, 1873-12-04
A MONITOR At SEA.

taon Of tho a1oilttssr--Choilp Uolltrae.
torss Worik--Thc e ct1lrst,
United States Steamer lofrAatan {Soy. 2 Correspond
t'ce u The Nt,u rork 14mes.
We 70 back aeain within lilo Capea CT til
Dol aware, Just outside tho breakwater, and in
sight OF Loves. At 7'45 .. m. Wednesday. With
The monitor Manhattan in tow, we dismissed ouf
riyor pilot and pasbcd ont to Boa tic ,yoathcr
boiug limo and the night ntarlt. Tic ,noni.o,
Ind behaved vo ry we'll in coming down the Dola.
wa re bay, rolling and pitching little and
atcoring With readiness, and during Wctltcs.
day night thero WIS little trouble in gottiug I,o,
along. But yesterday morning fresh wind
Dprang up from tho southwest, proving quitc
B0ualjy ut timos, mud at 5:t5 n. m. tho N1anhnt-
tan eignaled to tho powhatan to slow dor1l, 30
NJ to cqnali2e the strain upon tho Two towing
cabl CD. At 8 q. N. tic wind from tho southwest
WAS stronger and moro equally, and tho sea
could bc scon broalsiug Ill Hoods oyor tho bowa
Of tho monitor and sweeping hor witola deck.
Green seaB struck sqnaye agAinBt tho turrs and
daH,cd over into 1t. (Wo learned a'torwa,a, III
deed, that thoao seas hurled tho mon trom tbo
wheel and loft her iacontrollablo.) 11oanwilllo
sho 1nade bad weather, mol ,ninding Icr Lolla
| rondly, and rolling and plungjug worry un-
easily aud heavily. We observed t1iut thu ,ncn
Of the Manhattan were engaged in clear
weo could sec, too that her 1iiao}; yeut.jaso}}a
llad leeu washed awny. Tho wind waa aiuost
dead againgt tho oourso wo woro pursuing. a,,l
although tho Powhatau breasted Ii With easo, it
! wan very eyident. that it was too much f"r the
naiod to tho 3Ianllattan tho question "Aro
you 1aaking? Lieutenant Commander Yates
Bigna!od IN reply: "Wo arc leakng unde: tur-
rot a.v a; but s ass 0sg s d Ssr o
tue labo1cd movements Of the Manhattan for
| Bomo time further, Capt. Eeaumout gra ually
put the powhatan bnfore tho wind, to e1ao tho
monitor, aud at 9;2o changed tho course to
,nander Of tue monitor y!gnulcd; "can-
| not 20 head to Boa bigcs aro not
froe."0 Powlatan signalcd oacl: "InfoEm me
when you eau continue on pnauago wittuuS dun
was: III understand; will lot yo,. know Us
soon as can" At 1920 the Manhattan ai,;:sacd,
"Thoro will DO serious tronb1o If wp 10 load to
aoa; wo tako in wator." Iowhatan inquired,
h,S % maa yS 1x9 4s1 in wat water s Sss o
nndor tnrret.ohambor" Thho II E powbasan had It's, by
this tisno changed course to duo north. OF Chin
| cotoagno Day: At II o'clock the Manhattan
agualed, "Jhink 1t tadvisable to returu to break
there:" About five minutes itor the Manhattan
! aignalod, "Wo have found piaco wl,ero
| wo can SOC daylight under turrot.' Thara
was now no doubt about it that the
aoon as possible II we wished to savo her. Never
thalcks, at 12:45 p. m., Capt, Beaumont inquired,
''1f tho wind 1noderateB. and hauls to tho wsst-
ward, will you DO In condition to proceed On our
passage south ?" Commodore Yates replied,
s'Ille condition Of our bilgep is such as to mako
It impossible" At p. N. ne sighted Capo
Heulopen. the weather being overcast and aqual-
", with the wind still from tho noutwoGt. At
$50 p. m. sgtoppea, TO tako pilot gu tho Man
! hattnn, and at 5:l6 p. nj. cast anchor just out
side the brcakwatcr, within Capoa May and Hem
lopen. We Gust on tue hawsers by which wa
! towol tho monitor, and Bont mon in boats to
assist hor in taKing thom aboard; bnt it wau
was buoyed and sot adrlft, to DO taken up to-tay.
