New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-08-23
FROM MOBILE BAY.
Rnrraguts yietory-A Gianeo Mt its Impor.
tsnce-The Rebel Ram Tcnncssce-Inside
View of Her Before ind After the Fight
Her Gr.nt Strength md Weakness-The
Work Yet BEFORE Us.

From Our Special Correspondent
| FoRT GAINES. ALA, Aug. 10, 1854.
In the lull between the pounding OF our fleet at
the portals of Fort Morgan Its probable early
surrender, it may be not amss to consider more
carefully the result of the brilliant achievement
Of our fleet, under the noble old Admiral, than
was possible in my hasty chronicle Of the fight
written and dispatched on the 9Th inst, just
after the entry Of the fleet inside the Bay OF
Mobile.
Now that the first glow Of enthusiasm and de-
light at our brilliant success has had time to be
tempered by sober reason, and the colder feel
ings of reflection have been permitted to come
more fully into play, we can the better appre-
ciate the measure OF success which has attended
us in this great victory.
Unlike most of the achievements of the war,
this success Of Admiral Farrsgut, splendid as it
was to a superficial observer in its first fruits,
grows into infinitely greater value and impor-
lance the more We consider and understand
what it actually has succeeded in accomplishing
The triumphant entry of the fleet inside the
bay under the blazing thunders of the guns Of
Morgan and Gaines, and through channel
sown with torpedos dangers more formidable
than Scyua and Charybdis combined, was an
act for which the pages of history can show no
parallel; but all these accomplished the work
would have been half undone had the destruc
ton of the rebel fleet inside the harbor been left
incomplete. without undertaking TO belittle
the wonderful achievement (which successfully
carried our feet inside the harbOr of Mobile, i
am fully persuaded that the victory over the
rebel gunboats, especially the formidable ram
Tennessee, in It's immediate aud remote results,
was of at least equal importance to the nation to
the passage Of the fleet inside the forts.
The Rebel ram Tennessee, in the extraordl-
nGry fight with nearly half our entire fleet,
which took place inside tho harbor, proved
herself one Of the most formidable crafts for
barbor defense which has ever been construc-
ted, and an inspection of her which have been
permitted to make, shows with what justice the
Rebel Admiral Buchanan claimed that she was
able TO sink an entire fleet.
Her hull Was originally intended for a man-oi-
war, and il put together in the most stanch
and substantial manner in which it is possible 10
build vessel Her length is about one hundred
and eighty feet.
III form she varies from the old Merrimac,
though evidently modification Of that unior-
tunate and shortyed craft.
Her Grmor consists of two and half inch
iron in bars eight inches wide crossing each other
and bolted down with one and three quarter
inch bolts, making FIVE inches of solid iron.
This again is backed by two feet of solid oak
throughout the entire portion Of the boat above
the water line, and extending some feet even
below that. From her forward classmates for
ward, including her pilot house, an additional
! inch Of iron il given her, making six inches OF
plating, and an additional foot, making three feet
of wooden backing at this part of the boat.
Her gun room, if that is the proper term TO
use. occupies about twO-thirds Of Ter length,
and is constructed with fiat top, composed of
two and half by eight inch iron bars, crossed
and bolted together, forming close lattice
work above her gunners, and ahording yentlIa.
tion while in action. The sides are inclined
! like those of the old Merrimac and as before
stated, are composed of five inches Of iron plat
ing, backed with two feet Of solid oak backing,
through which, in the fight with our fleet, no
ball succeeded in piercing. Her ports, OF which
there are two on either side, and one fore and
aft. are closed by means of iron shutters which
reyolye upon pivot in the center OF one SIDE,
and are worked by means Of cog wheel on the
inside in a very simple and expeditions manner
They are liable, however, to arrangement and
in the engagement with our fleet two were ac-
| tually SO deranged as TO prevent their beng
opened, while third, the after one, was shot
away entirely, the pivot on which it revolvcd
| being broken of, aid it WAS through this that
the fragment Of shell entered which wounded
the robel Admiral, as he was standing near d.
recting a gunner to clear away some splinters
with which il had become filled.
1t is a curious and interesting proof OF the
excellence Of our gunners that some ten shots
struck in close cOntiguty TO this port which II
was early discovered il was impossible for her
crew 10 close and in fact this really became the
heel of Achilles to the iatcd Tennessee Some
where between forty and fifty shots struck her
during the fight in nearly every part of the boat,
but not one penetrated her impervious armor.
One ffteen-inch shell from the Monitor Man
haitian, as is supposed, made deep indentation
which must have caused her TO stagger, but
bounded off from her ribs Of steel. The in-
FACTION of the blow, however, stove through her
two feet of wooden backing, and produced in
aide all the evidences of the missiles having
come through. The splnters flew proms-
cucusly in all directions in the neighborhood,
inside. The ram is armed with two seven and
OH eighth inch rihed guns of the Brooks pattern,
fore and aft, and with four Of the same six.inch
guns in her broadsldes.
These effective weapons have been turned
| do n