The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-08 00:00:00

INCREASE OF THE POWERS OF

THE VESSELS OF WAR.

The fnllow;no. letter !las been ach-?ressed to the
First Lord of the Admiralty by Captain R. But-
ton, R.N.K.H. :
" No. 14, Park-square, March 15, 1841.
" MY LORD—Whilst surrounding nations are
employing all that human ingenuity can invent, and
science make perfect, in increasing the powers of
defence and destruction in the various modes of
warfare, permit me to suggest to your Lordship a
plan by means of which the force of all vessels of
war, which have gangways, would be greatly in-
creased at an expense perfectly inconsiderable,
when weighed against its manifold and undoubted
advantages.
" Your Lordship is fully aware that the universal
nautical opinion is against the adoption of guns
upon gangways; the reason of this conclusion
being, that such a course would impede the work-
ing of the ship. I propose that so large and so
commanding a space should no longer remain in
our line• of-battle ships and frigates, unarmed, hut
that their gangways should be furnished with
howitzers, the importance of which, with your
Lordship's permission, I will proceed, respectfully,
to point out.

Ist. These howitzers would occupy but little
space, and would, consequently form no impedi
ment to the working of the ship.
" 2. Loaded with canister shot, or bags of
musket balls, they would effectually clear the ene-
my's tops of riflurnen, and thus prevent many of
our brave officers and men from sharing the fate of
our glorious and immortal Nelson.
" 3d. Thus loaded, they would make boarding
from ships or boats, even with the greatest force, a
most perilous attempt.
" 4th. These howitzers, if loaded with com-
bustibles, would he most effective in firing the sails
and rigging of the enemy.
" sth. This method of increasing the armament
of our various vessels of war will effectually carry
out my idea of the classification of our navy, as
promulgated in the pamphlet I had the honour to
transmit to your Lordship—namely, that 120 gun
ships would be equal to those of 130; the 90 to
100 ; and the 50 gun frigate to one of 60.
Your Lordship will perceive, that all this in-
crease of force is independent of the legitimate use
of the howitzers in throwing shells. I would re-
commend that their bore should be equal to receive
a6B or 32-pound iron shot, being in conformity
with the weight of metal now generally adopted
throughout the navy. There is another advantage
arising from the placing of this species of projectile
on the gangway's, as those places are the only ones
in a ship which are clear of rigging.
" The gangways would be protected by a bul-
wark uniform with the quarter-deck and forecastle,
thus forming one handsome and unbroken line from
stern to stern, crowned with the hammock-rails, in
which the hammocks would be stowed obliquely, as
they' usually are upon the quarter-deck. Immedi-
ately above the port-holes for the howitzers, the
platforms containing the hammocks must be made
to unship ; and, in clearing for action, these, and
the hammocks they contained, are to be thrown
into the boats behind. The port-hole being thus
left open at the top, enables the howitzer to com-
mand any elevation, even to the zenith.
" The howitzers should be fitted on chocks, im-
mediately over the ribs of the vessel, so that the
concussion of the discharge will bear on the frame-
work of the ship, and likewise give more room to
the gangways.
" My Lord, I will no longer occupy your Lord-
ship's valuable time by dwelling on the many ad-
vantages that would ensue upon the adoption of
this plan ; your Lordship undoubtedly sees them
more plainly than I can point out.
" Ir, conclusion, my Lord, permit me to remara,
that if I had omitted to have communicated this
idea to your Lordship, I should have felt that I had
failed in my duty to that profession to which I am
devoted as an officer, as well as in what I owe to
my country as a man and a patriot.
" I have the honour to be, my Lord,
" Your Lordship's most obedient servant,
" I. RYDER BURTON."