The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-07-02

PLATEs-A prlvate letter from q % OmCer o II the gun
boat Esser, in Red river. published in the Cincinnati
Commercial, gives this account of an interesting
series Of experiments at Fort De Russey:
Some experiments were tried with the 9 inch guns
Of the Esser. on the iron casemated battery of Fort
De Russey. prior 10 its destruction, 10 test its power
Of resistance and the strength Of the guns. The
writer says: "Our 9-inch pierced the iron and 20
inches OF the wood, throwing the bars OF iron all
around. Some Of the pieces Of iron were thrown
upwards some so feet. One piece about 10 feet long
came down endvise with such force that it ran plump
through q log 4 feet in circumference. Nobody could
have stood behind the casemate. the conclusion was
go tremendous, and the splinters would have killed
them. We then ried the 100 Founders, with the
same effect. We threw our solid shot against 1t, and
in the same hole planted a shell, which exploded,
throwing up the iron for 10 feet all round. After
we had experimental till the captain was satisfied
that the place was not impregnable, az the rebels
thought. we set FIRE to it and burned the remain ing
timbers."
JOHN MORGAN AND HIS TRoUBLEs-A PROTEST
AGAIssT RovISG COMMIssIoSs.-The Savannah Re
publican of 18th April says:
The Wilmington Journal, speaking Of the differ
ences between Gen. Morgan and the War Department,
says the disagreement seems to arise out OF the fact
that Gen. Morgan insists upon an independent com
mand, and that independent commands are opposed
to the policy Of the President and the War Depart
ment. 1t is no doubt thought at Richmond that this
year is to be one Of concentrated movements and
decisive STACEY, and that every corps must be under
q definite control, and subject to the general rules
and plans Of the army. Raids and dashes, however
glorious and gallant, will not pay for the absence of
any important force at the proper place and at the
decisive moment. We do not think there is any
difficulty about assigning Gen. Morgan to a command
bene6tting his rank and his services. or in giving
him an adequate force, but there Is about giving
him an independent command. We agree fully with
our contemporary. The War Department has clear
ly acted right in the matter. These 50 rowing COM
missions are pernicious in their results in a large
majority of cases. Whilst the whole country sympa-
thized with Morgan in his cruel captivity, We have
yet to see the first military man who does not con-
denim his late raid into Ohio az most unwise and
improbable
The BRITIsH 9 BUDGET."-In the British House
of Commons, on April 7th, Mr.. Gladstone, the Chan
cellor Of the Exchequer, made his annual financial
statement before a very crowded house. He stated
that the estimated expenditure Of the past fiscal year
was s68. 2S3 900 while the actual expenditure was
only e67 ,056, 900. The revenue of the year was
E7O.2OS, 900, which after deducting $500 900 ex-
peEjed on Qualifications, left an actual surplus of
z 1852 900. The following are the important changes
in taxation proposed for the current year The duty
on corn (wheat) is reduced from Is. per quarter to
Sd. per cwt. The income tax is reduced Id. on the
pound. The duty on high classed sugars is reduced
5s- Cd. and on the lower sorts 3s. 4d. The duty on
fire assurances on stock in trade is reduced from 3s.
to 1s. Cd. per GEN.. Sundry other minor and unim-
portant changes are proposed. The estimated sur
plus for the year 1876 is G2,570,O00. MIR.
Gladstone spoke for three hours and at the conclusion
OF his remarks he was greeted with lout cheering.
Nearly all the papers express admiration at the
consummate art of MIR. Gla6stone's speech, and his
recommendations are generally regarded with salts
1O1pOhs AhOAC a oOaO a Z Ill u
sugar trade. The Times says it is a very sensible
budget, and also a Gladstonian work of art. The
Morning Post looks upon it as emphatically a peace
budget.
AN EXCITING SCENE AT NIAGARA iFALLs.-The
Niagara Falls Gazette has the sollowing account Of
an extraordinary ice jam in the Niagara river n few
days since, and the narrow escape Of seEeral persons
A change from the prevailing easterly wind to the
opposite quarter brought down immense quantities of
ice from the lake last Wednesday night. For the
first time, We believe, in the recollection of the
coolest inhsbitaut,'' the ice formed a complete dam
across the rapids between the bridge and the upper
end OF Goat Island. With the exception Of a few
rods in width near the main shore, the rocks below
the ice were bare. 1t was safe walking where usually
flows an impetuous food. And yet it was not quite
so sale, as was proved Thursday morning, when sew
eral young men wandered over the barren rocks, and
visited a boat that had been lodged there for several
weeks. While enjoying a walk, which we of this
generation may never again hear of. the ice dam
gave way, and the vast volume of water. probably
from FIVE to ten feet deep, came rushing through.
The dam soon disappeared, and the boat that had re-
NAMED fixed against the ordinary torrent was swept
away and over the cataract. OF course there was q
hurrying toward the island shore, and the paper-mil
pier. Some escaped with a little wetting, while
others barely escaped with their lives. A young
man named Barlow was obliged to leap from one to
another of the floating cakes of ice, and fully appre-
ciating the necessity OF making land before being
too near the cataract, lost no time in leaping from
the last cake, and swimming several rods to shore.
Those who witnessed the scene describe it as exceed
ingly exciting.
THE DISTRACTIONS In III cA,arra. ...
CHARLESTON RIvERs.-The N. Y. T-h,lne has =
ceived the following particulars In reference to these
distractions, from a captured prisoner. who has
lately taken the oath of allegiance. The informant
at the time of the breaking out of the war lived in
Columbia, Is. c. and under the excitement and
pressure of the moment, joined the rebel forces at
Fort Moultrie, where he remained two months and
then went to Morris Island. He was in the Wise
Legion, at Fort Sumter, and other points. Touching
the distractions, he says:
There are thirty-two torpedoes laid on a direct line
in the Charleston river, from Fort Johnston to Mount
PLEASANT; the entire width of the harbor. They con-
sist of common beer barrels, tarred in and outside.
and fastened together by a cable at the bottom. Some
of them contain between 600 and 700 pounds of
powder. The lanyards which are attached to the
center Of these instruments are screwed into the end
Of each barrel, and so arranged near the surface that
they will explode the torpedo with fifteen pounds of
pressure of anything coming in contact with them.
At the front Of Fort Ripley there are spiles driven
across the river to prevent vessels passing that point.
From Sumter to Cummings Point and Sullivan Island
there are %torpedoes similar to the above laid across
the river. Besides these there are logs chained across
the river. mostly from Fort Johnston to Sullivan
Island Nearly all the steeples in the city had been
taken down to prevent our forces from obtaining any
particular range. A great portion of the city, from
the wharf to Meeting street, had been battered down
by the feet. There are now no residents in that
locality. In regard to the Instructions in Savannah
river, from Thunderbolt Battery to Warsaw Sound,
the rebels have laid down live oak logs and timber,
from Skiddeway river to the marsh opposite. At a
place called &c the Sisters three little islands (below
Rocks) in the middle of the river, the rebels
have sunk thirty-two %torpedoes, extending from Will
mington Island to the 80 Sisters and thence to Skid
deway Battery. They are little larger than lager
beer barrels. and charged with powder and fulmin-
and will explode on slight pressure. Besides
these, there are others in the Savannah river.