The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON; PRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 16, 1863.

favour of peace at the North, and the severe blow
which the Government and the war party would
receive hom the delivery of the final and decisive
verdict of Europe upon the hopelessness of the
struggle g e
failforto
he
turn the t
alrestorationread
y o f
waveringthe balance
Un i , cou
in
h
favour of an armistice, negotiation, and separation.
The idea that recognition would, in any case, pro-
voke the Federal Government to a declaration of
war can only be seriously entertained by those who
are either incapable to reason themselves or suppose
Mr. Lincoln and his advisers to be so. In the first
place, all American jurists pronounce that recogni-
tion of a de facto Government affcrds no casusbelli ;
in the next place, no one in his senses imagines that
the remnant of the United States could cope at once
with the South and with England, or France and
England combined. War with the North would be
far better than peace on present terms, but of war
there is not the smallest probability. Nothing but
the most obstinate and criminal indifference to Eng.
lish interests, the most unpatriotic and unworthy
partiality for the enemies of England, or the moat
disgraceful want of moral courage, can explain the
longer persistence of the Administration in refusing
either to recognise the South or to offer, in conjunc-
tion with France, a just and necessary mediation
between the belligerents. We repeat what we
have said before—that for the continuance of
slaughter in America and starvation in Lancashire
Lord Palmerston's Cabinet are solely responsible.
The responsibility is one that might appal the most
indifferent conscience, and soften the hardest heart ;
but a Cabinet, like a corporation, has neither heart
nor conscience.

sin, we who are the criminals are not now to applaud the
ruin or extermination of those whose position is the sad re-
sult of our own wrong.

There is a rational prospect of the termination of slavery,
but not by the pen of Mr. Lincoln. The South, as an in-
dependent Power,-will come at once:under the influence!of
European, counsel. The causes, political, statistical, na-
tional, which have barred out action on this subject cease
to exist. The North would be there, a very powerful free
State, and place the system between two fires. The men
of the South are a proud race, asd would tire of a position
that exposed them to the obloquy of the civilised world.
They would end it not after the manner of Hayti, but ag we
ended it, with calm consideration and just previsions. It
will as sorely depart as a result of Southern independence
and the world's action upon it, as a taper will die out in the
sunlight. But there is a course of events that may preclude
this. If the war continue it will probably end in breaking
up the North into four pieces—Eastern, Middle, Western,
and Pacific. Little rcfl,ction is needed to show that in this
case the South will be the paramcunt Power. One, at least,
of the Northern sections would enter into close alliance,
and practically the evils of the old Union would reappear,
aggravated by military power and spirit. At once departs
the hope of extinguishing slavery, and that of the moral
gains which might have accrued to the people of America
from the great ch2ck in unceasing material prosperity.
Hence they who countenance the North in continuing this
war, not only invite its utter ruin, but do their worst to shut
out the rational hope of the extinction of slavery, afforded
to us in the termination of the Union.—Times.

OUR IRON-CLAD FLEET.

THE MINOTAUR.

