The Ericsson Iron-clad Battery

ÏYoin the N" Y. Evoning Post. Thii battery was launched at Gun Point, Long Island, last week. It is sharp at both ends, and consistí of n lower and upper huil ; the sides of the former iticïimng at an angle of fifty-one degrees, and coming to a point at each end at an angle of eighty degreas. The lower huil is iron plnted. The upper section is five feet high, with perpendicular sidos, and the sharp ends, and is forty-one feet and four inches wide, jutting over the lower huil three feet and sevon inches on each eide. The sides of this upper section are a little over three feet in thickness. First, thcre is an uer guard of inch plate iron, and upon this a section of white oak timber thirty iuches thick, and oovered witb an armor six inches thick, forraed of six one-inch iron plates lapped and flrmly rivetcd together. ïhe deck or top of the battery s oven witb the top of the huil, and is covered with two thieknesses of inch plate-iron, fastened to eight inch oak plank and teninch oak timber, but tweuty-six inches apart. There is no railing or othor obstruction on the top of the battery except a round tower or turret, twenty feet In diameter and ninc feet high, and cight iuches thiek, made of plate-iron. The turret lias two port-holes, each two feet in diameter, for two elevon-ineh columbiads, and is also pierced for musketry - The turret is of immense weightj but made to revolve by machinery [rom oeiow, so as to Dring tne guns io any desired range and to remove the ports from the enemy's gnus while loading. To support, protcet and gice efficiency to this turret is the whole object of the battery, althougli its immense weight and power would sink auy vessel with vvhich it should come in contact. The battery is stcered from ttie front, thewheol housa ia strongly built of i ron, and can be lowered into the hold like a bale of dry goods. W hen lowered, the top, whicli is bomb-proof, is level with ind forms a part of the doek the joints ire water-tight. The house will be pierced for sharp-shooters. The ends of the upper vessel projecting over the hul], fore and aft, serve as a protection to the propeller, rudder and anchor. The propeller is of course at the stern, and the equipoise rudder behind that, and they are so protccted by the upper vnssol that they cannot be struck by : buil. The anchor is in front, and is short but very heavy. It is hoisted by a chain running into the hold, up into a place litted for it, Joutside of the löwer huil, but with in the impregnable walls of the upper huil. The entraace to the hold is by siuall hatohways, which, wheu closad, fonn a part of the deck and are equally secure. The interior of the battery presents a. novel and interesiing study. In the bow are the enble and anchor chamber ; next tho cabin and quarters of oiEcers and men, and aiuidahip the cook room, and overhead tho smnll engino whieh is to furniah ventihtion and work the turret. Just abait are the furnacis, and in the stern the engine working tbc propeller. - Tlie bunks tor eoal, wood and auimuüi tion, and the water tanks oceupy evcry conceivable vacancy. Tlie cabin is ncatly but substautiallv fitted uufe and shows that it is ineant for uso more thau pleas ure. Taken altosether it would be possible to imagine more material, and thut more substantial and servioeable, and at the same time more perfect, in a smaller space thau is embodied within this fortfudabla ongine of warfare. Tho battery is now about four feat above water, and woigbs 1, 400,000 pouuds. - Wi;h the addition of hor omianient, coal, water and provisions for a thirty days' cruise, she will be but eiglitcen indios above water, and her entire weight will be nine huudved tons. Her two eolum biads will carry round balls weighing each one huudred and eighty-three pounds, or conioal balls of three huudred aud fifty pounds, The Mortars fou CöM-, Footk. - The Pittsburgh G-ascte, of thoöölh, lerirns that an order has boen received f rom headquarters ordering tlie immodiatü shipinent o{ thirty of the large mortars manufacturar! nt the Fort Pitt Works, in thnt city, for the Western gunbonts. These immenso engines of war have all been tes'.ed, nnd are ready for tranaportation. Tliey vary somewhat in weight, the smallest of them weighinfr suventeen thousand pounds. One. of them, when Riispendec! on wheele, rnakes a suii puil lor Bix norses, ana iney are, of course,"handled with greit ditlieuHv. They tvere to be shipped on a special trnin, which was expected to leavo Pittsturgh on the 80th. Thoy tfrts destined for Cairo, whero they will be placed on board the niartar boats, cnnptructcd fortlielr use. It is with such destnu'tive wonpons nR these that cur forces expect to capturo the rpbel stronghold at CoTrriUtis, and the nvgency of the Government in havinp tbeni f irvvarded indicates work atlaet.