The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1862-01-11
THE NEW YORK SUN.
SATURDAY MORNING, JAN. II 1862.


that the remainder wouli leave Yesterday. if
iho fog upon the rivers dispersed In ,cason.--
This expedition has attracted little notice at
The Est, in consequence Of cur distance fr n
the scene Of operations, ara the qujotudo with
which 1t hiss been prepared, but Il ~ a. {, rnilt-
BIZ in IL character, and as likely 10 give the
most cheering resulis, as the best arranged OK.
p.ditions Of the Atlantic coast.
The river float consists Of seventy eight vcs-
tcls, Of which twelve a;o new ami Formidable
Runbosts, constructed exprossly for the pur yosc,
and made as imprognable as materials Of vopd
md lion, carefully put together can be fash
Toned. They have been suhjectoi to tests more
severe than the rebel batteries can over apply
and they came out Of the FIRE unscsthcd, and
invinoible or these gunboa's the Borton IL
The flag vessel Of the expedition, and ca'tlos -
guns. She is 1s6 foot long and has 20 icct
beam. The rcst Of the gunbolts cary 10 guns
zach, and arc 175 icct long, with - feet beam,
ali drawing about feet whet loaded.
The bows aud bow bulwarks con,ist Of .'out
thtee feet Of oak timber bOt 4 together and
thoaihcd with the beat quality Of wfoughti,on
plates two and half inches thick. Ths sii,s
Hmjor Each boat is pierced for thirteen puns,
iour on each side, four on the stern and thtco
at the bows. The bow guns are eighty four
FOUNDER ri1ed cannon tho others are eight
inch oolumbisds The sides Of tho boats both
h',ove aud Glow the hnee incline a. an angle Of
bry-6vs degrees, and nothing but plunging
shot from biS bluff could strike tho surface AT
right angles. Tho b Hers and machinery arc 70
situated as 70 be perfectly protected, and may
BIO considered quite out Of danger IA non-
plating has boon severely tested by shots from
riaod cannon at different distances, and has
shown itsolf to 10 utterly impeivious W any
shots that have been tont agans it, even at a
range q three hundred yards.
The msohilery, boilers, &c.. ara all uidor
The deck The cylinders are 90 inches in dia-
meter, with feet stroke. There are four
boilers, 81 feet long and 40 inches in diameter,
double hued. The wheels are 20 feot in diane
ter with ~ ieot bucket. The wheel. house is
protected by timber ron Fix to eight irchos
thickness, and shcathod with heavy iron. The
pilot-houio il protected by II inch oak timber
plaood at angle OF ahont thirty degrees with the
upper deck, is conical ia shape, AMI Of worry in.
yinss; one on each sitc, just forward Of tho
wh,o'-. They are capable Of carrying one hun.
died rounds o. ammunition fer ovoiy gun, and
afford ample room for tho necessary ovulution-
within thom The magazines can be iDoisi
With wstci 10 a moment from The main dock,
and arc furnished and arranged IN tr.o naval
style
The mortar boats are built OF heavy timhor'
Tho sides Of boiler iron loop holad for musko.-y
and are no arranged that they can bc used io
bridges. They will each carry one fifteen inc
mprtsr. Tho mortar boats will be ioscd int
position by tugs The gun, carried 10y the gun
hosts arc Of the most approved k.nl both
smooth-bcro AID rii.d, ard If the very heaviest
calibro. They a'e suih lent to destroy an.
town OF city and to reduce any fortified p'si
ii which may oppose the prosraaH Of the le"t
The land forces number seventy 1.-Two thousaI
troops
The tc7,inatioY of the fleet a. yet remains un
klown A general opinion prevails at st
Louis that il will no. leave the Mississippi
river, VII le elsewhere /. is confidently assert
al that its destination is Nashville by tho va,
of the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. It is
DfODdulc t0ht HihnN lil1t luilblrs hH W y hoH
tinatiou, will prevail during number OF day
10 come, ard that tho real p'iat of attack will
bo developed only as the expedition moves for
ward.