The progress which has been made in the construction of
our armour-plated fleet is most satisfactory, and proves that
the Government are fully alive to the importance of the
work to which they pledged themselves two years ago. There
are now afloat or in course of construction no less than 21
of these iron-clad ships; some of them of enormous tonnage
and unprecedented speed, all heavily armed vessels, formi-
dable for offence, and possessing more or less of the impor-
tant quality of invulnerability. This fleet, which is rapidly
forming, already consists of 11 varieties or classes. We
have, first, the Warrior and Black Prince, of 6,039 tons, now
in commission, and which have armour plates covering only
a portion of the sides of the ship, leaving the bows and stern
unprotected. Then there are two smaller ones constructed as
"rams," of small tonnage and considerably less speed, but
provided with armour plates upon the same principle as the
first class. There are two of these ships, the Resistance and
Defence ; both are afloat and in commission, and their ton-
nage is 3,668. A fifth class or variety is the Achilles, now
building at Chatham, and far advanced towards completion.
It is of the same tonnage as the ships of the Warrior class.
In addition, however, to the central plating of armour, the
Achilles has a belt of iron carried round the ship at the
load water line. The effect of this arrangement is to give
to the Achilles greater strength in parts where the ships
already mentioned are most vulnerable. The plates of
4-inch iron of the Warrior and others will not keep out the
solid shot, and, if it holed below the load line, the safety of
the ship will depend entirely upon the water-tight com-
partments in the interi; r; and unless the numerous man-
holes and scuttles are properly attended to, the ship may
quickly come to grief. A fourth variety consists of the
Hector and Valiant, of a tonnage between the Warrior and
Resistance, being of 4,363 tons. There hove a broad belt
of iron plates all round the ship, but the fore and aft plat-
ing is not so deep as that of the midships section. These
ships are approaching completion, and they have the credit
of being the ugliest specimens of naval architecture ever
designed. We have next the timber ships Prince Consort,
Royal Oak, Royal Alfred, Ocean,Triumph, and Caledonia.
These are of 4,005 tons, and are of wooden framing, en-
tirely covered with armour plates. Next, we notice three
varieties of cupola ships— the Royal Sovereign, 3,765 tons,
having five turrets; the Prince Albert, 2,529 tons, with six
turrets or shields; and a two-shield ship of 1,385 tons.
There are then two classes of gunboats—the Enterprise,
Achilles—iron belt at the load principle
a line,a
ii;9laotitnognsis, aunpdonthte Fheasavmonerite, 2,186 tons ; and in these the
surface amidships.ctohmatbinadedopwteidthinbmtadhe
The class, however, with which on the present occasion
we have more particularly to deal, is that one of which the
Minotaur, Northumberland, and Agincourt are the types.
They are the largest class of iron-plated ships yet at-
tempted. To a certain extent they are made upon the
model of the Warrior type, but they differ in several very
important particulars. In their outline and appearance
they possess all that fairy-like grace and delicacy which in
so remarkable a manner distinguish the Warrior and the
Black Prince from all other ships of war of great tonnage.
The Minotaur is in the hands of the Thames Iron Works
Company at Blackwell, the same eminent firm by whom
the Warrior was built. It was commenced in December
of 1864 and already the whole of the hull is complete, and
great progress has been made in the internal structure.
As this monster now lies in its cradle its appearance is
most imposing. Standing on the lower floor, walls of iron
rear themselves on each side, while arching overhead are
the massive iron girders, looking like the gratings of a pri-
son-house, where one might expect to meet such horrid
monsters as those of half man half bull which give the
name to the giant ship. Curving up these iron walls and
stretching upwards to these iron bars, like monster py thous,
are the iron ribs that give shape to the hull, and to which
the framework of the ship is attached.. These gradually-
fade away in the perspective until their individuality is
lost and they merge in the solid wall of dark and
gloomy :metal. Looking more closely into the internal'
structure it is seen that the lower end of these ribs of
metal are about 2ft. 6in,in depth, andare firmly bolted to the
keel pieces, three feet six inches deep and one and a half in
thickness. As they mount upwards the ribs are not quite
so deep, and at short intervals there are other pieces of iron
placed horizontally between the ribs, and which with them
form complete ribs of iron. Tens of thousands of rivets hold
together the pieces of this mighty puzzle. In every direc-
tion the eye meets with evidences of tremendous power, as
