Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1862-05-16
The Expedition against New
Orleans.
L. $. SCHOONER Dan SMITH, J
S. W. Pass, off Pilot Town, ;
April 25th, 1862.
TUE NIGHT ATTACK on THE FoETs-A DEs-

S. W. Pass, off Pilot Town,
April 25th, 1862.
THE NIGHT ATTACK on THE FoETs-A DEs-
PERATE ACTION.
While gathering the particulars of the
attack on the forts by the squadron this
morning, the order was passing along
the line of the mortar hotilla for the YES
sells to get under way and return to the
anchorage off Pilot Town. The squadron
has passed the Rubicon and now lies about
seven miles above the forts, which is be-
tween two fires. The rebels have two
steamers aud an iron-clad battery, on
which they are mounting guns from Fort
Jackson.
The formidable character of this oppo-
ncnt, and the fact that all of our large
steam sloops are above the forts, and cut
of from the fletila, induced Com. Porter
to send the bomb sehooners out of reach
of the enemy The fleet accordingly got
under way, and withIa head wind dritted
slowly down the river. Leaving the llor-
ace Bcals, Mr. Winsor of the New York
Times and myself, and plying our oars to
the press gig we came down to this
point, where Com. Porter arrived at the
same time with dispatches from Commo
dorc Farragut, who is above the forts, and
Com. Boegs Of the lest steamer Narona.
TIE UNION FLEET TN FIGHTING TRIM.
| doubt if ever there was naval cx-
petition 50 thoroughly and eiieetually pre-
parel to engage an enemy on the sea or
on the land as the squadron Of Flag Off
Ger Farragut, Nothing which ingenuity
could devise, or skill and laber execute,
was left undone to render the ships and
runboats invinciblc to the various means
aud modes of attack to which they were
exposed. ln consequence Of the want OF
confidence in numerous experiments made
in iron-platci vessels prior to the splendid
demonstration OF their inyu.uerabiity by
the Monitor, anl the r1mis,ness OF the
Navy Department in not sending an IRON
clad ship to lead the advance, and ward
off the hard blows of the enemy, the en-
cjneer in this squadron were compelled
to resort to various expcdients to protect
the machinery aud boilers from the fire OF
'ne feoe' oa''.i1eN' a'i.' d va, 'e'G,1 ~,
..' it2'" tePo' = "''isa is',.''ls' - '.y''
suHboats, which the enemy were supposed
10 have constructed.
eHAIN-eLAp s4aors-of-waE,
Theua.t conspicuous feature IN the out-
ward appearance OF the fleet were the mon.
linked mail Of the sloops-ot-var Richmond
Brooklyn aul Pensacola, each OF which
kpl their engines and boilers peotectea by
cham cables huaL in bites OH the outside
and triccl 10 eteboIts anl rods running
fore aud aft The chains wore dropped
from the hight Of the gundrcG TO below
the water iinc, aul Connected together by
strong cordage. Tins was equivalent 10
four iHch plate. providing 1t withsto6d
the effect, of 1Ianc'ug or obiqae shots,
The only danger apprchend-i from the
chain, on the steamers VA, from ra&ing
>hJt te1rias them of, in which ease i wa>
feared they woa.d become entansIeI with
the plopcicrs. 10 guard against this
some Of the ship, un~hack.ed the chain IN
short lengths, 50 that it mj5at rcash astarn.
/ The machinery Of tha lrq4u5is was pro-
tectei in tAe -ame way, the erelitot orig
mating vhjeh plan is due to Assistant En-
aiuccr Iloyt Of the Richmond, upon which
ship it wa. first adopted, the other vessels
following her example.
>mnn, H., most ,ai,ieD, Of the inter-
,,I srr,, -.s,ran,e far tbs protection Of the
E,;fegs tba destruction Of which bv shot
or .hslI was tbez mos. to hs dreaded, al
,Lonrb nj, Wa not the only dangerous
n,rt Of thr sbin.. was thai adopted on
hoard I'm, sIoon.of.war Mississippi, the
machinery Of which being more above the
.a.o. Ina wos c,nseon,ntlv more expos
~ - .t,, fro of rho enemy The prepar.
a.;oo of his sbin for the action involved
an ;n,,n,n.o ,nonut of labor. which en-.
g,,rJ her officers and crew for weeks be-
fare the at.ack, Under the direction of
+ Ch;cf Enoineer Lavton. Mr.. Bartleman,
tbc FIRST Assistant. worked night and day
with \ ,,rou, force, and constructed 4
temnerarv roof in the coal bunkcrs just
below the water line, about which the
beayy chain cables of the ship were pack
ed in LAYERS, running fore and aft. The