The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-10
A.RE-H4RhABLE FACT IN NATAL VAR.
From the New York Times

1
The report Of the capture Of the rcIsl ironc, q,
| ram tennessee In Mobile bay must form one O.
the most remarkable chapters in naval warfare r
Is no ordinary sort OF sea monitor that could bea
the concentrated attack OF thirteen vessels of var
SIX OF them lrOn-cad, with an armament Of t,y,
hundred guns, ard yet come OFT Of the engagement
With few splIntcrs detached from her inner c. s.
| ing to mark the damage in her inte,ioy The Tnr
esScc lay IN the rear OF fleet after the forts
bech passed On the morning OF the 9Th OF Aucust
ana OF fourteen vessels, at Admiral Farraolt's dis
lo:a lor the attack, all were perfectly sound and
unlliJuicd except the Tccunlseh. which had hen
sunk by torpedo, when the order va. given short
a'er O'Clock to bout ship and give battle TO the
ram signal was given to all tn. feet not only to
down at full speed. The Monongahels a st..n, f..
gate not ilon-clad, the first to strike the -n
A"ssee but the shock, tremendous as il mnsf hay.
been TO an ordinary craft, had no apparent effect
upon the ram.
The AdnliGals flagship, the Hartford. newt dash.
cd against her bow at full speed, Immediately fol-
loving up the terrific stroke with whole mort
Drosnide OF 9-lnch shot and thirteen pounds of
powder at distance of twelve feet but still the
oaken and iron thews and sinews Of the monster
showed no pcrccptble loosening or ftebleness. The
monitors ana the remainder of the fleet then closed
III upon ier, and she surrendered simply when she
no longer had >eaway to move in The nound,no -
lasted Tor full hour and half at the end Of that
name e ;,'e was s;ven up y her commander Bucha
our fleet to report on the 10Th OF Aug,Ist-eioht
DAYS after the light had taken rlace-that she was in
= state 10 90 good service.
me bare facts OF the engagement have to be re-
called along with those relating TO the size form
ana structure and armament Of the Tennessee AZ
tney serve TO Illustrate each other. The leneh Of
Tue tennessee from stem to stern, on deck Is Two
Huhdred leet; her depth is fRonty-eght feet md
her draught OF water about fourteen feet Tho dark
covering Is OF two-inch iron plates The protection
70 the SIDES IS an Overhang, which extends ahn,,t
sN ees ceio" the limo, and Is covered with double
layers OF two-inch wrought iron. The distance be-
tween the outside kuuckles of the covering IN
nch ard the base Of the easement. is ten feet The
inner SIDES OF the vessel, far known i the ar
rfoxihitte neasureInent arc eight feet tI,ick Tho
PROV IS less formidable in dimensions tban ,,;ah+
water. e ' WV wv 'ii'iei
Inc easement OF the Tennessee, which is seventy
esilt cet eiS1t inches III length, and tnenty-eipht
Icet nilc inches III width leaves an open sr,e. IN
eief side OF ten feet, tut the greatest breadth of
,he BEAM and the framing of the cases consists If
heavy yellow pine basins, thirteen inches ih;oA
lac together vertically: an inner plankjn~ Of ~
lad horizontally, six and half inches tbick. and
OUTSIDE OF the Latter a layer Of oak timber to,,r
I,cS oo.ted on vertically, and covered with
ir"E-platirg-six inches thick forward anJ AZ
lhehcs thick aft. and on both sides IY,e .,,nor |
pia.lns Is fastened on with bolts one and onn.sx1
:ncItS III diameter, with washers and nuts fsS,cn
lhg sne!I Inside. ~ "S'oh-
1ic tennessee had an ornament Of s;x fy,ba, -,o
Gag. BROOKE rite guns. The two piyot g,,rs f
$40 an are seven and half inches bore :nl ~
~ oaisles are SIX inches in bore. The weight %
~-A'e' are louiiU 10 itc uincty-fya opo
'ed pounds Sold shot "NN ''''
-; No s'.Hfng an tngement, and the provision f,,
sne PROJECTION OF the pilot and hc,,rs,nsn. CIR
'isiaeets nave found 10 be exceedingly iefecnye -
e iIici,i11ely consists Of two non-condensinv on
s'heS %iih cylinders twenty-four inches in diane
ei ana seven feet stroke. These hal been taken |
,uI o. some old riveIosteamboais: the macbirTrv |
garment evidently being held altogether Of mi
account IN the general plan Of the builders. A.
most heaviiy-clad rams, the ventilation wa.
ound to DO exceedingly bad. The main defect. |
lowever thus far discovered is in the port shutters.
everal OF which were seriously damaged by the
mot from our heavy guns. Nine ll-nch shots were
ound To have struck withna space Of a few souaraI
Get; not one OF which, however, pene trated tho
'aseinate Much Of her plating was started in
sany Places, and on the port side, nearly am;dshns
,! the easemate, l5-inch solid shot knocked hole
through her afmor and backing, u portion of the
after falling of in splinters
Inc rammlng Ut our vessels left no visible ma,L
N the outside Of the Tennessee but as She maLns
NO inches more water an hour than she did nrior
The hight, II Is presumed that some of her inv;;
W Jolhts Msust have been partially deranaed with
ler feEsatcd conclusions with the assaultinp fest
Inc Isnnes seq has lately been used by Adr,ira,
,airasni, to good purpose, in the assault on Won't
. oIgan that preceied its surrender; and We er.
sct mat she will yet 10 ~ much good service md
we RANK sMong the most powerful iron.clads in
70 navy Of the Uniol. 1"