INJURIES TO THE MONITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 189, 24 June 1862, Page 5

INJURIES TO THE MONITOR.

A correspondent who accompanied Lieut. W. M. Teffers, the new commander of the Monitor, on boaid that vessel, says.:—

"As we approached this novel naval wonder I was struck with the pertness of the Norfolk description of her as ' A Yankee cheese-box on a raft.' It gives a better idea of her appearance than any of-.the engravings or descriptions in the New York papers. They all fail to afford a correct idea of the general appearance of the vessel, and especially whenshe is in action. She is oval-shaped, 172 feet long, and 41 feet in width at the centre. Her hull rises perpendicularly out of-the water, as straight all round as the sides.of a stone wall, and as flat on the top as a table, without any rail or guards around her. She has two square smoke stacks, about 7 feet in height, but in time of action these are removed, and tho smoke and steam come through grates in the deck, the iron of which,is about 8 inches thick, Nothing remains on her deck but the pilot-house, which is a square iron statue, about 3 feet high, about the size of an ordinary dry-goods box. When walking her deck, although anchored at the end of Hampden Bar, where the sea is quite rough, not the slightest motion of the waves could be felt. Her deck is as firm and steady as a rock. The tower rises about 9 feet from the deck, and looks, when close to it, like a large iron gasometer or gas holder. On closely examing it, however, you find that its sides and top are about one foot thick, while the whole tower is 22 feet in diameter, and that i^ has two oval-shaped port-holes,- close together, on one side, not more than two feet apart, not more than three feet above the deck. The

interior of the tower exhibits still stronger the superior strength of the vessel. There is a solidity about it that makes the thought of any earthly power disturbing its movements or penetrating its interior seem simply ridiculous. An examination of this part of the vessel explains the confidence which her officers and men have in her entire and complete invulnerability. They say, 'We fear nothing on land or water, and are ready, whenever the order is given, to proceed direct to Norfolk or HiehiMorid. ' The guns are set side-and side in the centre of the tower, and are intended to be fired simultaneously, the close proximity of the muzzles ofthe two guns enabling thetwo balls to strlkethesidesof the enemy in similar proximity to each other. The moment the guns are fired, two immense pillars of steel ou the inside, about sis feet long, two feet in width, and one foot iv thickness, slide before the portholes, completely closing them, nnd protecting the gunners from the .balls of the enemy. Tliere are marks on the tower and hull of about twenty balls, and some of them seem to have struck the tower fair aad square, with no more apparent effect than could be produced by the blow of a sledge-hammer. I The paint is rubbed off, and if repainted, it would be ditlicult to discover whore most ot.the shots struck. The gunners of the enemy seem, however, to have clearly abandoned tbo attempt to damage the tower, though most of their balls, even there, were aimed jat the portholes, three striking in close proximity. ! Two of the six or scveu marks on the tower are said to have been accidental shots from the guns of the Minnesota. The greater part of the shot-marks arc on the edge of the hull, wliich, it should bs remembered, does not rise more than twelve inches out of wiiter. They seem to have been underthe impression that there must be a weak spot underneath the water line, and tbey hammered away all round, but here, tos, the invulnerability of tlie Monitor was equally great, and the indentations are only to the extent ot the fraction of an inch. Had tlie pilothouse been round instead of square, as it is now proposed to make it, the ball would have glanced off and lost half its force, and failed to injure the eyes of the gallant commander. He js, however, lam pleased to learn, rapidly recovering. The retiring of the Merriinac from the contest with her insignificant antagonist is riot to be wondered at when the exercise of all the powers she possessed, for five hours, had done little more than deface her paint. The attempt ofthe Merriinac to ruu liar down left no mark on the iron except somo splinters from her timbers, which are sticking to a nut and screw on her hull. She struck her prjcistdy amidships, directly opposite the centre ot the tower, and this experiment havingso entire! y. failed, it was evident that no hopes could be entertained of its repetition. The speed ofthe Merriinac is not over five knots an hour, wa.b thafc ofthe Monitor is about seven."