Tho monitor slammed slowly to position iuHido
the broakwater aud thore anchored,
| Immediately utter we anchored Capt. Deau-
mont took q boat and weut aboard tho Atalstat-
| tan to ascertain her condition.. Flo found her
| leaking badly everywhere, Ohfcurs and men
Wore all vet from lead to foot, md their bed
ding. etc., waa soaking. Tho water lad ooie1
everything. mud VIM stu pouring in. ;. One Of
and the bilgo-pumps were choked With cni}s ani
sharings left thora by the workmcu of CrH.np Il
! Son, tho contractors who bud roraired tho ves-
| sci. All but QUO .ot her ventilasots lad been
washed away, and QUO immenso ilood that poured
! into the turrot had carried away The loS-bools.
| Some OF tic 450-pounl shot in tho turrct had
| become loose. and rolled about to the danger
Of crusliing ovorything that came in their
them. When it WAS found that tho leakage Was
| 80 bad, Commander Yates, just before tho Pow
llatan changed her course before the wind d,orlcred
tho hoats to be oleayed, and distributed ltc-pre-
nato asss hs decision &c oo" Of Capt. p sM
! in changing his coulse aud thus easing lilo
monitor, saved her. Willie tile sens WIS b cak-
lug at its worst oyor the bowa of tho Manhattan,
and against hcr tnrret, rushing in both under
scaman with froat daring, yontnred down with
d cable, Which they succcedcl lu adjusting
around the base OF tho tulret OIL tho ontaito, to
aid in keeping out tho water. N1oannhilo.
torlor Of tho base for the sams purpose.
1t ia NOT at all likely that tho Manhattan in
her present ooudi!ion will DO ordered to Key
West, II she should, disaster will auroly occur.
will probably 60 out Of commission for awhile.
Curaes both loud aud deop arc Rlowored upon
tho Philadelphia contractors who 10 imperfeutly
did tue work for which they werc 80 vol paid By
uovornmont While great pralse is accorded
Commander Yates. bis oilloerB, and men, for
tholr gallant conduct: Commander Yates him
self speaks In tho highest terms Of tho behavior
Of all under him. Tue Manhattan Las no break
vAter, and the top Of her tusrct ia straight up
yartod boil. II these dofeofs vera remedted, Dhc
would labor less ln the sea aud ship lesa wator,
as vi authority agreeH. But. at beBt, Bhe is un-
! fitted for, rough seas, and brave mon ought
, nos to DO s0us to nost ,d death In hor
is worry generally expressed that monitors should
| DO used exclusively for haibor dofonses. or At
| tho entranoo to bays md riyera, and that they
| should bo constructed where tloy could reach
the, points Designed for their uso, without yen-
| turing to sen. They arc exceedingly uncomfor-
Table. eyon IT kept dry but 1t seems impossible
to keep them 10, aud tile prevailing danpuess
| rondeJs tloal very unhealthy. The powhatan
haa lad much experience in towing this class Of
ye6aols. allu soyera1 Of her officers hayo served
| upon thom. Capt. Deaumont himself carried tho
J Miantonowoh across tho Atlantic aud back. It
| Ia true he apoass IN high terms OF that weasel,
but all tho other onlcors concur TINT they would
! prafor to stay out Of my monitor. Some OF
| thon,, however, aro much bottor than othoss,
aud whore tho work Of their construction and
repair ~ faithfully aud skilltully dono, life in
! them Is eudurablo. But tue Manbaltan see1na
| to DO the worat Of her Glars, aud has always
| borne reputation for ill-luok,
Soon after We came 10 anchor last night, the
Pinta. Commander II. Gowingo, camo along.ide,
and inquired Of Capt. Beaumont Aa to tAo adyiaa.
billty OF putting to soa at once for 10y West.
Tue Captain T. *avloe was adverse to the venture,
| aud tho Hinfn Rahaft,AH hholf hoh}pd +ha +nak.