Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-03-20

N''tlA.ll.llt.' AaI.A aHAAt @" Nll"
which they aIe accredited
A sew MuNroE TESTED ry ACrUlt SERVICE
The Nonauk IS bearing the tcst Of actual
service with great credit \ correspondent
Of the Albany Argus gives the following ace
count of the 3l3ntauk's qualities a- evidenced
in AN attack upon the Genesis Point (sand)
Battery near Charleston, which was giving
protection to the steamship Nashville wait-
ing to run the blockade
The Monauk was struck forty times iu
this affair. lv rifle bolts and eight and ten
inch solid shot. but came cut with no mate
rial injury Nv nice little cabin Wa-
Knocked into % cooked hat
The interesting part Of this adventure -
the performance Of the Montauk-she being
one Of the new class Of Monitors. and thi-
being the fret time any Of them have he'u
subjected 20 the severe test Of actual service
You will be interested. know. in hearing
of the powers Of iron. She j. q great curI'--
irv. The shot struck her in every part me-
cessarv % fully prove her invuneroM.ity-
On her l7t deck protected by onc-lnrh
plates. over eight Of oak, and beam l2Nl2
in. twCutv-thrcc inches apart, She received
five or xix shot they made furrovs, hut
glanced. doing no injury her side arm1r
g in) was struck repeatedly, making dents,
about one inch deep, covering a segment OF
Onc-ilur,h the circumference Of the shot.
which were smashed By the impact
Upon her turrct OIL in.) similar dents
were made, but not 81 deep; the same effect
was produced upon the pilot-house on top OF
the turr-t (6 in. irony. No visible effect
whatever i, disccrnab'c inside, except in the
pilot house, where seven Of the bolt heads,
which there secure the plating, were thrown
violently through and inside by the IMPACT.
The people there were obliged 70 take refuge
outside under the lee of the turrct. In r1
place was there the least sign Of penetration.
The enormous l. inch gun weighing with ~
carriage IS .000 pounds, was handled with
ea~c. No trouble or annoyance was export
cnccd from the c1ncussiln or smoke citlcr
from the impact IF shot o,=idc or from The
discharge OF tine -uu.
When q SHIT struck TIE turret. 10 sounded
like the cracking OF a nut upon an anvil.
Many difficulties were experienced. bat ali
admit OF a remedy bat it !, q marvel how
such complicated machinery worked upon lie
first trial. The turrct weighing $50 tons l-.
a. YOU know. keyed up from below. and i-,
weight supported upon q shaft after com
tinucl iirin. it sa-.cd somewhat. and c5nsid-
cradle trouble was encountered In keyiH-up,
80 that it wouN reyol,c easily. Tie Blast
from tine gun. canc hack through the eye
hole in the pilot house So thar effects of
prlctiec could nos Doe observed The biz gum
81. 0. +N.lH .H.rf|.I B. ..
sighted. except hv the l-mch along slt- 1i
IL. which Is rough cuuucrv-
Firing over the stern mi quarter ciu-ta
the boilers T. foam they must ie -ecu-.5
also more firmly down below. glass suffered.
and the wick- Of lamps disappeared at each
discharge. some means must hc devised
for handling the enormous pro'ectilc=. weigh
ing upwards Of 400 lh..
On the whole. these novel crafts ere -ue-
cc>--s3 far as fighting qualities are concern
ed bat [ would rather 20 into ten actions
than 10 make Il passage at sen IN one OF them.
1t is God'- providence that enables them 70
march upon the ocean. II they live through
one gale, they viii never survive another--
In smooth water they seem % he perfect. but
our people must not expect too much ot these
vessels
would guarantee 60 hold sand battery
like that at Genesis Point against dozen oi
them two Of them would demoli-h Fort
Sumter. ot any square casemated stone ot
brick fort In two hour but sand forts arr o.
different thing. particularly where the guns
Isolated and far apart arc protected bF Hi-h
thick earthen ..trlycrscs. The shell b1rie-
itself in the sand and throws 1t about pro-
miScouslv but unless YOU bit the -un it>rii,
no great damage Is done, beyond occasionally
killing a guns crew, whose place can be up
piled It it, defenders arc in earnest.