Santa Fe gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1859-1864, 1863-08-01
The Fight with tIle AtIaMta.

journal gives several interesting facts concerning
the capture of The rebel ram Atlanta, by the
Weehayken iron-cIad, as lollows:--
She was now only so yards from the irOn-clad
when acolumn Of FIRE issued from the iron turet and
a l5-lnch went crashing though and through the re-
bel armor, completely prostrating the whole crew
Of one gun tl6 mem, aud, in the language of the
officers, filling aud covering the deck with spu-
ters Of iron and wood" An ll-inch shot imme-
dately followed from the Weehawkens small
gun which n like manner passed through and
through, but doing less damage. Again Ii inch
was fired at them, which struck on what they call
ed the "knucklo' Of tho armor (where the armOr
Of the angular side which slopes to the water
makes turn down and in toward the hall, crush
ing in iron and wood and everything before 1t, in
deed making hole completely through, vet not
passing 10 itself, but ehncng up the side it struck
The bottom and projecting eide Of the pilot house
passing into and demoshing il, and wounding the
two pilots within Ii was useless to continue a
conflict so one sided and after seeing the effect Of
the iron clad proiectles they hauled down their
new ilng and surrendered their vessel.
The action lasted but forty five minutes. The
officers seem completely astounded at the effect Of
the l5iuch shot, and had all confidence that their
l-ncb plute armor would uroye Uncomfortable that
thew should captne both ir#hhds. and do as
the plaesed generally. which f5bGdence proyes Ia
have been misplaced. The officers seem pleased
10 have col ont of snch difficulty SO eosily, are
communicative and soclable, and evidently feel
relieved, They are in what suppose should be
called uniform but It's rather hard locking uni
form. II is Of the universal gray, and bears the
devices pertaining to Zach particular rank in Gill
lace or red cord embroidery, and to some exten,
resembles our own method of naval uniform trim
ming. The rank Of the executive officers Is sien
Ged by gilt shoulder strap filed with blue, will
single star like brigadier general A com
mander has two stars and so on
The officers were all allowed to retain their sid
arms and personal effects, and will probably leay,
the Vermont soon fora passage North. The,
say that the derenCes Of Charleston aremore com
plete now than ever, and that the gun whicl
caused so much harm to the iron clads in tho re
cent fight at Fort Sumter is Of their own make
aud not an English gun, They call 1t the Brook
gun, as it was invented by one Of their ordnanc
officers Of that name They also say that but ie
guns, little ammunition and little faby Of tn
material orwar come to them from foreign source
as they aresable to mamhcturefor themselves
They speak Of a lack OF some Of the nosessare
Of life through the Conederacy, a1d OF the hig
| prices Of all articles.
Another correspondent describes The armor
{ the Atlanta;-- ST.
First and on the outside were wrought iro
0 bars six inches wide by two inches thick, runnn
= perpan1cularly with bur side and properly seen
i. cd, both above and below, by rlyets and bolts
Across these bars, horizontally, and on the insid
ran bars of like material end pattern, fastened
The outside layer by the strongest rivets, With
this layer and fastened to it, were two thickness
oflye oak, two inch plank, also running perpel
. dlcularly and horizontally and again within the
were two more similar thicknesses Of Georgia pit
J. plank, forming the last series Of her armor VI
= will thus see that her armor is wclvoiuches thc
. and presenting all the solidity which could
D given it by four inches Of wrought iron, four inc
'r es Of live oak, and four inches Of Georgia pine.
) A full account Of the engagement with the A
lanta, given by correspondent Of the PhladC
s. phia Inquirer, describes the torpedo arrangeme
70 attached to the bow Of this valuable prize, 4
. writer says:
y A'is evident that the rebels have taugh US
10 good lesson on tho torpedo subject, as connect
p' with IRON clads, from which we may well afford
"a learn, Ii has been q question how torpedo cou
re be safely carried in front Of vessel without int
81 fcring with its steering and other movements, a
IN be at the same timo secure from explosion un
the proper time. The Atlantas torpedo geari
a. solves the question. The forward part of then
III Of the Atlanta is solid iron, twenty feet in eng
a trpdinv below the cutwater. that hnge steel A
lie i rormed which would cnt anv wooden gnnh,