The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-01 00:00:00

THE MONITORS AT CHARLESTON

The following letter from Captain Ericsson
pears in the New York. Times:—'l feel cal
upon to state, for the information of the count
that the imperfection of the Monitors, shown
Admiral Dupont's trial of their strength at Charl
ton, are not of a serious character. What has 13'
paned will be readily obviated for the fu"
Everything connected with our new fighting 11
chines worked precisely as intended, not a sin,
change of plan being sailed for. The pilot ho'
proving of insufficient thickness was not an unfo,
seen circumstance. The limited experience whl
we have had in actual conflict indicated that eta
inches thickness would be sufficient, but it Was
no means assumed to be a settled point. Bet
such a construction was adopted that, without
moving the structure, or changing its interior 1
rangements, any number of additional plates
be attached to the exterior, and its thickness I
creased to any extent. So with regard to t,
turret. It is constructed of an interior
skeleti
cylinder, composed of plates firmly riveted togethi
to which any number of plates may be bolted.
is by no means yet established that our torte
require increased thickness, excepting postab
at the base. The public will do well not to I
alarmed by the remarks of inexperienced observe
who are startled at seeing the indentations prodtlai
by the enemy's projectiles. We apply armour:
keep out hostile shot—not to prevent scars and 1/,
dentations. So far we have fully succeeded. '
will be proper to observe that the supposed impel
feet steering qualities are utterly groundless. The!
is no class of vessels in the navy that obey tilel
nelm so readily as the Monitors. The reason
self-evident. The large equipoise rudder emplori
is acted upon by the powerful current from the Pr,,c
peller with such force as to change the course of ti.°l
vessel with the slightest motion of the helm.
strong currents and in shallow water, as in Charles
ton harbour, no vessel can be readily manceuvreu,
Admiral Dupont's preliminary attack on Charles!
—the first practical test of ironclads—must be re
garded as the most important event in naval histori
To this country the gallant assault on Sumter .
the new and untried vessels, exposed to the terrlb!,
flanking and raking fire of numerous other forts,
fraught with incalculable benefit. Whatever OW,
be the ulterior object of Government the substan.tilij
advantage has already been secured of knovil
exactly what the ironclads can endure, and sy'r,
remains to be done to render the new system Peso
feet. It was high time that a practical test eitio
instituted, since we are building a more nuroer;io
iron-clad fleet than is possessed by all Europe., i',o
nation may thank the commanders of the Moolte"
for the knowledge gained through their gallantri;
With less daring on their part the Navy DePa
somement would yet lack some information necessar to
i
direct the completion of the impregnable fleet n°oo
building. At the same time the spirited attaa
Sumter and the havoc made during half an Woo
contest warn the Confederate leaders that they 113.4
keep their numerous batteries fully manned, se'ir
that they must not for a moment slacken !b
vigilance, with Dupont and his Monitors vilti,l2ig
e 4
half a day's sail. The history of war may be searched
in vain for an instance of such costly preparattaiw'
te
kept up at such vast expenditure, as Charles
eti
now requires to ward off the blow from half a dc46l
small vessels, manned, provisioned, and CO'aed,.
less cost than an ordinary first-class screw shlP'
krelt
Yours very respectfully,—J. EiticssoN.
York, April 14."

THE RICHMOND RIOT.

