New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-26

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way it can be eeciuay blockaded by aforce which Is
unable to watch that and another exit at the same
time. And ne TO sinking vessels in the narrowest
portion Of that channel il could only DE done by first
silercing the batteries on Salliyans Island, if rot
Sumter itself.
Tie execution Of the foregoing plan was begun by
tonyipg ont the channel lnd circumecriliog within
four points tie space where the vessels were all to
DO sunk, as follows:
awt tsh
The distance between the points from g. W. 10
v T. |. about an eighth Of mile; the breadth per-
ha. b,f n, much. IL will be understood that II was
No nat OF the plan 10 buiia wall of ships across,
bu, to drop then at lille distance from each otber
On The PRINCIPLES above stated, closing tie channel
90 navigation but leaving il oren to the water.
Work was resumed GU Friday uoroing, the 10Th,
the Ottawa and Pocshontas, bringing tie ships 10
their stations. The placing Of them was an opera
ton Of considerable nicely, especially as some OF tie
vessels were 20 deep as TO lie with DILIGENTLY dragged
on the bar, EXCEPT at high water A grayer him
1rarH 10 their e,ac, location was found in the ian
reflection 4 the arrangement for sinking, several Of
the remaining aAoat 80 Tong after The Plug wbs
knocked out that .hey swung out 81 position. They
were, nevertheless, finally placed veFy nearly 1T
cordipg 10 the plan. Great credit is due TO Mr..
Bradbury rnd Mr.. Godfrey for tho successful execu.
ton Of 20 oiflcu'i nn undertaking. The hast chip,
tio Archer. co.ed tie only remaining gap, and the
manner in which SIR. Bradbury took her in with the
Poc..hontas and then eatrca,ed the hitter from her
perous position filed the beet with sdmTa,ion for bis
illfll seamanship and cool daring Tie difficulty
with which this hsLt vessel in broad dag light, with
zach pilot, got through is sufficient evidence Of the
thoreughnsss Of the work and the toIal impractcab-
ty OF the clsnntl for Ordinary navigation. by half
pa.t ten the lat plug drawn, and every shp Of
tho sixteen was either sunk or sinking. Our ox.
pectaions lad been 10 some extent disappointed IN
the character Of the expedition while it was in
prozrts. None of the vessels wholly disappeared
from sight, and tboso which heeled over
far,hest and were most under water had subsidized
Ia a very deliberate manner. SILL il lad been
a,ber melancholy 20 see the old craft that had sur
vved 30 many storms, stripped Of their calls and
towei In, ono by one, to DO sunk, aud when the
whole fleet WA in poeIon the scene sufficiently
novel and striking TO satisfy any hopes. From the
position In which tho Cabawba lay there was
hardly an opening between the thips. An i'm
paaable limo of wrecks was drawn for an eighth of
a nile between the points above indicated. All but
two or three were carcened. Some were on their
beam ends, some down by the head others by the
stern, and masts, spars and rigging OF the thckly-
crowded ships were mingled and tangled in greatest
confusion They did not long remain 20. The boats
which had been swaiming about the wrecks picking
MP stores, ssils and whatever 80 be got return.
ing heavily laden were ordered back to cut away
tho masts. II was meant TO leave nothing behind Of
Use 10 the rebels. The Cabawba was not more than
half mile from the bar, and everything was in full
view from her deck. In half an hour from the time
the boats left her side the mzzenmast Of the Rebecca
simms went over the side and was speedily fol-
lowed by the main and fore. The next was the
Richmond whose three nasts went by the board to-
gether, with three almost Simultaneous reports, fol-
lowed by tho swapping Of stays and shrouds, like r-
regular volleys Of musketry, and tho cheers Of all
tie crews in the boats. As they fell the sound of
heavy cannon echoed down the bay, and for the next
two hours the crash Of falling masts WIS accompa-
nied by the same salute. The guns Of Sumter were
the requiem OF the feet. Some stanch old ships
died very hard, settling very slowly, aud
etill upright WHEN they had felt the bottom.
1t was hard to believe they were not aaoat,
and might yet sail away from their dreary fate, but
the stately masts which one momen. were standing
in strength, the next are belplessy floating the
water, and had left only hulk behind them. think
no one ever eaw before the masts Of fifteen ships cut
away in morning When they were gone tho
desolaton was almost completes the picture more
utterly runous AID fororn than can be conceived.
One ship out of the sixteen, the ROBIN Hood, with
upright mssts, stood solitary sentinel over the
wrecks. IA evening came on che was set on fire,
AID gave us as the crown Of our novel experiment
the rare sight Of a ship on fire ut sea. She was s
burning when the Cahawbs left for Port Royal at
one in the morning.
The work of tho expedition is complete success
II it eeemed sometimes sad one even to us with