New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-24
EXPLOSION OF ONE OF oUR GUNs.

| INftf q C.Oth.-a rbuuuihk iSfoi' hN' S"' -"
Louis which Lies beside us on tue right shakes every
plank of the Benton. moment after, several men
rush up on her deck their facescompleeiy blackeneu
with powder. Two are bearing between then tue
lfeless form of third whom they carry overt tIie
stern, where they descend with him again 10 tiie
enn deck. One of the crew shouts to us that their
ror.-boy gun. an old 42-pounder, riiled, has ex-
ploded knocking down every man IN the vicinity,
and woundine several. Later we learn that IL Kiisu
| tvo-namcd James Jackson and John Gott-wound-
ina, nine other. and stunned a tenth so that he viii
probably. never regain his bearing. The accident
mas worse effect upon the men than would similar
loss from the shot of the enemy, for II snakes their
confidence in the guns. Our officers even do not
REGARD these old cannon which have been rifed with
much faith o. favor.
WARM WORK.
| Jen minutes part 1Hrn-The shots begin TO fall
70 thick that the upper deck grows uncomfortable,
and the oilers are ordered below. We reach the gun
deci ias. 10 season 70 Mr.. Msenerof The Chicago
Times who la'tered himself that he bad found safe
position in tho ften, come in, completely delnged
from shot which struck the starboard eide OF our
boat ns above the ws,crmark, aud glanced into the
river throwing W iets and drenching everything In
the vicinity.
/ Fi0o.a MINUTES pas. IIres.-A great crashing OF
glars, ron, and wood, resoundDg through the boat
,Lows that the enemy j. sending his missiles home
An s-inch solid shot fell upon our upper deck, cut
through The haf.nch iron plating and pinch umoers
IA if they had been paper, buried itself in the gun
dcci rehounded 70 tie roof then f. again, upon the
/ Comrodores uri,ing-desk, smashing the LID. and
lodqing upon the table beneath where it now rests.
The oor in the vicinity Is covered with fragments of
timber aud seycHl men standing by were buried IN
The srliuteru but BY marvellous good fortune no one
IL injured
Hal,-pasi Fotc.-rhe enemy is now ufinS only
bis upper battery, 20 the id'ers are once more on
d,ck. lodging behind the pilothouse every time he
fires, which oftener than once in five Minutes.
We SEQ tho puf o; smoke from bis rhed gun, and MI
seek our refuge, except the second engineer, Mr..
/ Blakely. Some cries out 10 hilr, Lie down,
but he laugbingly declines. Before his mouth is
closed the ball shreks by within eighteen inches of
his head, shaves sheetiron ventilator, passes
through orr port chimney cnts of a sold wrought
iron rod IN inch and half IN diameter, carrying
away the lower end Of it, strikes the deck plows
through the half-inch iron plating for three feet,
passes under the next plate and then ont ain
with to force spent, aud rolls languidly against n
kyght. II prove. to be another Of the s-inch solid
shot. Ar BlAkely is convinced by this time of the
utility of dodgng.
Iorty.fse mmutes past Foar.-A shot strikes our
bow casemstes but though il shocks the whole boat,
he two-and shslf inch irun plating throws il of into
the water, lie u plank repelling III India-rubber
ball
i %
Fire oeioek.-The enemy opens again from bis
battery at tho head Of the island, bis first shot
striking the 81. Louis in the bows, but doing no in
Jury. Ar he now has At q fire, lodging the
balls becomes q more complicated maneuver; but
Commodore Foole watches him ooolly, with his
head protruding from the top Of the pilot-house;
while Captains Stembe and Panldng, on their re-
spectiye boats scrutinize him with their opera glasses
as one might gaze al an eclipse. Capt. Phelps, on
the gun-deck. 10 busy watching the effect Of our
sho,. and giving HE personal attention to all the
details.
Treaty minutes pat Ese.-A ball drops through
tho Ioof Of the Cincinnati on tie starboard side
striking the iron.plsing upon the axle of the crank
oil the engine. Fortunately the rank is down. or
il would have disabed The machinery. The shot ,e-
bounds up through the roof again, perfortes water
tank passes through tho sing, around the stains
leading from the gun-deck, sud rolls OFF the stern .lo
the river.
TURNING W THE STREAM.
HaiEDad Sir.--Th0nph the shots hay. been II '.
ing over our heads during The whole afternoon, none
have struck any Of our boats, except as r'.;et
above, and not man Las been injured them.
From the tu0s Gnd transports, three.t ..cs Of a
mile above, hundreds u spectators, incu1in, one or
two regiments Of infantry have been ca 'rly watch
ng the bombardnlent. A night is a. .rosCning our
three boats turn around, aud move slowly up the
river toward secure position. The men at the
water battery suppose they have disabled u.s. and we
hear their cheers, while they send their shos in
pursuit, which fall very close evsn AT the distance OF
two mies.
FIFTEEN D,iHntes pest serea.-We continus 10 re-
spond, even after it 10 10 dark that cannot SEQ
their works The mOrtars, too, belch forth their
thUnders, darling out their long tongues OF fire, ana
we follow the curved line Of the shell through
the sky where it looks precisely like shooting star
twinklng as each revolution displays the burning
fuse 20 US for an Instant end ;hen hides it again
At last just before striking tho ground, il turns to
great sheets and Jets Of fire; and 10 few seconds
we hear the repor, OF ia cxplo.,on Our boats are
finally anchored, side by side, and the third day OF
the bomLardment 10 ended.
DIFFICULTY OF TIE POSITION.
The day o work has dewoDVt aioJ t6e strength ot