Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-07-21
MORNING LEADER.


MISUNDERSTANDING the james,
II {corfespondenee Of the N. y. Tribune,l 8
1.00oes FoRTREss MoSReE, July H.
-QAo few days previous to the evacuation
of Norfolk by the rebels Merrimac No.
Two q was towed from the Navy-yard In
shat citv up James River 10 Richmond,
where large number Of mechanics have
sTldee been engaged IN plating her with
iron and .propaing her for service. Her
-armor IS IN plates instead Of bars, her sides
lVfwpod, and six feet thick and she will
hhayo al the Improvements suggested BY
sthe career Of the Merrimac IN the haste
sof he evacuation her boilers were left be-
hind On the dock at Norfolk; but she has
rainc6 been supplied with others az Rich
mond, which circumstance has OCCASION
cd a delay In her coming cut She has
received the engines Of the Arctic, COM
manded by Captain Hartstein in his North
'orr explorations.
,ss These engines were taken out Of the YES
sal ~ Norfolk soon amer her return from
her memorable voyage. The name Of the
new steamer or ram has been changed to
The Richmond, and is about two-thirds the
size Of the Morrimao or Virgihia), win
draw about ten feet, and is represented as
slayer 81 the Cumberland and Congress.
Deserters, escaped prisoners, and others
represent that she is nearly ready TO make
her appearances in the James River and
slaughter of any number Of our gunboats
4 confidently counted on. i is said that
the distractions at Fort Darling have been
50 contfived as to let her drop through, as
did the qeazer the other day
rr.-., al
IS they have been obtained from various
Tsourges, and ore believed 70 be mainly car
rect. They have for some time been in the
possession Of the Government, as were the
main facts concerning the Merrimae, long
before she made her appearance in the
Reads. Whether, as in her case, no heed
viii be paid to them, l am unable to say.
That some sort Of iron-clad steamer or
rram is constructing at Richmond, there
can be hardly doubt Prisoners taken at
different times, and without any knOWl-
edge Of each others story, concur in the
general statement But there is infOrma-
ton much more direct and trustworthy;
and though In some respects the Information
gathered through different sources, may be
erroneous, there would seem to be little
room for Questioning the main fact
On board the rebel gunboat Teazer, cap
tured few days since, were complete and
elaborate drawings Of the Monitor, and a
contrivance to be used in capturing her,
che main features Of which are two
steamers connected by a chain cable
one to 20 on each side of the Monitor,
which would be drawn along BY the
Two steamers thus attached to her.
There were also minute specifications as q
part Of the plan Of capture, and details Of
men as boarders, while others were to be
provided with iron plates to cover the
% 6psninE in the Monitors decks; others
with wedges to prevent the revolving Of
her turret, and others still TO play differ
.ent parts.
ilH On the Teazer were found also drawings
Of submarine batteries and internal ma
chimes and their different locations. tits
conjectured that the submarine cable found !
on board Of her related to this branch of
the Rebel service, it which it is supposed
she vas engaged when she was captured. !
The efforts Of the Rebels to blockade the /
James River, and out of supplies from Gen. |
Mcclellan, have assumed quite q serious |
Shape. There are so many points between 1
z Harrison Landing and Jamestown where /
musketry can be employed with almost un-
erring certainty that this species Of block /
sde has become even more effective than
artillery OF heavy guns since sharp-shoOt-
ers in rife pits and ambuscades bid def |
auee 60 the gunboats, while artillery and 1
land batteries cannot stand their FIRE