The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-12-16
tuai method of entirely closing the port. and
making further demOnstrations.

( n
tary tender of their services, as well az some
OF those who had doubtedSe reach Offering to
take therisks which the great stake instified
while the sailors, always ready for any service
or to encounter any hardship, initiated and
emulated their example.
The result has been that Rear-Admiral Dahl
Sren has kept these vessels for seventeen
Inon'hs where it was insisted they could not
lsnialn, to the great injury of the original seat
vi ,he rebellion. The work has been irksome
u H,ooorious unremunerative, and perhaps
n NO.. sumcientiy appreciated, for it has been
da u,os snu uhuemonstrative, without those oc-
casional captures which, before taking posses.
sion OF the harbor, enlivened and REWARDED the
officers and crews. 1-'' .o""'"0' liz
). Fifty blockade runners have hean cor-
tured or destroyed in Charleston barbpr
since Admiral Dahlgren anchored b;s Aeet
inside the-bar.
THE PIRATES
The country is congratulated on the do
struction of the Alabama. Of the faht
with the Kearsarge, the report says:
This has been the only fair and open sea
fght which our naval men have been able to
| secure, as yet during the war; and it occurred
IN the English Channel, in sight of the two
great maritime powers of Europe. In size.
armament and complement of men, the com,
| cOuIl
have been arranged. Most of the crew of the
Alabama were Englishmen and her eunners
admitted to have been picked men of her Mai
esty's gunnery ship the Excellent.
| Some latent remains of pride which belong
to the profession, and which animated his ear
lier and more honorable life while sailing IN
der the American flag undoubtedly had an in
tluence in inducing the pirate commander to
meet naval antagonist, after his long career
OF robbery and plumber of unarmed vessels, in
the vain hope that it might, if successful re-
| store to him some portion of the respect he
mad forfeited, and at the same time relieve him
| from some of the debasement he has never
ceased 10 ieel, even when applauded by those
foreign partisans who hated the country he
had deserted. But the same dishonor marked
his conduct on this occasion as during his
| whole ignOble career. Before leaving Cher
bourg he deposited his chronometers and other
trophies OF his robberies on shore When
beaten ana compelled to surrender, he threw
overheard the sword that was no longer his
own and abusing the generous confidence of
ms brave antagonist. he stole away in the Eng.
llsh tender whose owner proved himself BY
by his conduct, tit companion for the dishon-
Ored and beaten cOrsair.
Having surrendered, he cannot relieve him
self of his obligations as O prisoner of war an
til he shall be regularly exchanged He and
each OF his surviving officers and crew, wheth-
or received upon the Kearsarge or the Deer
hound, are and will be held to be prisoners OF
war and amenabe to the laws which govern
civilized communities. a predatory rover
may set the laws of nations as well as those of
his own country at Defiance but in doing so he
must abide the consequences
No explanation of the sinking of the
Florida is given in the report.
The Tallahassee, at last accounts. was at
Wilmington.
THE MONITORS
Mr.. Wenes expresses no decided convic-
tons upon the subject of the Monitors.
"This entire class of vessels" be says,
'shas been brought into existence during
this war, and the coast and harbor iron.
clads have been serviceable in James river,
at Charleston, and at Mobile; but modifi-
cations and improvements have been found
necessary" He adds q reference to the
Dictator and Puritan, as follows:
The exigences of the times and the necessi-
ties of war have stimulated the inventive fac
ulties Of our countrymen to vast improve
ments in vessels, in engines, in ordnance and
prOjectiles. That in some instances they are
not at first entirely successful is not surprising.
Mistakes and even failures will occur. In
nearly every class of vessels that have been
built, and especially those that are armored,
sary while they were being constructed. Only
two of the Monitor class of vessels-the Die
tatOr and Puritan-are proposed for sea-ser-
vice. Their success, of which the inventor and
builder is sanguine, is among the experiments
that the period and the exigences of the coun-
try have imposed upon the Department.
The Gght.draught iron-clads are thus re.
ferred to-:
The pressure for lrOn-clads of light draught
which could ascend the rivers and penetrate
the sounds and bays along our coast, was felt
to be necessity. The operations Of our ar
mics in the vicinity of the inland water and
adjacent to the rivers required the constant
presence Of gunbOats. But the men thus en-
ployed, as well as the magazines and machi-
cry of the vessels are exposed especially in
the narrow streams with high and wooded
banks. Some vessels, and not few valuable
lives have been lost by these exposures, and in
| order to afford oil possible protection to the
| gallant men who encounter these dangers, the
| Department considered it duty to provide
| armored vessels of light draught for their Sc
curity. Contracts were entered into for the
| construction OF twenty vessels on the monitor
| principle, each to carry two eleven-inch guns
| in order to be efficient, and to draw but seven
| feet of water.
1t was ascertained, however, when the first
two approached completion, that their
draught of water was more than was intend
M AuO nCoNy uAOI, duu TIC LWO clcfcu-
inch guns, with the machinery to give them
proper speed, involved the necessity of en-
larging the capacity of each of them. When
making these necessary alterations, it was
deemed advisable, under applications from
some of the commanders of squadrops for
boats that should present but small rise
above the surface of the water to dispense
with the turrets In five of these light draught
vessels, with view to special operations. The
remaining fifteen were ordered to be enlarged
by raising their decks, thereby giving them
additional tonnage and greater draught and
making them more efficient, but in other
respects carrying out the original design.
This work is now being performed, and most
of the vessels are near completion.
| OTHER IRON CLADs.
Four turreted vessels have been built IN the
navy yards of wood and cased with iron, differ.
ing therein from the original Monitors, which
are exclusively of iron. One OF them, the Mon
adnack, now in commission, has performed her
trips from Boston to Hampton Roads with en-
tire satisfaction, giving assurance that this ex-
pertinent, deviating in essential respects from
others, is likely to be successful. The draught
of water OF the Monadnack Is twelve feet, and
with two independent screws, she has o speed
of ten knots. Four other similar vessels of q
still more formidable and invulnerable charac.
ter are building.
The only seagoing iron-clad ships, besides
| tod o1o nj H..