though come of the fabled Vulcans had been called upon to
construct a battery in which the Titans would storm the
very throne of Jove. Armed with tremendous power the
monster is itself invulnerable, and the bolts from Olympus
would rattle harmlessly upon the iron hide of the Minotaur.
For the one great point of difference between this ship and
the Warrior is that it is protected with armour plates all
only
ilry o
no . f herln addition length,to
all
round from stem to stern, while the Warrior carries armour
being
5 l against the r m
4ti:ifu
nr.
itself tphlaetoetshoenr
partshersidbeesinfgoroafboorudtin292l.3 plateet 0 re n
ihaevlifngis a luacrhger thicker,area covered
previously adopted. Instead, however, of having 18in. of
teak backing, there are but 9in. in the Minotaur. The
much
the
plates and
sides are in the one case 18in. by 41in., equal to 221 in.,
while the monster now constructing has but 9in. by siin.,
equal to 141 in., for its giant sides. The difference in
weight, notwithstanding the additional thickness
of n
ainch of
compared iron,w
These iron plates are forged in the same manner as those
which were made for the 'Warrior, and which have on
o as is slightly in favour of the Mino-
taur,the Warrior, with its 18in.
of
teak.
every trial proved their superiority to those of other make.
At present the Admiralty, and indeed all persons engaged
in the manufacture of iron plates, are working in the dark.
Experiments are made upon various descripteons of plates,
and, where the results are not conflicting, they are inborn
plete or unsatisfactory. This much, however, appears to
be proved, that hammered plates offer greater resistance to
solid shot than rolled plates. It also appears pretty certain
that iron is better adopted for the purpose, to say nothing
of its economy, than steel. Thin steel plates will resist
shot better than thin iron, but when the thickness is
increased beyond a certain extent the superiority is in
favour of the iron. The qualities of iron that is best adap-
ted for these plates are those of toughness and solidity.
When the iron is herd and brittle it is easily cracked and
broken by the shot, and, if unsound from blisters or lami-
' nation, the power of resistance is seriously affected. Plates
of iron made up of layers of thin plates have failed in the
tests to which others have been submitted. Scrap iron
carefully selected, such as was employed for the Warrior
plates, appears to be the best adapted for the purpose, and
plates made from this scrap have opposed successfully
every description of smooth-bore and rifled ordnance
in the experiments at Shoeburyness and else-
where. A return made to the House of Commons showed
that of the Warrior's plates, weighing about 950 tons, all
were hammered, and only five of them proved faulty in the
process of manufacturing. Of the 1,200 tons of plates re-
quired for the Defence and Resistance, 45 were condemned
for being blistered, laminated, or overheated; while for the
Black Prince, 100 tons of the plates were all rolled iron, and
of these 10 plates were condemned, and 32 hammered ones
were also rejected. It would appear, therefore, that in the
production of these plates the Thames Iron Works have
been more successful than any of the other builders of the
iron dads already in coramiseion. Every care is taken at
these works in the manufacture of the plates, and the method
owfhcaciansrterud,chtinntg
athreemanisbiaeavery
tol the aborioussteoanmha
eilinnintehre, first
and
instance, small scraps of iron are thrown into the fires, and
brought' td a uniform masa of about half a ton in weight.
This lump is then placed on the top
of a shriller mass, the
whole made red-hot, again subjected to the hammer treat -
meat, and welded firmly together. Scrap iron of the best
description, selected and cleaned, is only used ; and when
hammered as abcve, it is rolled into bars six inches broad
and half an inch thick. These bars are next cut up and
hammered into slabs ; several of these slabs are placed
together, again heated, and hammered out to the form re-
quired ; this process is repeated, and the plate goes on
gradually increasing until the required length is obtained.
The plates having been thus roughly formed into shape, are
planed and squared by enormous
metal peel off and curl up in long
' attest the tremendous power
which in their arms, and force them
slowly and resistlessly under
the sharp edge of the t
embhr
theseeghih tnrei
nsm,
geavi
machines
si
icnohef
shi
rupo
ogns,tshae esnsmd,
°°•st until bright shavings o: the
and the good quality of the iron. When the edges and sur-
faces are made as smooth as the finest work of the cabinet-
maker, the plates are placed on end, grasped firmly by a
mortising machine, and as they travel slowly to and fro in
the framework a small tongue of steel cuts in them a groove
of about lin. in width and depth, into which the projection
made on the side of a -corresponding plate will fit with per-