In reference to the recent bread riot at Richooe4te
the TVhig of the 6th ult. says :—" Happily tb s
daylight burglaries are undergoing judicifilin/`;0
gation. A great part of the stolen goods has bed,
reclaimed. The ringleaders are being arrest:oi
they will be tried and punished. A full accounlio
the affair, from its obscure origin to its disgrace,
culmination, will be made public, and the Orage
°O.
rations that have gone to the country will be °°-.010
teracted. That there was any just ground for ,
shameful disturbance of Thursday no one believes
,v
The more it is looked into, the more causeless it
pears. Doubtless there is much suffering in the o'llo
But the fund voted for the poor was by no ineeo,
exhausted. The churches were willing and Bb„lice
dantly able to relieve distress. Private beneve's:o,
had not been appealed to. No petition, no ren34l/0
trance had been made: yet, on a sudden, 100 or
Igo"-
well 'dressed, plump-cheeked women, led by averiffiet,
who is known to have made a fortune by intuP,o4
gardening, and cheered by a rabble of gamblers 'lO,
ruffians, who arJ protected here by a speoisl.rf.al
ration of the Confederate, State, and mum...4on!
Governments that misrule this unhappy 61,...,00
of a sudden this throng of courtesans and Wl"ro,
assembles in the Capitol square, organises, andrif:eot
ceeds to break open stores—to get what ? Dr°t[ccot
and bread, but boots, shoes, silk dresses, t(ws•
jewellery, and the like. These the mayor, in blepot
vestigation last Friday, suggests pertinently, arocco,
articles of food. But there is a proof more
Dti
vincing than any yet given of the absurditi: aed
falsehood of the plea that this row was oees/3!°00
by suffering for food or clothing, and that is tho
fact, substantiated by every housekeeper in
oft/
city, that notwithstanding high prices and sissr.ool
of provsious, there have been fewer aPPlicajoil
for charity than in any previous winter form o
years. The entire absence of beggars at a time li
v ich'
this, and in a city so crowded by idlers ss 'tido
mond, is very notable. Tho writer of this arts
can testify that during the whole winter he blot,"
countered bat two beggars, one of whom, an 01)1040
impostor, wanted to fight because her veracity'
to,
doubted, while the other set upon him with or
stunning petition for a quarter to buy a coo
chisel!' The truth is, this petticoated fors,'
political in its origin, as the simultaneous dist°.
001
antes in other cities indicate, and as the e—
before the mayor will yet prove. If there be filo
of good in things evil, this ridiculous affair may to,
turned to account. It ought to put a stop to Oeroto
log, to suppress speculation, to induce WAIL:I4Oi'
bring in supplies, to make the Government 11;100,
tate transportation, and to clean out the gat° 0
loafers, and ruffians, stock, lock, and barrel. 001
Congress at once pass a law requiring ever/ per
to show that he is engaged in some honest/ fa
ful calling, or else go into the army forthwo;oo
this way the five and twenty gambling-110°0 and
feed every day nearly as many thousand idlers'
thereby run up the price of provisions, will be
away. And let our high officials displs9
afrai
courage and a little reason. The people are 01 0
of unpleasant truths; why should they
epo#
them not attempt impossibilities. But the r ore
in the papers will go to the country and erc()t tbpa
other riots. Better a correct account in Pvieefos7
a thousand exaggerations from as many tong
oaf i;
private letters. If the riots occur put them Ow se"
is easily enough done. But the Yankees v/t 001
hold of it. Certainly. What if they do ?
make the most of it ; they are going to do thelogell
v,
any way. Better a thousandfold that the diss4
should ply their lying arts with all the aid t,h
tested hero can given them than that the people 00309
see that the Government of Jefferson Davis iso ,
ie !rO,
ous about anything on earth. The Pend
manly ; so should their Government he, %,g cnto
bold, calm face on everything. If anYt,bil-v7arn "oo
be ' kept back,' the fate of Ananias shen"°,oitelloif
of the folly of attempting it. Have No`' pternstvto
deep in the mire of a sneaking, evasive, sio abled
truckling and bullying policy, as not t° aibil3l3 to
turn round and face Yankees and females c° oder 11..,
Coo a prof
Or shall it go to the country that the , 0
Government is scared out of its wits bees" a pair
eel of women broke open a store and st°le
shoes ?"

ionT trials,
iYa Elii7aEnit: oN
especiallyA sE CASE.—The e admirers esa
11
ofoesicoiir
..,„,,,i,ero
the interesting "victim of rc the
tEloceq," Mrs. 'VI; tli°
Yelverton, will be sorry to hear in all Prebttilitil °1
appeal from tke Scottish court, affirming the v,nuse
her
marriage, will not be argued before the
Lords this session. The fair "pursuer" Is rs:we trr
bring her case before the last and highest of 003`1. oiof
bunils, but the defender is not ready. The gallantt Pfc..
has applied for and obtained an extension of tiro: :010
pare his case, and the probability is that, as Ebefore
is now half over, and a good many aPPea's 00003
sh
the house, the lady is destined to remain f°,r
year in her present equivocal position: —A
Lady Nail.