The Rebel Iron-clad Battery Merrimac

The Merriniac, the iron-plated rebel stenmer wl.ich altacked the Erfeeson battcry, was fcwraerly the United Stut es serewlrigate of the same mimo. She was built at Ibe navy yard at Charles ton, Mass., in 1855; and her last active service was in the Pacific Squadron. At the time of the rebel attaek on the IS oriol k navy yard, she was lying thero in ordinary, as a store and reoeiviog ship. She was a ship of 3,200 tons barden, and was piereed forforty guns. When the navy yard was aseaileu she was set iire to, scuttled and sunk, by the rational offleers, in preference to letting her fall into the hands of the rebels. A recent official report od the subject, made to the rebel authorities, stated that she was sunk and burned to her copper lino and down througb to her berth-deckj which, with her spacious g-un-decks, were also burned. After the rebels had got possession of the yard they proceeded to raise the huil of the Menimac, and to convert her into a vessel of war for thcir own parpóse. Her huil was cut down to witbifl three feet of lief vvaterrwork?, and a bomb-proof house built on her gun-deck. She was then iron-plutcd, and her bow and stern steel dad, vvith a projecting artgle of iion for the purpose of piereing n v.ewsel. She had no mortars, and t fiere was nothing to be seen over her gun-deck, witli the exeeption of the pilot-house and smokestack. The bomb proof was tliree inchea thick, and made of wrought iron. Altooether she looked like a most formidable war-ship. lint when her iron sheathing was halt on, it was tested bv columbiads and found inefficiënt. 8he was then adilitionally strengthened, until she was so heavy that she bade fair to become umnanageable, and even to sink by her own weight. In a áescription publinhed eeffie two or thiee ■months ago, her armament was stated as consisting of four 11-inch navy guns on each side, and two 100-pounder Armstrong guns at the bow and stern. But no dojijbt great changes Tiave hnen made ín her armament before tbis.time. The Norfolk Da;) Bock of the Gth uit., had an articltj des.cribing tho attempt to convert the Meniiiiac into an itnpregnable iron-plated man of war íui a iailure. It began thus: " Y! have ücar.cely paljence onotigh leR to cími-cUsüíi in températe ianguige the reckless impropriely of two of our cotetnporaries, wlio liave seen fit, in their tijirst for nutorioty, to thrust beiore the public the fact that the Mernoiac boe proved an abortion." ït was further aid that. "The calculation in dispïaiGCMïie.n.t was erroneous. An error aiïiounting to more than two hundred tons wus difco.vcred when the 6bip was floated off. 1 lic cliief subject oí regret is, that uhen she was shored up again the sh!p eaught non Iho blucss and recfiived a con-sidarabie train .; consequently, souie paris of the maciijnery have beun taken up, and a quantity of deadwood vill have to be introduce! to corr-eet the tendeacy to Jog. Her grea-t draoght oi water wil] prevent her tuking ffirt in active operations. - The diaugbt onginally was about twenty-four feet, but il has been considerably increased." The editor, however, comforted him self that at all events she conjd bo. used as a floating battery. Her bow is arnied with a etel ■ploigh, projeeting six feet under water, to strike and sink the vessels of the blockading fieet. Her dec.ks are proteeted by a covering of raUroad iron, in the fortn of an arch, which it was hoped woukl be prooi agaiüt shot and shell. Perhnps the story oi its failure was intended as a r.ebel ruse, to tfcrow our naval foroe on the Potómac off its guard. The rebels ghad previously boasted of the immense power and strength of the Merrirnao in the most extravagant mannor. They had frequenlly Verred that nlie was about to run out, sink the blockading vessels, and run along the Atlantic coast, and by destroying1 our tnen-of-war eñectuallv raüse the b.'ockade. Aid, deed, the first reporta yei.terday seemed as il tho threat was aotua'ly to be carried out, It was ffashed over the wnvs that elie had sunk the .Cumberlaru', capt.ured tho Oongress, aad run the liinnesota ashorc. Tho prospect seerned to b thatshe would rush alcing tïie Atlantic and Gulf coasts to tht, ííio Grande, svveeping the Peas Qfl shc went. But 6he was 110 saaUih for the Monitor, who has now eflfeettiaHy admonih'hed bef to keep out of the Roads herealter. JJJ3C Ii private watch youi thotights. In the (amily watch your temper. ín oompany wátüh your tongue. 1" Man and wife, like verb anc noniinntivc, shoold always Bgree.