cause.

feet accuracy, the plates being all made to d6vctail into each
of the four sides. The work of forgit,g is iac-ili,ated by the
use of powerful cranes; which swing the glowing masses of
iron from the furnaces to the steam •hammer, while a nicely
adjusted balance is provided by a massive iron lever, one end
Of which is welded into end forms part of the metal ; the
other end is provided with a dozen or more horns, or han-
dles, by which the metal can be turned in any direction. The
plates when finally brought into shape by the hammer are
about 15ft. long and 5Jn. thick.

The length of the Minotaur between the perpendiculars is
.100 ft., or very nearly two-thirds of the length of the Great
Eastern. The extreme breadth to outside of plate is 59ft.
; depth of hold from top of floor to upper side of lower
deck Learn 21ft, lin. The tonnage is 6,620 tons, or about
400 more than that of the Warrior. Her engines will he of
1,P50 horse power, against 1,250 place I in filo Warrior and
Black Prince class. Some novelties will be introduced in
the rigging-, with a view to reducing the excessive weight of
the top hamper. The Minotaur will carry five masts, the
main, and one fore and aft, being square rig, and the fore
and mizen of a lighter description, the character of which
is not, however, yet finally settled.
Perhaps the greatest improvement; in the Minotaur, as
compared with the Warrior and Black Prince, in regard to
construction, is the plan m hieh has been adopted of making
her what may b called a double ship—for she is really a
ship within a ship. In the Warrior there are cells or com-
partments running longitudinally between the floor of the
ship and the kelsons which carry the engines and boilers, so
that in the event of taking the ground, and the outer skin
being damaged, there would still remain the inner skin to
keep out the water. But the space so reserved is exceedingly
small, not more than 10ft. 6 on each side of the middle of the
kelson. The plan which, at the suggestion of Capt. Ford,
has been adopted by the Admiralty is a much more corn •
plate and comprehensive one ; inasmuch as a clear space is
left between the two skins of 7 feet 6 inches. The uses to
which this space can be applied are most valuable in con-
nection with supplying water ballast for the ship. The
Warrior and Black Prince have a most unpleasant propen-
sity for rolling in a heavy sea, and especially after a few
days' consumption of coal. The reduction of dead weight,
combined with the heavy rigging and (he enormous weight
of armour plates, causes the ships to roll at times to as much
as 40 degrees. By an arrangement of sea cocks the whole
or portion of the space between the inner and outer skin
may be filled with water, so as to give steadiacos to or trim
the ship as required. The water may be let into the fore or
the aft compartments, or into the centre ones, just as the
state of weather, the consumption of fuel, or other circum-
stances might determine. About 750 tons of water may be
thus supplied at the bottom of the ship, and the effect of
this additional weight will be greatly to diminish the amount
of rolling.

The arrangement tends generally to the strengthening of
the ship, inasmuch as the plan of construction adopted
produces in effect one continuous girder from stem to stern.
Additional safety is provided for the ship in the event of her
being injured by grounding; for whereas the compart-
ments in the Warrior extend only for a few feet on each
side of the kelson, the water-tight compartments in the
Minotaur extend right across the bottom of the ship, and
beyond the turn of the bilge, and connected, in fact, with
the wing passages at the sides. Greater facilities are also
provided for getting at every part of tho,bottom to clean,
paint, or repair the iron-work. In the Warrior the corn-

partinents are so cramped and confined that the men who
go down to examine the state of these iron cavities have
scarcely room to move or even breathe, much less to make
rivets tight or paint them. When in action the introduc-
tion of the water ballast will be found of great service,
whether engaged in a strong wind and with a heavy sea,
or in a light and on smooth water. The armour plates ex-
tend only to sft. Gin, below the load line. When, however,
the ship rolls heavily she will of necessity expose a much
greater portion of her vulnerable surface; and a watchtul
enemy w,,uld therefore like nothing better than to engage
these huge iron-sides in rough weather, and when rolling
at sonic 40 degrees they presented not only a larger target
but the weaker portion of the structure for attack. Any-
thing therefore which tends to diminish this rolling, and
give increased stability to the ship in rough weather,
w:11 make her more secure against the shot of the
enemy. Increased stability will also make her more
formidable to an antagonist, for the severe rolling
would render it itnpossib!e to work the guns, for tho ports
would be nearly immersed. In calm weather and still

..,.•••••• •• •-• •
water the system of ballasting will also have its advantages•
inasmuch as the admission of some 800 tons of water would
bring down the load line about two feet, still leaving ample
height for working the guns, and while affording less mark
to the enemy would place the screw and rudder so much
under protection as the extra immersion would give. The
system of water ballast appears, therefore, to possess many
advantages ; and it is a matter for regret that it was not
adopted in those of cur iron-clads which have already been
constructed. It was proposed for the 'Warrior, at the time
it was being built, by Capt. Ford, but it shared the fate of
many good and practical suggestions which are stowed
away in the pigeon holes of the Admiralty. The improve-
ment will add about 33 tons to the weight of the ship. The
additional cost will be about £4,ooo—a small sum to pay
for an alteration which promises to make these costly ships
more durable, more effective and secure in action, and more
easy in their movements at sea.

Two sister ships, the Northumberland and Agincourt,
are in course of construction on the Mersey an4l the Clyde.
The Minotaur will be ready for launching before the close
of the present yerr.

The Archbishop of Dublin and Mrs. B. Stowe.

