The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-13 00:00:00

SLOOPS OF

John Adams 2O
Boston

Lexington 2O
Vincennes 2O
Warren ...
Natchez 2O
Falmouth
Fairfield 2O
Vandalia
St. Louis . 2O
Concord 2O
Levant. 2O
Cyane 2O
Erie. lB
Ontario lB

Enterprise .
Boxer . lO
Experiment 6
Flirt 6
Wave .
Otsego
Seagull 6
Flying Fish 6
STEAM VESSELS.
Princeton....
Mississippi
Missouri
Fulton
Poinsett
The Missouri steamer, although included in the above
list, was accidentally burnt and sunk at Gibraltar about
twelve months ago.
From the foregoing list it appears that the total num-
ber of vessels of every description, including steamers,
comprising the American navy, amounts only to 67. Of
these, 11 are line• of-battle ships; 17 frigates; 34 sloops,
brigs, or schooners, and 5 steam-vessels. Among the
line-of battle ships which we have enumerated, there are
four nut yet built, viz., the Alabama, Vermont, Virginia,
and New York; and of the frigates there are six that are
in the course of construction, the Santee, Cumberland,
Sabine, Savannah, Baritan, and .St. Lawrence; conse-
quently the Ame icans at the present time have only 7
hee-of-battle ships and 11 frigates, including those in or-
dinary, available for service in the event of a war.
Although the numerical strength of the American
navy is not very formidable, the Americans imagine that
the want of numbers is more than compensated by the
power and efficiency of each individual ship, and that
should one of their frigates encounter a British .frigate
she would eventually capture her. They say that such
was the care in the war of 1812, and point to the Guer-
riere, the Java, and the Macedonian, as triumphant il-
lustrations of this fact. During that war their frigates
were the largest class vessels they had in their service,
but since that period they have built their line-of-battle
ships, which, although nominally rated at 74 and 80
gun ships, carry considerably mote guns than their
rating indicates. They have one first class line-of-battle
ship—the Pennsylvania. This ship, although stated to
be of 120 guns, actually carries 140 guns, and instead of
being it-three-decker, is to all intents and purposes a
four-decker. Our first-class vessels, such as the St. Vin-
cent, and others, only carry the number of guns at which
they are rated, 120 ; but, notwithstanding the inferiority
of their armament to that of the Pennsylvania, the dis-
parity is not so very great as to preclude the possibility
of any of our first-rates successfully contending with her.
With regard to the American 80-gun ships, such as
the Delaware, they ought to have been rated at 102
guns, for that is the number of guns they actually carry.
They have 34 long 42-pounders on their lower deck, 34
long 42-pounders on their main-deck ; 34 42-
pounder caronnades on their upper deck, The total
weight of metal they can discharge is 3,6161bs , and the
weight of their broadside is I,BoBlb. Thus, although
rated as 80 gun ship=, they are of superior force to our
90 gun ships, and throw a heavier broadside by 1521 b.
than they do, for the broadside of the Albion, Rodney,
Nile, and London is 1,6361 b. This class of the American
line-of battle ships may, therefore, be rated as a class be-
tween our 90 gun ships and our three-deckers, such as
the Queen, for her broadside is 1,9721 b, being 1641 b.
more than the broadside of the Delaware.

