Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-04-16

THE GREAT BOMBARDMENT.
MOST TERRIFIC ARTILLERY DUEL
IN HISTORY.
Full and Interesting Particulars.


quarters q concentration of batteries and
forts mounting three hundred guns Of the
heaviest calibre, and sustained the terrific
FIRE for three hours, coming out with less
loss Of life than has frequently attended q
skirmish between two boats crews. These
diminutive iron-clsds bore for thirty
minutes q concentric fire from FIVE differ
ent points, and although struck time and
again by the fearful iron hail came out
nearly unscathed. Aside from all this
stupendous trial OF endurance, there were
tortuOus channels to be followed, internal
submarine tOrpedoes to avoid, hidden ''Or-
midsble distractions to overcome, all con-
stituting the most gigantic work ever at
tempted by such handful of men-eleVen
hundred, all told. Was there ever such q
scene?
The feet was repulsed, not beaten. Fort
Sumter was not taken, but theline Of block
ade was SO lessened that foreign trade can
no more enter the intricate harbOr. The
Confederates and their English allies have
lost the port, although we have not gained
it.
We give below particulars Of the attack
and the cannonade, SO far as we have
space, from the correspondence of the New
York Times and Tribune:
GAINED By IT.
Terrific though the action Of to-day was,
it can hardly be called o battle, for the
feet only felt the outposts Of the enemy,
and, owing to the obstructions, it was never
even able to place itself where it was de-
signed to begin operstiOns-namely, on
the northwest face of Fort Sumter. It was,
in fact, though not in name, yet in reality,
reconnaissance in force. Every thing
was untried. Both the work to be done,
snd the tools with which it was to be done,
were comparatively untested. We knew
but imperfeetly the engines we we're to use
against the enemy, and we knew still more
imperfectly the engines the enemy were to
use against US. 1t is unfortunate, no doubt,
that the revolution in the means and meth
DDS Of offensive and defensive warfare now
on the world, and the urgency Of
the struggle in which the nation is en-
gagged, should hsTe,necessitsted the hazard
ing of "a great battle, on elements which
are all but unknown. The trial, however,
had to be made. It haI been made, and
though we are not gamers in what is al
ways the aim Of bsttle-direct material
have at least enriched our ex-
perienee with that which, if rightly profit
ed by, will yet bring success.
THE DISABLING OF HALF THE FLEET.
Remember that this tremendous effect
the disabling Of one-half the entire feet
was accomplished in less than half 81
hour. Remember, again, that this took
place simply at the entrance Of the Infer
no Of fire through which the feet must
have had to pass to reach Charleston, and
hat there was before it 3 double line of
batteries stretching up for four miles be-
fore the city is gained, at each point of
which the ships must have been exposed
10 fire equal in intensity to that it felt
under the walls Of Sumter. But finally,
that rebel artillery was not the
most formidable foe or ships had to with
stand that, commencing at the point our
aeet reached, directly across from Sumter,
and extending all the distance up to the
sity. are successive lines of niles. nfFaoiu
ally barring the progress Of the vessels,
md detsining them al known ranges with
n the focus OF fire; and there are other |
ines of nets aud ropes, for the purpose Of |
'ouling the propellers, and that the whole |
,hsnnel is studded with submarine batter. |
- L.f,-., \ Il
# in naval warfare.
That the entire feet was not destroyed |
md left in the hands Of the enemy is due |
o the skill of the gallant sailor command
ng the expedition, and to the tact and |
'luck Of the Captains Of the respective
hips.
THE SCENE ON THE MORNING OF THE 7TH.
Let US lo1k about US and take in the els-
nents Of the panorama that stretches out
Defore us.
We are on board the Coast Survey steam
II Bibb, which, for the purpose of OBJ
aiming the best possible view, has been
arried into the Swash Channel, at q point |
hree and quarter miles from Fort Sum-
er, and about two and half from the bat
cries that flank the entrance to the harbor
n SulliEan's and Morris Island. We are,
onsequently looking directly up into the
iarbor and the city, which lies in the vista
eyOnd-its wharves and ships, houses
nd steeples standing out in the back
round like picture. Steeples and roofs
re crowded with spectators, the neigh
oring shores are lined with onlookers,
ust as when, now two years ago, less
Ia-a h |
anne coignes Of vantage to see, in the
ame harbor, another bOmbardment, while
mother flag from that which now hsunts
4 our eyes foated from the walls of Sum-
sr.
Fort Sumter rises up conspicuously be-
1re US in mid-channeli We can see every
rick in its walls. Two faces out Of its
We, and two angles only csme within
ight Of our point of view, namely, the
outh face, on which the sally-port and
-harf are placed, and the eastern face
ou are too familiar with the general
,stures of this historic work to make any
escription necessary. 1t was, you know,
ierced for two tiers Of guns, but the
'wer embrasures had been filed in to
.rengthen it. from the top of the fort
own the bsrbette guns, which comprise
Il the heaviest PORTION of its armament.
ou can count distinctly each barbette
two, three, four, five on this,
ne, two, three, four on that, and so on all {
'und, and it is easy to see that the ord
anee is Of the most formidable character.
rom flagstaff on one Of the angles Of
le fort, floats the Confederate fsg; from | {
flagstaff on the opposite angle, floats the
almetto flag. :
There is reverberatiOn as though Of nu- &
erous simultaneous thunder elaps. Now :
fierce, unceasing roar vibrating the air l
ith violence that causes even the solid I
ass Of our ship to tremble. A look !
rough the open port on the port side dis I
Oses the cause Of the furious outburst. !
he first four Monitors had reached the !
merging point of the FIRE Of Cummings
)int battery Forts Sumter and WouItria | =