Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-04-16

The Swash Channel, however, is too tor.
taous ana uncertain, so that The entrance
VIII doubtless DO made by the Shin Chan
nei, waicce. runs along the range of batter.
les on Morris is'and This channel Is bet.
ter known, less ohangeabip, snd easier
haviga'eu than either Of the others.
nus ON entering, the feet, after ran
mng The gauntlet OF all these shore batter
les, wall ultimately come in range Of Fort
Sumter. On approaching Fort Sumter
hero VIII he a concentration Of frc upon
them such as never before occurred in M.
val history. The euns of Sumter, Moul.
tire ana Cummngs' Point will be able Ia
concentrate their fire upon the n al one and
the same moment, throwing weight of
metal that would probably sink ali the
wooden vessels in the navy if they should
approach within striking dist nee.
Within the harbor, beyond Fort Sum.
s.aaf, there will doubtless also be concen-
trated fire Of great power, but then the
city will be under the fire of our Moni.
tors. Whether it will stand FIRE Or sprrep.
der, time will disclose.
There are also distractions in the b.r-
Dor, which, together with numerous torpe-
does, Will render the work of reaching the
city front one of great hazard Whether
tins will be accomplished or not, a short
time will decide. 1t will be a trial of
monitor vessels in which all the power of
modern artillery and engineering skill will
be arrayed for their destruction. They
will havn Il. undarnn q 90
nerabllity that will, if they should succeed,
be the death knell of all wooden vessels
for future naval warfare.
The Charleston papers, in recent refer
ence TO the coming conflict, speal- 81"
= ,.x, r>r the @nc~ - Oh ~ rs
Thsv ~ ~, 1..~ssesson of the city"
,,oper MAKE any :.hreat Of de-
stroying it. The possession or destruction
of the city win be the aim OF our neet ;
and there is full confidence OF ultimate
success among our naval officers.
The KEoKuK.-The New York Elk
press gives the annexed description O. the
iron clad Keokuk, reported to nave been
unk at Charleston:
"lhe heoh * was the invention Of Mr.
u W. .dtney, an iron merchant OF this
Guy Her dimensions were as follows
! Length over all, including the ram of tive
I feet, 1859 feet 6 inches breadth OF beam
| sc feet; depth of hold, IL feet 6 inches
draft Of water, Q feet Her sides presen
ted very peculiar appearances, being con
} structed at an angle OF 81 degrees, so a
5 to cause the shot to roll off With the ex
: ception Of 3 few inches OF wood on deck
: which was locked so as TO keep 1t tgh
5 some minor pieces between decks and Ii
f necessary joiner work, the vessel was e1
clusvely Luit of iron. with an armor e.
+ tending some four feet below the watt
o lne, while her flush deck is about FIVE le
. above the water line. The hull of Il
d vessel including frame and beams, IS e,
d clusiHely of iron, and constructed OF ha
!, nch rolled iron plates. Three nelson's ri
It | the whole length, while two hulwarks to
of and # form al inner vessel which email
If the structure to float, should the outsi'
/ DO rddled with shot.
s The vessel has two fixed turrets PaC
= carrying one gun, pierced with three pc
it holes each, but the gun was on revolvlr
,r slide They were built on a base of ha
y inch rolled plates, and covered in the san
rs manner as the huh, thus obtaining for Il
turrets a thickness of 4 IA inches. II
n vessel was propelled by two propelers an
Ne two engines of 500 horse power, He
IF crew consisted of 100 men. The prope
IN lers ard engines of the Keokuk were
O. arranged as to allow one to work forwar
er while the other could be reversed, so as
I'd turn the vessel on her own pivot.
m She was commanded by Commander !
us Rhind, and Moreau Forrest, Lleutenan
h 1t is diff ,uIt to believe that vessel {
h. well provided with the powers of resls
a auce has really been lost, but we sha
I'd soon know"