Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-04-15
.ispeeiai ieorresponden.e-fshe Philadelphia Press.
The Projected Attack upon Charleston.

Speciai cor>esponden"eoEthe Philadelphia, ,Frsss.
The Projected Attack upon Charleston.
HILruN HEAD, March 23d, 1868.
When this letter reaches yon the attack
by onr eutire feet, upon the hot bed of the
rebellion will have fairly commenced.
There can be no harm now in giving you
some account of the great preparations for
the attack and investment, and the cause of
the various delays.
The prime cause of the delay of tho attack
on Charleston has not been with the army;
as many suppose, for it has been said from
the highest authority that the troops have
been waiting the word from the Admiral; (;
nor has the delay been caused by the weather
alone, but The presence in Charleston harbor
OF the torpedoes with which, it has been prov.
ed Monitors. unasssted, are unable to cope.
1t will be granted by even the most san.
guine of our "on to Charlestoners,' that with
the experience of the Montauk staring Ad.
mira Dupont in the face, it would have been
criminal folly to send Monitors unprepared
to meet what these arrangements are de-
signed to overcome. The Monitors engaged
in this attack are az foll5ws: The Pass ,ic.
Capt. Drayton the Patapsco Capt. Ammen !
the Weehawken, Capt. Deans; the Nahant,
Capt John Rodgers; the Catskill. Capt. Fair
fax, of Trent memory; the Nantasket, Capt.
Geo Rodgers, and the Montauk, Capt. Wor
den, the hero OF iron-clad warfare. Il is but
fair to emark that Capt. Worden. though it
has been his lot to See rough experience with
Monitors is enthusiastic in his belief in their
efficacy. The Keokuk is also bt oked for the
affair. In addition to these is the ironfrigate
New Ironsides, Com. Turner, which has
been the fag-shio of the Charleston bIocka-
ding fleet for month past. Her armament
consists of fourteen Il.incl guns and two 2Oo
pound rifles. From riding out one or two
gales of wind, it has been sufficiently proved
that the doubts OF her seaworthiness were
unfounded. The Wabash with her large
crew, 7SO men, and heavy ar ament, unlor
iunately draws too much water, % feet, to
cross the bar, as'also the Powhatan, formerly
commanded by Com. Godon, and the Pawnee,
(caled the blockade devil, last year by Sc
cesh) and will, therefore, remain to receive
the ram, expected to attempt the recapture
of Port Royal during the absence of our iron
clad feet.
HOW THE YANKEES rPosE TO DEAL WITH TOR
PEDoEs.
The same correspondent, abiding to the
delay in the attack upon Charleston: through
apprehension of torpedoes in the harbor,
says:
But Captain Ericsson, of New York. has
devised plan by which this difficulty is OBJ
waited, and has already sent down four of
these machines, three of which were lost in a
gale Of wind, while the remaining one, with
difficulty, the steamer Ericsson has safely to-
wed into Port Royal harbor. 1t may be of
interest to describe the principle on which
these are constructed. An iron frame, float
ed s6oshe waters edge by iron sponsons is
pushed ahead of the Monitor as she ruus in.
Its length, from the bow of the Monitor, is
from 20 10 30 fest. An Aperture is made
next to the vessel of the shape Of her bows,
intended to receive it. The breadth Of the
Construction Remover" as it is called, is
l2 feet. From each side of the extremity a
strong iron bar or shaft runs down also -
feet, the Monitor drawing but from 8 to 10
feet water, thus rendering it impossible for
any torPedoes over which this Obstruction
Remover" passes to injure the vessel.
a number of iron bars are used, not only
10 form net WOTh NJ us lO cltueI push IVY
ward or explode every torpedo less than
twelve feet under water, but also to strength
en- and steady the masts. AT the bottom
heavy tie bar untes these two vertical rods,
upon which rests the percussion torpedo con
taning Seven hundred pounds of powder.
Above this is hammer which catches in u
spring So stiff as to require two men to set it,
out constructed so that the lever, which pro-
trudes in front, forming the handle or other
end OF the hammer, will cause the spring to
give with little pressure. This is to remove
"pilcs." The experiments made upon this
machine in the North have demonstrated the
tact taat it is n complete success, and an
amount of powder greater than has ever hcen
proposed for any torpedo caused no injury
to the vessel, and indeed did not disturb anv
Of the ties of the, "O5structiun Remover"
1t will BE- readily seen that under no circum
stances can any strain be given to the Mon
lror; for, surprising the apparatus to be de-
StroYed, as it floats independently Of the
Monitor, supporting ITSELF the %orst that can
happen is its loss.