Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-03-22

- NANANe |EA- AAa-AA w. W.
From the correspondence Of the Cinoin-
nsR OOnnsroial and Gazette We extract the
following regarding the bombardment Of
Island No. 10 On Sunday last;
Atll A q. we gave our hrst she'll from
the m0rters Il glided OF beautifully, ex-
ploding directly over the enemy's camp on
the Ialand, bsing elevated about one. fourth
Of . nile above the earth. From IL A. NJ.
till ESQ p ~, our feet Of eight mortars
were almost constantly engaged in shslling
the upper battery, nearly all the shells ex-
ploding properly and timely, in and sround
the fOrtifcations-a few well directed shells
being sent across 10 the Island below. Il
IL proper here to remark that the moFtars
proEO q complete success in every particu-
lar. During this tine two Of the mortars,
oonmanded By Lieut. Gregory, fred sew
eniy six shells-While The eight mortars
gave The enemy two hundred snd fifty. six
shells-esoh Weighing 2l3 pounds, minus
the charge. The irine Of the mortars were
commenced with q charge Of eighteen,
Whiah vas increased 70 nineteen pounds Of
powder, thirty and thirty-tW3 seconds fuses
being used The eonoussion produced was
not % great ss anticipated. The men work
ed with ease and comfort and passed
through the day without the most trivial
accident The Benton, st intervals, be.
tween the hours Of ll.S0 A. H. and z P.
NJ, treated the same battery to over fifty
rounds OF she'll from her 24-peund rifle
stern gun-tWe. thirds Of which we're most
capital shots. They sped on their fatal err
rand Kissing, shriekiDg and singing tire.
mendOusly, and exploding directly over
OF within the lines Of the fortikeations.
We have not learned the result Of either
che shells from the mortals OF the Benton
--oan only say they we're very accurately
planted The shells at times would skip
and dance over the water, and striking
and exploding on the ground toss up col
umn Of dirt distance Of from fifty to one
hundred feet Occasionally the Benton
and tWo, and sometimes three, Of the big
mortars would Hlet CO. Rt once, with tre-
nendous laundering roar, the lOudest we
have ever heard-the report Of the mOrlaHs
resembling the roar Of the heaviest thun-
der, while the srth at times quivered like
. young earthquake.
AZ ~ ~. the Benton, Cincinnati, and
B. Louis, lashed together, rounded down,
TIE mortar feet operating beautifully. The
OaFondelei, Mound City, ST. Louis, and
Coaestsga were left in our rear to protect
the mortar boats, transports, and Ordnsnee
Etsamsrs
The day vas clear and bright The huge
volume Of ccal smoke pouring ont Of our
formidable battery while descending the
Mississippi lhshpd togelhr-,the great
mortar bombs and shells bursting high in
tbs air,oTer ihe enemyis batteries resound-
ing and eohoing on all sides, together with
g feet Of iittis tugs and steamers laying off
IL The stream, out Of Fange-made very
interestiaa picture. At 1910 P. M. the /
Mound City lying-t0 On the Missouri shore
point, biszes away at the upper battery
With her stern guns. In the meantime
Flag Officer Foote maneuVers the Benton,
Cincinnati, and st. LOuis, mp and down
The river, in order 70 find the enemy's posi-
lions, By drawing their Ere. The moftsrs
srs GtiIl planting shells into the upper bst-
isry thick and fast
IHE MoRTAR ExPERIKKEF.
The result Of to days practice with the
mortars has been even more gratifying
han the first experiment with them at
jairo. Capt. Maynadier and his men had
lNNlAA ~ = III VI --g AAaAE N.1AN- VI AAA1
Doncussion. that they spp7osehoz theirs
business tif keernoeu via some eonsid-
Brsble tFepida6oU. the captain arankly con-
Tossing his fears, hut Determined 10 give
Inc bl0od-Tesssls oF his Uranium (which be
vas fore eWaEuq would be ruptured) a fair I
trial The 6rst discharge did not kill any
one. The second was without any signs
Of blood about the nose OF ears. At the
lhird the officers and men were sl smil-
'ng, or snxi0usly watching for the explo-
i0n Of ths shell, and calculating its efect
apon The rebels. At the last discharge,
Captains Maynsdier snd Pike came out
perfectly unhsrmed, Lieutenant Johnson
slightly deaf in one ear, and two or three
of the men requiring all communications
addressed 10 them 70 be made in 9 loud
Ioics. 0aptain Pike, who Witnessed the
irst experiment thinks the ooncussion has
been much diminished By the elevation Of
he mortar on O fEs-inch oak platform.
lGcsr8 and men ct esoh discharge eli take
osidons outside Of The iron bulWsrks, and
tsnd On tiptOs, with open mouths. Using
hese pFeeautians, with moderate charges
bf powder, Capt MRynadier thinks one
hreW could Ere mortar al day, without
Injury to themselves from The eoncusaion
HTrfor-f7enera7 WrnuV RIaeI