The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-02 00:00:00

AN AMERICAN STEAM RAM.

The following curious statement is extracted
from a letter addressed to a contemporary :
It has been stated publicly and frequently that
the engine of destruction called the "naval ram"
was first invented by the Emperor of 'the French,
and the idea of vessels propelled by Steam, imper-
vious to shot and shell from without, has been
claimed as an original one by more than one. So
much discussion has taken place on this head that
not only has the idea never been entertained that
a vessel such' as has been theoretically described
actually, practically exists, but the question of—
Has Prussia, has France, has America, such a ves-
sel—has been answered in the negative. The fol-
lowing statement may, therefore, be new to your
readers, and, if so, may prove the means of awaken-
ing inquiry :
Not many years since there lived in America a
rich merchant named Stephens. He suffered
seriously in his pocket from sundry unfortunate
collisions at sea, and thus his attention was turned
to the subject, and it occurred to him that the tre-
mendous force of steam power might be turned to
account in naval warfare in the same way. In a
word, he conceived the possibility of building a
steam ram, and, after long thought, he communi-
cated his ideas to the Government. These new-
fangled notions were not appreciated, but Stephens
was so impressed with the importance of the matter
that he determined to set to work at once. Being
a rich man, he met with no obstacle, and ran-
sacked the workshops of New York in search of
first-rate and respectable workmen. He bound them
over to secrecy, and then threw up a high wall
round the slip where he proposed to give reality
to his idea. Year after year went by, and
gradually the leviathan progressed. The steamer
was to be shot-proof by.means of iron plates, and
since then the manner in which those plates resist
for hours the heaviest shot has become so notorious
that I need not dwell longer on that theme. It was
to be the largest steamer afloat, which, I need
hardly say, it is not now, being surpassed by our
Great Eastern, and it was to travel at the rate of
20 knots an hours—that is to say, faster than ocean
steamers, though not so fast, for instance, as her
Majesty's yacht. It was to be propelled by six
powerful engines, to be sharp at the bow and stern,
being a bed of iron at both extremities, carrying
one monster gun, and a heavy, but not numerically
strong, armament, after the Merrimac model. Such
a vessel would be a fearful antagonist for even a
fleet of three-deckers to meet with on the wide
ocean, and all she would have to fear would be
being laid aboard. To prevent this she was to
throw streams of boiling water from her sides, so
as to be unapproachable. The enterprise gradually►
progressed, but Mr. Stephens did not live to see it
completed, although he was fortunate enough to
havehis conception approvedby his country, and his
expenses refunded, the American Government car-
rying out his idea. This mammoth naval ram is
now nearly finished, a yearly sum having been
allotted to the work—so nearly as to be ready for
immediate use, and what a fearful power is thus
possessed by America!
We are totally unprepared to meet this, and,
though it certainly does not hurt much yet, what
would be the consequence should such an engin:, of
destruction appear unexpectedly among us
wanted," said my informant, " to find home means
of destruction which should floor you at once and
effectually, if we went to war, and therefore wesaid
nothing about it.', The facts I now advance are
easily verified, and thus not only is the assertion
nullified that no other country is further advanced
in this branch of naval warfare than we are, but it
becomes a question as to what effect such a vessel
would have had on past events. I cannot give
the precise date when the lines of this monster
ship were laid, but I know it to have been pro-
gressing for at least ten years, consequently
such a vessel would have been available during
the late war, and another tale would then have
been told of our naval operations in the Baltic.
What would have been its effect on the batteries
of Sweaborg, of Cronstadt—nay, on the sea bas.
tions of Sebastopol itself ?
I repeat, this does not hurt much yet, but had
we not better look to it before the harm is done,
and England's naval prestige has suffered from
her slowness in keeping pace with
other Powers.
While we have been disputing as to who should
have the merit of the conception, here is a great
naval nation who has not only years since invented,
but has realised the conception for which we are
quarrelling, and while our orators are boldly Is-
serting that such an engine of destruction does not
exist, are laughing in quiet self-complacency,
knowing, as America does know, that the wall
which surrounds the realisation of Stephens's
idea conceals from the world the true author of
this great effort of modern naval warfare. True,
it does not hurt much yet.

An account was given in August last of a melan-
choly affair at Montmartre. Three men, who had been
dining together and were slightly intoxicated, were pro..
ceeding at a late hour at night along the Rue des Porter
Blanches, when they were overtaken by three other men,
who had come from the fete of St. Ouen, and who were alga
in liquor. One of the last party asked one of the former, a
e a
gruff
Preseitly
coachman,wans enral; named Do
other took
the
owffeany
offence
; their Pars ; Decote gav
respective - mm-
Bu
'Anions interfered, and a regular fight ensued.
Decote
t somerall
persons,away, and
whoin a hadfew
been at
•
tthhee followed.leaetmtepretiensof
tracted to the spot by the noise of the fra
each twice stabbed with a knife, y, found two men,
and dead. They went in
pursuit of a man whom they
tured him in a public house, saw
running away' and car-
Nv _ with a blood-stained knife in
his hand—this
as Decote and he could not deny that it
was he who had stabbed
the men. Yesterday Decote was
brought to trial before
the two men, whose names were Laurance and Duval. His
advocate endeavoured to show that, having been attacked
on a very dark night, in a narrow and deserted street, and
by men who were greatly superior to him in physical
strength, he had been justified in using his knife ; but the
jury declared him guilty, though with extenuating circum-
stances, and the Court sentenced him to five years' har-
abour.

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THEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.
;L. .Under the Management of Miss L. Pyne and Mr. W.
Harrison.
`THIS EVENING, Balfe's celebrated Opera, THE ROS
OF CASTILLE : Characters by Miss Louisa Pyne, Miss
Swan Pyne Miss M. Prescott, Mr. Geo. Honey, Mr. Bartle-
man, Mr. F. Glover, Mr. A. St. Albyn, and Mr. W. Harrison.

Conductor—Mr. Alfred Mellon.
T• conclude with a new Ballet Divertissement, LA FLEUR
D'AMOUR : Mesdlles. L. AUchelet, Morlacohi, and Pasquale.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
Under the Management of Mr. Charles Kean.
THIS EVENING willK be p reseOntedHN Shakspere's Play of
ING J.
King John, Mr. C. Kean—Constance, Mrs. C. Kean.
Preceded by the Farce of
AWAY WITH MELANCHOLY.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buokstone.
THIS EVENING will be performed LONDON ASSU-
RANtE : Mr. and Mrs. C. Matthews, &o.
HE WOULD BE AN ACTOR.
JACK'S RETURN FROM CANTON.
And ANY PORT IN A STORM.

Commence at 7.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborough.
THIS EVENING, WOOING IN JEST AND LOVING
IN !EARNEST Messrs. Selby, Parselle, and Miss Swan-
orough.
After which THE MAID AND THE MAGPIE.
Followed by THE BONNIE FISH WIFE.
And MY AUNT'S HUSBAND ; Mr. Swanborongh, Mrs.
Belby, Miss Ternan.