The New York herald., 1863-08-24

The Yankee nation having taught the world
now to construct masonry fortidcations and
superior war vessels, wooden and iron-clad,
we are now going to teach them how to de-
stroy the former. The first great test Of big
guns against masonry Notifications is furnished
In the case Of the siege of Fort Pulaski, in the
months of February, March and April, 1862,
which affair was conducted on our side by
General Quincy A. Gilmore, the present eff
cent commander of our forces conducting the
siege of Charleston. The labors of preparation
by our army occupied, day and night, period
of nearly eight weeks. During this time
herculean task was performed in getting
big guns into position, among which were
quite Q number Of the Parrott and James pat
terms The history of this siege, embraced in
the report of General Gilmore, gives the whole
history of that affair. The rebel fort sue
cumbed to our forces on the l1th of April, 1862.
The rebels did not surrender until the walls Of
the fort-seven and one-half feet in thickness
bad been preached in several places and the
fort was becoming monster heap of ruins.
General Gilmore says that ''with heavy James
or Parrott guns the practicability Of reduc-
ing the best brick scarp at two thousand
three hundred to two thousand five hundred
yards, with satisfactory rapidity, admits Of very
little doubt Had we possessed our present
knowledge Of their power previous to the
bombardment Of Fort Pulaski, the eight weeks
of laborious preparation could have been cur
tailed to one week, as heavy mortars and colum-
biads would have been omitted from the arma-
ment Of the batteries."
The result Of the siege of Fort Pulaski estab-
lished the fact that for the reduction of masonry
fortifcations there is no better arm than our
Parrott and James guns, fred at high elevations.
lfehis assertion needs additional proof we will
refer those skeptical on the subject to the siege
of Charleston aud the effect Of our new two
hundred-pounder Parrots against its walls.
At the last accounts that fort had been
materially damaged by our shot, was rapidly
crumbiing to pieces, was apparently untenable
by the enemy, and ere this no doubt has sue
cumbed to our superior guns.
We do not forget, while speaking of these i'm
provements in native ordnance, the valuable
inventions Of Admiral Dahlgren, of our navy,
who is opportunely now in command of the iron
naval feet at Charleston, and Colonel Rodman,
of the United States Ordnance Department.
Every artillerist knows that to Admiral Dahl
gren the best form of naval guns is due, and
to Colonel Rodman the present admirable plan
of casting hollow and cooling from the interior
of the gun. To the genius Of this latter officer
is due the development Of guns Of large cali
bre. The great fifteen-inch gun was made
under his direction, and has been practically
tested with success on our iron-clads. He is now
employed in casting number Of twenty-inch
guns for naval and land purposes, that are expect
edto pxt.the Armstrong six hundred-poundersi in
the shade They will throw round shot Of one
and ninety pounds in weight, which,
whom it strikes, WOULD crush in the side Of the
Warrior, La Gioifo, or any iron-clad of Euro
pean construction. In this war we have demon
strated that the great masonry fortifca-
tions, such - at Portsmouth, Cherbourg, Ant
werp, Cronstadt, Sebastopol and elsewhere,
arc useless for military defences whom our
modern ordnance is arrsyed against them.
We have demonstrated that well con-
structed earth, sand or turf works are
infinitely superior to masonry forts, and indeed
veU formidable to our improved ordnance
Warren and Prescott introduced earthworks ON
Bunker Hill, and Washington at Dorchester
Heights, which commanded the city of
Boston; also at Fort Washington, on this
islaad. tho latter visible at this day
And while on the subject Of Notifications
we have another Yankee idea to promul-
gate to the world. 1t Is the construction of
cotton bale forts. Modern invention has
increased the peculiar properties of this royal
plant, and practical tests of its value as
means of fertilization have placed it high in the
opinion of our military men. The steam cot
ton press has augmented vastly its resistance
we suppose that the size of the cotton bale is
reduced by compression from one-fourth to
one.third. After having been subject to this
tremendous pressure it approaches in resisting
power more the palmetto than anything else.
Another invention Of one Of our countrymen il
the plan of firing guns under water to blow up
ships. This has been practically tested, and,
with some minor improvements, can be made
a success.
The names ofParrott, James, Dahlgren and
Rodman will occupy prominent pages in the /.
history of this war as the inventors Of the best
ordnance and big guns for siege and other pur-
poses, and in conjunction and side by side
with their honored names will be those of
General Quincy A. Gilmore and
Captain James L. Worden, who gave the FIRST
practical test Of their inventions against
formidable stone fortifica tions and iron-clads.
D'ARcY MoEE's LAST Mares NEsr1>As we
this ex-Irish rebels stoey about
the contemplated federal invasion of Canada