, 1863-11-20

The explosion Of shell or cartridpa WITH
in the turret Ct Monitor. either hV 5enatra- ~
non from the outside orby accident. has heen
regarded aa one Of the eeferest diaaatera ~
which thsy could be subjected. The Patansco
1 1as hao M tnls e1per1enee-oneo Of the cartridges
1or her rifle gun, ~ mentioned in nv isst
letter, having accidentally exploded Thi1st
being rammed home. Fortunately The resnlt
VIVA not as disastrous as might have been ~
lected. NO damage was done to the guns.
.ee IofseI r ~ Or IT. machinery. Two guns' crews
Who were handling the cartridge when - T. A4su aa
ploded we're blown to pieces. their rensina
being scarcely distingutahable. All the othars
N the crew were thrown from thefr fat an1
stunned. morc Or less. hut not seriously In IN.
nS WA 5..f teaL feo 6unee was rendered sensr1ess
The men killed we're two 1anasma, ,,,
John Morris and Vim. r. Cottar. Thev 1uave ha1a
been buried on Morris Ielard, ''
Tugs.
II neTer rains but 1t pou1s, IL an old sarfn1
Lately 1t has been mining tuga htre 4 wes1.
ago the cnly selviceable tug in the fleet wa
The propeller Dande]ion, Captain Rarrymore
sin sinGe Yen the1e have sIfiyed h:re the Gers
nm nlnms C11nauon. Jonq1tl and 1arkspur, aud
nov 9oH We have perfect f1orer garden Of tugs.
ne LIS has also arrived. They are al nesd.
ed here and at Port Royal. @ @'oS
TIE AoSTAuK AND FAssAIc.
The Monitor Montauk, which has 1,een ~
rols hoya! repairing, arrived here on We'd
nescay, AID has already been ttyinp her Unn.
On sumter The Moatsuk il clipper amonT
u lne Momtets, and moves about the harbor AZ
the rae Of eight miles an hour. Tne Paseaic
tee has reeeired thorough oYe.haullng. md
Cur elective strength In Monitors mo- he's
glvss premise thu: the long deferred nttsrk
viii scou commence. ~s'1eA
was feared thnt the Passaic would h,ra
10 pe SEM NoItn to remedy some derange.
bible to turn her turret, which was beyond
lhe ingenuity Of the machinIsts Of Port Kot /
to remedy. Fortunately the Navy Den:-.s
nent has recently sent hare one IL Mr. Erics-
:oh's assistants, Mr. Griffin, perseyering
,9d y Zen eneIgetic gentleman, as Superintendent
Dust turn, ard he made it turn There il
,ood deal In working with niu aud dete1-
nination to succeed.
IMPROVING TIE MONITORS spEEn-
~. Gnttn, since his arrival here, has also
lo1 moet important uork ic Improving the
peed Of the Monitors. An iron YesseI. sfnr
smg N ihe Waters Of tue Southern Coast A
red With ms1iae grass, barnacles. g.. fSst S
''featly impede tteir speed. haVa eean ~
;rass fully three iEctes long On tha si5ss Wy ~
be Monitors. Tbs csnseqaeucs was rsair
peea vas reduced to about three knots m
our, aid the facility In steering greatly les- ~
ened. Attempts were rs4de to have then,
leaned bF divers. but did not succeed Ycr7
ieu Ar; Griffin, On learning the difficulties
pegeeted that the boats shonld be
esched at Po1 Royal at high water, and
heir bottom. ectspec a1d painted. Doubts
,e.e enfcsta1ned BY rome whether the
lonitors would cot be strained, but Nj.
raffD. with Admiral Dahlgren's AUTHORITY.
.ade an experiment with the Passaic. II
ro7ed entirely successful; the yeesai wss
ot strained or injured In the least. The re-
ody. The PAssaic, on arriving OF Ch,rjes.
il Bar, cast loose from her tog. ard cams
i, nearly keeping way oith the Coumodore
upont, fast steane::, formerly the English