The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1863-04-22
The Great Artillery BaIIie before
ChaPEeStOu,


Charleston.
On Tuesday the great naval battle which
decided the fortunes of the Rttsck took place.
1t had beeu> desired by. tie admiral to get in
motien carly IN the mpfning .sbut the argu
ment Of the tide was against slch course,
and It was noon Before the feet got under
way. The ehawken, which was provi-
ded With raft, inSented By Dir. Ericsson,
fittigg to TIE prov ofthe vessel, and desigu~
ed to remove distractions took the leading
position. The anchor cable OF theWeehaw.
ken became entangled in the gappfng irons
OF this raft almost as soon as the ileet was in
motion, and delay OF over an hour took
place before the trouble cauld be remedied.
Intensely harrsssing were all these deteatioBs
which had seemed TO attend the expedition
with agereyatIng pertenacty even from the
start at Port Royal. This matter Tighted,
the Weehawken started again, and the other
eight iron monsters slowly followed. The
Il ct moved up bE the shore OF Norris Island
and toward Ft, Wagenen, The anxiety for
the first shot is intenS,, but the Weehaw ken
passes, and the others also pass one by one,
and allis silent. Suddenly now, as they
steam on theifrst tive shots come from Fts
Houl;rie, across the bow OF the Weehawken, :,
and every man in the whole feet is ready 10
a tnument'at his assigned post for the com
nenceme ut olqbe ibattls 1iIhe neM fire from,
Ft SumteEi First o flash of fame and then
whole lbrpadsiie from its barbete guns
came crashing upon the feet. Then the
Cummings 2 PJitt battery, MouIt-ie, ard Bat
terry Bee opened, and the foremost OF the
Monitors stoUd in tBe midst oi the concen-.
rtrated fire of hal "a dozen batteries. They
had vailed until The vessels should come as
near as, possible to the conyerging range Of
most Of the guns in The 'iortifcatIons aroun
about. il had been the intention TO- pass
thu ough this fire, and beyond sumter, but
suddenly, the Weehawkcn was checked and
seemed to have lost her motive power and TO
be Struggling heiplessly against The Influence
OF the tide. This was Explained by iatt that
she encountered an obstruction, consisting OF
a large rope or rcable drawn across the chan
nel,- tioated by casks and sustaining nets,
seines and toTpedoes, The propeller. was
iou!ed by the nets and unable to move Tor
some time. IA torpedo burst close 10 her
port side, bat ntwtbout doing any harm. The
Patapscos serew!also caught in this obsiruc.
ton and she was loGg time IN extricating
herself. The left hand channel, passing be-
tween Ft. Sumter mad Cummings Point was
obstructed by three rows ofspiles, stretching
at in erVals across the pas age and rising
eight feet Of water and back Of these three
lebel iron cla6s were stationed, awaiting the
coming OF the feet, II by any possibility they
might remove the intervening distractions.
1t is said that an opening in one of the rows
OF piles there is an immense torpedo con
tanning several thousand pounds OF powder,
aud capable, as the rebels believe, OF utterly
destroying any vessel that may come in con
tact wlgh it. a'rhe fleet was therefore etlec-
tually checked from further prog
ress. In addition to tho difficulties present.
ed by these almost i,Dpassable distractions
was she great trouble experianced in steering
some OF the IRON clads, or indeed making
thcm obey the helm at all. Fhe lronsides,
was the most unWieldy. The keokuk,
though uniitted, as it afterwards proved, to
stand the terrible impact OF the shot thrown
at her from the splendedly mounted batter
les to which she was exposed, seemed the
best capable OF regulating her movements,
and was thus enabled to pass nearer to Sum.
ter than any other vessel, The IronSides, it
will be remembered, Is not one OF Mr.. Etc
hull is concerned, nearly on the plan of the
Warner and La Gloire. The keol6ak is a
lighter draft vessel than, any of the others,
and is construed on new plan invented by
Mr.. Whitney, of n. Y. The vessels strict
ly known as the Moni ors were only moder
ately successful in governing their speed and
motion, but withsteed the tire from the forts
with a success which will almost establish
their claim TO entire impregnabll:y, The
first difficulty with the lronsidcs was ulani.
fest before the firing had commenced, as in
passing up the chaDuel the bow swung on
the port side. and she could only be brought
to regain her steady course by stopping the
engine for lew minutes. In the midst Of
the most terrible fire it was found necessary
to throw out the anchors to prevent the ship
from shoaling, and on getting in motion
gain it was but short time before the an
chor had to be thrown ou5 a second time to
render her manageable. She fin lily, after
firing one broadside at Ft. Moultris was
compelled to retire as she was entirely help.
less, moving causelessly one way and anoth
er, and sometimes touching bottom and as
the enemy noticing her condition, took par
ticular pains TO bestow upon her large
proportion OF their fire. She was inTu
nerable, however, to the best directed miss
siles. tya ~" Htff -G "'"i,a
All the while tbs Monitors were contend.
ing against obstructions in the stream, and
their own inability to control their mo ions
they were receiving concentrated fire that
would have destroyed the best wooden feet
the world has known in. the time that would
have been taken IN passing it. Some of the
finest English rihed guns of the largest cali
bre, which have run the blockade. and the
largest guus cast at Richmand, had been pIa-
ced by Blauregard in the most effective po
silions and probably all The effect to be OBJ
taiped by the best uso Of modern improves
ments and inventions in artillery prac
tice had been accomplished in the orti-
fcatio1s; in the midst OF whose fire the the
Monitors were compelled to remain Pros
badly there never was SO terrific an iron
hail!' in the history oinayal warfare as that
which was withstood by these vessels. The
shot came sometimes faster than one could
count--in tons, with crushing weight and
with the severest force that could be impart-
ed by the greatest velocity dt Is stated
that during the the fiercest firing a hundred
and fly shots were sometimes estimated in
a single minute, and it is believed that from
three to four thousand rounds were fired by
the enemy in the short space of halt an hour
1t was the climax OIL all the forces that SCI
ence and ingenuity have evoked from the ell
,ments for the purpose Of warfare. 1t was
the first great trial between perfected artil>
lery practice on shore and the most formida-
BILE inventions ofthe time upon water. There
were very few men engaged and very few
lives lost. The ponderour shot Of four hun
dred and fifty pounds were lifted to the muzs
zles af the pfsns hvs ,nachinerv the turrets