The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-01-23
The New York Monitors-N hat the
Officers Think Of Them.

At he present session OF the Yankee Congress,
there have been some very interesting documents
communicated with the report of Wei!cs, the Sec
retary OF the Navy. That worthy, it will be re-
coll ccied, had strong faith In the iron clad moEi-
tors, and insisted that Admiral Dupont should
"oceupy and hold" Charleston by their all The
contractors fl building them, having more faith
in than knowledge of them, also clamored when
their costly work was disparased. Between the
two acts Admiral pupot got into hot water, and
the Yankee nation let his reputation down a few
pegs But the information given in his report
shows tha, he was right and bis detracors wrong.
# vii, be of considerable interest 10 the reader
TO know what that report embedded on the subject,
aGd, accordingly, we make some luminous eT-
tracts below from ne Cfncers commanding the W 8
sells. We preface them with the following extract
from The New York Journal 81 Commerce, which,
like the re. of those papers that lack full faith in
the wisdomofthe Washington Government, thinks
that the iron, clad invention has not yet proved
its right TO what il claimed for IT,
The upshot ofthe matter Is that, 50 far as relates
tn n iron clad navy for deep sarvice its iea-
.bi,,y remains to be determined There are skill
ed naval architects who already pronounce the
idea visionary and the attempt failure, as impen-
rtri,biiity brings with il the sacrifice of speet and
safety--Jw0 essential requisites. We shall know
more ABOUT lii5 byGDd-by. Iron clad gunboais and
ms fur smooth water, for harbor defeac- ard IN
isnd seYvice-tllese depend for succession wholly
different considerations, and their value may be
regarded as established.
We annex below extracts from the reports OF
III. officers Captain Dayton, who commanded
the monitor Passaic, says:
A, ,hs fourth shot from Xt-inca guns, was
struck III quick succession IN the lower pa,t OF the
hEa .ln
MATES aud beams, and forcing together the rails On
which the Xl-incb carriage worked, rendered II
wholly useless for the remainder OF the action,
several hours being necessary To put II again n
workins o,der Suon after it was discovered that
there was some thing the matter with the turfef IL
self which could not be moved, and oh exaihiha-
tion Ii was fonud that part 6t the prass rug un
dernea,h it had been broken on, ana being i,fced
IN heard haa jamlned IN clearing this the tnrreI
could again be moved but for some time irregularly
little after very heavy rife shotstrnck the upper
mart of the tGrret, broke al. OF It's eleven paies,
and then sianeng upgard TOOK the pilot Noise.
yet with such force as 10 make an iudentton OF
two and half inches, eXtandi nearly uie Wh ic
length of The shot The hcw was so severe as to
considerably mash in the pilot house bend over,
Opea the pia,es and squeeze out the Top, so t'iat
on one side il was lifted ap three inches above ihe
tan on which |. rested exposing the inside OF The
p,a-house and rendering it fkely that the next
shot would take oil the top itself entiFeiy.
Cant. Rodgers, of the Weehawben:
Two or three heavy shGt struck tic sue ~ i" Ht'
the same place. They nave so broken 'iie IRON
,bat il oa.y rema. : In spiinterea fragments f'poh
thai soot: much OF il can be picked Off hy hand
and the wood is exposed.
IN. deck was pierced so as TO make hoie
through WHICH water ran into the Vesse'' cut u
was not large. Thirty-s:x bolts were broken ~
III. tu.,et aud good nasy Ia the plie' ho"se, pal
as these are concealed by al iron iihias' "aSs
no means OF knowing now many.
AT one tine the tarvet reVO,scd WIN .a'he"ty
tn const auence OF shot upon 'ts Juhction Win
the plt,t-honsc, but il worked wen aeaih a"e'
sew turns had been made with higher STEAM
Cant. Worden Of the Montauk:
desire 10 say that experienced serious empal
rasssnrnt In maBGuvreing my vessel IN INC naIsoM
and ugccrtain channel, with the iimitca Meaus "
observation affp ded from The pliot noast, u"uei
ttc rapd and concentrated hfe ff0a' the otts, tne
ypss Is OF the deet close around me, ahn neI'ne.
comnass nor buoys TO guide me- Aftcr testify .ne W
weight of the tBeny's nre, and oDsetstns snc w.
stractions, am led to believe tnat Cnissss"'' as
cannot be taken by the naval force now PseseM.,
ss,d that had the attack beea continued, u coa'o
not fail to result: In disaster.
Coumsnder Ammen, Of the Pntapseo:
Forty seven projeciiles Of the enemy strnck :, inc
vessel. No datnaxe was done whacn u'saIau ass,s n
although Injuries were received, when muI.Ipncu,
would do 50. Favty bolts Of the sHoke-ssacA -, =
broken, and chain around II win % hecess.'y =
It's cGndaaed security. ..,,o...
tiInk want Of vision one Of tns moss .s1os.
defects Of this class, mahin9 imp0ssapIs - n5n'
them sdvaatage0uaiy, N avoid aaa9en, y = A.ss
essi,saetety reeoaael0eese'