pierced for and will carry eighteen heavy
guns, all Of which are now aboard.
The guns are from thrty-two FOUNDERS to forty two
Founders cabre, some rted and smooth bore and
there two nno inch Dahlgren guns The principal
part Of the armament disposed in ths forward part OF
the boat, there being two guns only the stern.
The machinery, boilers &C. all under the deck.
The cylinders are twenty inches in diameter with seyen
feet stroke There onr boilers twenty -four feet long
and forty inches in diameter, double ued The wheels
are twenty feet in diameter with nine and half feet
bucket. The wheethocse protected by timber from
70 eight inches thickness, and will be sheathcd with
heavy iron The pilot house protected by twelve inch
oak timber placed at an angle Of about thirty degrees with
the upper deck conca IN shape Of very ingenious
eoi'sirucon II will also be protected by sheaihng
heavy IRON.
There are two magazines on each sidc Just for
ward OF the wheels They each capable of carrying
one hundred rounds Of ammunition every gun aud
anord nmpe room FOR the necessary evolstions within
them. The magazines can be flooded with water in a
moment from the main deck and fuinished and ar
! ranged in trIe naval style
n fact the gaaboal Benton appeared TO Ms 10 be com
plee and she is said BY good OF architecture
10 DO equal - any hag tda be produced by any
yard, ID point Of strength, material anu durability II
esens almost impossible that ball shell could pene