Assuming the course Of the fleet 10 be down
the Mississippi, tho Cairo correspondent of the
ST. Louis RrrunLIcAN, Jan. G h, writes as fol
lows in reSArd to an encounter with the rebo
Notifications at Columbus
While affairs are ~ stil on land, tho IVY Il NOR,
than a,nning for 1t 10y iu,rrtssd activity. Steamer
moving from one point q another, trnlSirrtinl
necessary loads, some for tumc'liae physical cptu
tort, othcra for future offensive operations, while
score Of little tugs dart dong the water, putin
oihcipuHly With the migh,y responsibility If crrau
delivery. They may hc seem a. any ru' turnt 4 ",
cling away ut load tour times the I1a ~ them
S,ve-, OF towing those uuS naV.ly mulste4, the Il ,t
in, batteries These have not yet received their
mrmcnt of mortars, ami are subsequently, not read
Tor service, They can he ~ tle - Ia few days. III
ginlu,t4 are nearly Completed the Last lishul
touches being all now u"'o-spry. The II 'ntpr
which will be the nag ship, has had it, ,iler place
lower In the hull, and q ats upon the wicrthc m
formidable river crait prur,'.y made. FRI
trial tho jar caused 10y firing the different boats
slight ~ u lee hardly perceptihlr, while the era
eau he novel In position e,-ier "a an WAS ant.rlp
tel. They will spon thunder their brruisiios 10
tore Columbus, and ON thclr rt'ect will hang the IA
oi the rebel stronghold. While the Frlrrd CUR
ners under cover uf the iron sides will he wurku
more safely than IN cts'intt'S, their opponents wit
in open pIthNurks will Pee al, rNp,~Dd q the tt
ing -eprin Of shpt and shell TIE ,dvtut,s' pc
srsNd 10y the n--pilsuts IA such case was IN.
shown At 1T X yh, and with the immense mn
tars and splendid guns 20. IN" present hert Iu f.
plAy, Columbus cannot be- held. fue country tor ami
surrDundn- there cau IN .r-s than day be mat
wholly untcuhNlc,a perfect lu o." shell falling am ul
it, defenders, willie not on" shat ia two hluir,
fired al the ,ats will prov" effective, unless sctt
1T naught al calculations ui science. Although n
der-estimatng the struggle necessary 10 ttNeC lul
iits would lie more than iullN tue opp rite view ~
Ne rendered still more Injurious ~ embracing I
uther cStreuo and pltcln- le.'rr Union SIitrS I
ghOstH of impossible and barely tu -gmpNl" tHrr y
Every cluup OF brushes around Columbus Is net
masked battery, 'lld their ''yug artillery ARE o.
l2S-pondtrr, like the "Ldy Phk," Of u
mont fame, which burst, IL viii be RENE
hyrti, some time since, killing ~ many, 0,
nearly breaking the les u. Sir Bisuup, after wh.
Lady n uWnrl. t. snuN the lin tuliy Of hltti
vessels on the river, 20" case u. the Lexington 70
ConCs'oga, which p...r.-l when fist cam
Cliru, some months since, viii drm.uStritc. Ia
lunts were engaged for over three hu Ir- with z'
ral batteries IN an twcuty y,ll., Just tbye Ctu
buA aud although the c"guu uUllus MS Kept
vigorously Ivy the Cuui't,rttes, MT 70 -lu-.e ,
took cre,,. A gunhnut when Doc action, lies "
the bow uI stream, Ia which position itis more
tioness, aud doe, not sway with the currents
tion, only the stern's breadth ~ 'rlS ana ohl"'t
its oRpOieuts aim, and "a % mile ami "a half ur e.
Jess, this appears small.
At peaceful practice II would t+ h"rl o. Int 4
SIMILAR target, and in the neat ui ntu" IT h m
more difficult s. with ~ thc Dragging and to
OF another NJ ult-sns, the Iu.-t prudent military
stnuty uihtm that Columbus can ana VII. %" ttr