Peacock
Decatur

The American 74-gun ships actually mount 90 guns
30 long 32-pounders on the lower deck ; 30 medium 32
pounders on the main-deck, and 30 32-pounder car-
ronades on the upper deck, consequently the total weight
of metal they can discharge is 2,88011)., or a broadside o
1,4401 b. This class of vessels, although actually car-
rying 90 guns, is inferior to our 80-gun ships, which
only carry the number of guns at which they are rated ;
for instance, tt.e Vanguard, 80, can discharge a total
weight of metal, equal to 2,9921 b., consequently the
weight of her broadside would be 1,4961 b., being 501 b.
heavier than that of the Franklin and other nominally
74, but in point of fact 90-gun ships.
As to the American frigates there is no question that,
in the event of a war with this country, these will be the
vessels most likely to bear the brunt of it. If, however,
the Americans anticipate the same results in their frigate
actions in any future war es they experienced in 1812,
they will find thems'lves pretty considerably mistaken.
The class of British frigates which they would now
have to contend with is a far different one from
that which they encountered at that period, and if they
then had great difficulty, as in the case of the Java, in
overcoming vessels whose armament was so inferior that
the whole weight of metal they could discharge was
actually much less than the single broadside of their
more powerful antagonists, how utterly impossible will
they find it now successfully to compete with our new
larger class frigates. Although our 50-gun frigates do
not even now mount so many guns as some of the Ame-
rican frigates, yet they are nearly as powerful in their
armament, without being hampered with guns on their
gangways, and far more efficient ; for when the Brandy-
wine and other American frigates carry carronades on
their upper decks, the Vernon, Warspite, and other
British frigates carry long guns on theirs. The American
frigates are rated only at 44 guns, but they mount 60, 30
long 32-pounders on their main-deck, and 30 carronade
32-pounders on their upper deck. The total weight of
metal they discharge is 1,9201b5., and that of their
broadside 9601b5. The discharge from our 50-gun
frigates is 1,8161b5., and from the broadside 9081b5.,
consequently there is even now an advantage of 521bs.
in favour of the broadside of the American frigates.
This, however, is more than compensated by having
long guns instead Of carronades, and the absence of guns
from the gangways. The Americans, however they
might have been elated with their success in capturing
our frigates during the last war, had iu realty little or
nothin, to beast of. The discharge from the Java's
broadside was under 4001b5., while that of the American
frigate was 9601b5., being 1601bs. more than double that
of her opponent.
The same excess in the number of guns actually
mounted over the rated number exists in the American
sloops of war. Their 20-gun sloops (corvettes) mount
26 guns, their 16-gun brigs mount 20 guns, and their
10-gun brigs mount 14 guns, and so on in proportion
with their smaller craft. Here, however, their 26-gun
ships have no advantage over our new class corvettes,
the Amazon, and Daedalus (razees), which are rated at
and carry 26 guns ; and they would not have the slightest
chance with our other 26-gun ships, which, having main
decks, would be enabled to fight their guns free from
any entanglement from wreck of spars or rigging. With
respect to the other sloops and small craft of the Ameri-
can navy, those who are acquainted with the improve-
ments that have been made within these few years in
this class of vessels in the British service, are fully aware
that the Americans have little cause to congratulate
themselves upon their superiority on this point.
We now come to the most important branch of the
question—the comparative strength of the steam navies
of the two countries. From the foregoing statement it
appears that the United States Government have at
present only four effective steam vessels, whereas there
are now in the British service s- mewhere about 100
steamers of various grades and power. In addition to
this, some hundreds of effective sea-going steam vessels
can be brought into operation from the mercantile ma-
rine. This fact has I.een ascertained from the result of
an inquiry recently instituted by the Lords of the
Admiralty. In tae last war with the United States
considerable injury was done to our commerce
by American privateers. At that period, how-
ever, steam had not been applied to mari-
time purposes ; since then, this great additional
power has come into operation, and its usefulness
has been fully developed. By the applying of this force
to the blockading of the American ports it would be
utterly impossible for their privateers again to injure
our commerce. No doubt many privateers would be
fitted out with this object, but with one or two steamers
in the offing, it would be next to impossible for them
to leave their respective ports. What have the Ame-
ricans got, in addition to the four war-steamers already
mentioned, to compete with this powerful force ? They
have no mercantile steam marine to resort to. It is so
differently constituted to ours, that is is only applicable
to river traffic, and not one of the vessels of which it is
comprised could be rendered effective for sea or war
purposes.
It must be obvious from the preceding statement of
the comparative naval power of the two nations, that,
should any collision take place, the result cannot prove
satisfactory to the Americans. They must inevitably
sutler greatly in their commerce, while the injury they
can effect with respect to our mercantile marine will be
comparatively trifling, It is needless to add, that should
any et gagement take place between an American and
an English frigate, the power of the two being now
nearly on a par, the result will be widely different from
the frigate actions already adverted to, and is more
likely to be similar to that of the Shannon and the
Chesapeake.

COALS.—The Commissioners of the Customs have
issued directions to the Collectors and Comptrollers of the
Customs at the several ports of the United Kingdom, to pre-
pare and transmit to the Inspector General of Imports and
Exports the following account. so far as the same relates to
their respective ports, with the least possible delay, viz. :
"An account of the number of tons of coals, culm, and cin-
ders, respectively, shipped at their several ports to other
potrs of the United Kingdom, during the year 1844,"