The subjoined letter has been addressed by Arch-
bishop Whately to Mrs. Stowe, in answer to one
forwarded by that lady to his grace.
To MRS. BEECHER STOWE.

Palace, Dublin, Jan. 6, 1863.

Dear Madam,—ln acknowledging your letter and

- -
pamphlet, I take the opportunity of laying before you
what I collect to be the prevailing sentiments here on Ame-
rican affairs. Of course there is a great variety of opinion,
as may be expected in a country like ours. Some few sym-
pathise with the Northerns, and some with the Southerns ;
but far the greater portion sympathise with neither com-
pletely, but lament that each party should be making so
much greater an expenditure of life and property than can
be compensated for by any advantage they cin dream of
obtaining.

Those who are the least favourable to the Northerns are
not so from any approbation of slavery, but from not under-
standing that the war is waged in the cause of abolition. It
was waged, they say, ostensibly for the restoration of the
Union, and in attestation of this they refer to the proclama.
Lion which announced the confiscation of slaves that were
the property of Secessionists, while those who adhered to
the Federal cause should be exempt from such confiscation,
which they say did not savour much of z: al for abolition.
Many who have a great dislike to slavery yet hold that the
Southerns had as much right to secede as the Americans
had orLinally to revolt from Great Britain; and there are
many who think that, c ,nsidering the dreadful distress we
have suffered from the cotton famine, we have shown great
forbearance in withstanding the temptation to recognise the
Southern States, and oreak the blockade.

Then, again, there are some who are provoked at the in-
cessant railing at England, and threats of an invasion of
Canada, which are poured forth in some of the American
papers. There are many also who consider that the pre-
sent state of things cannot continuo much longer if the
Confederates continue to hold their own as they have done
hitherto, and that a people who shall have maintains I their
independence for two or three years will he acknowledged
by the principal European Powers. Such appears to
have been the procedure of the Eu'opean Powers in all
similar cases, such as the revolt of the Anglo-American
and Spanish American colon'es, of the llaytiens, and
the Belgians. In those and other like cases the rule prac-
tically adopted seems to have been to recognise the
revolters, not at once, but after a reasonable time had been
allowed to see whether they could maintain their indepen-
dence—and this without being understood to have pro-
nounced any decision either way as to the justice of the

Moreover, there are many who say that the negroes and
people of colour aro far from being kindly or justly treated
in the Northern States, An emancipated slave, at any rate,
has not received good training for earning his bread by the
wages of labour; and if, in addition to this, and his being
treated as an outcast, he is exclud,d, as it is said, from
many employments by th. refusal of the white labourer to
work along with him, he will have gained little by taking
refuge in the Noi them States.

I have now laid before you the views which I conceive
to be most prevalent amongst us, and for which I am not
myself responsible. For the safe and effectual emancipa-
tion of slaves, I myself-consider there is no plan so good as
orle which was long ago suggested by Bishop finds. What
he recommended was an ad valorem tax on slaves, the value
to be fixed by the owner, with an option to Government to
purchase at that price. Thus the slaves would bo a burden
to the master, and those the most so who shou'd be the
most intelligent and steady, and therefore the best qualified
for freedom ; and it would be his interest to train his slaves
to bo free labourers, and to emancipate them, one by one, as
speedily as he could with safety. I fear, however, that the
tints is gone by for trying this experiment in America.—
With best wishes for the new year, I remain, dear madam,
yours faithfully, R. WHATELY.

BANKRUPTCIES LAST YEAR.—It appears that the
number of bankruptcies gazetted last year in England and
Wales was 9,508. Of these 4,104 occurred in the London
jurisdiction as compared with an annual average of 548
duping the previous ten years; 569 iu the Liverpool dis•
trict, as compared with a previous annual average of 79;
032 in the Manchester district, as compared with a previous
annual average of 89 ; 1,336 in the Birmingham district,
Ae
compared with a previous annual average of 156; 1,046 in
the Leeds district, as compared with a previous annual
average of 105 ; 898 in the Bristol district, as compared
with a previous annual average of 68; 380 in the Exeter
district, as compared with a previous annual averaged of 42;
and 313 i:, the Newcastle district, as compared with a pre-
vious annual average of :36. It is scarcely necessary to re,
call the fact that the prodigious increase observeable is
almost entirely attributable to the operation of the new
Bankruptcy Act,