The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-04-12

sup "haeeVer, might De ITS force. woul,
'"o"r 'he greater risk. The netting Of,
~ere possible tor hostile ship to cover it
se!s with netting.) would be no defence a
gains' the impetus of such vessels. It.
grape aud Canister shot could have n,
effect upon the few men placed ON boar,
snCh ship, and covered by the deck
ps round or chain shot might. by bare
poss'oiIity, carry away a torpedo ;but wher
IL Is renected,f that many are lcyelled a
'ainst one ship. and that single one can
IN momen', effect its destruction. it viii
l think be found extremely difficult to re
sist their attacks Fire-sh,psi have not W.,
oeeh rejected as meaos of both attack and
oeiehce. Torpedo vessels have greatly the
aoVantage over them. First, IN being much
cheaper. The expense OF fire. ships pre-
venting the employment of such number
OF them as may be necessary, theyin no in.
stance. that have been acquainted with.
equaiiing The number of the Acct with which
ttey are to contend, whereas. by a little
exeroon. and without any very extoaordi.
nary expense, forty or fifty torpedo ships
Wy De fitted out in less than a week, in anv
Oh our large commercial harbors. Next
10 the Certainty of the attack a fire-ship
requently fails from the fire not taking. =
Even after tits grappled to a ship, as the.
eHect OF hre is not instantaneous, it nav be
CUT loose and towed off Again. as vessel
OF war even when infamed by fire-shiD.
is not immediately destroyed. the men know
eHa' 'hey nave time to escape, and are no,
SO alarmed as to proven. their exer,ion:
wnen attacked by torpedo ships, they know
their destruction will be instantaneous
hey will lose their presence IF misd. and
instead OF seeking means of defence. thev
VIII look Tor those OF escaping from this UNI
tried danger The fire ship too, from the
hazard to which the crew are exposed
from an explosion. will be soor descr;sd.
and often before it arrives aear epouyh RI
sraPpie with an enemy. In he torpedo
ships, the crew incur no danger, even at
the 'nstantin which they touch the enemv's
sniPs; because the explosion being directly
"p"aras' can IN no other way affect the
attacking ship than b, the agitation occa-
stoned oy The enemy's siuking, and this
WIN not De so rapid as 10 prevent the few
from escaping by an aperture left in her
stern, asin fire-ships, for that purpose.
Though the harpoon did not carrv the
line SO tar as was expected in the experi
thent thar we saw, yet here rs no reason
10 conclude from its failure, In at experiences
ana practice may not improve upon this
MODE OF attack and the rather. as the
cause OF the failure was an obvious defect
IN the arrangement, which it will require
po. little skill or ingenuity to change Tor the
oetter' halt inch rope was fixed near
tne sharp end OF the harpoon il was plain
.,..s inc resistance OF the air would retard
the motion OF this end Carrying the rome
and or course, gradually turn the harpo,,n'
should ieoe practicable to harpoon shin
a' tne distance OF twenty or thirty wards
lwhich can hardly be doubted;) light boats
might In dark nlght, OF even by day. when
snip was covered by its own smoke in at
lacking our batteries. approach with the
utmost safety SO near as 20 place the har.
poon in her bow, can hardly spnnose
under such circumstances, that shin
would defend itself with netting extending
20 ehe bottom OF the channel, & thus clog lis
o"n movements IN narrow river, with the
OBVIOUS danger OF running on shore. If.
however the enemy's approximations were
~ ~ i'uoh awe as to compel them to use
enis precautIon, this alone will be an ;mnor.
tant point gained in the article Of defsnce.
IL should also be recollected that vessels
mus guarded would afford sure marx for
Ere-sniPs, which should form an addition
ID article OF defence, because 6re.sb;,
Iun"inS IN upon the inettipg, would be So
cohhec'ed with the ship, that il would no
extremely difficult to diseneage it.
wou'u mere observe, that there is a We.
ry OBVIOUS difference between cannon FIR
co IRON the shore, and cooily oo;,red h,,
the most skilful artillerist against a fxsa
opJece ana cannon fired III the Hurry of hal.
tie IRON ship covered with smoke aga;ns,
small boat in rapid motion. Rxper;ence
C'hVinces us that ships are Frequently ho,r
oeo oy boats and how vast il the DIFF
ence between boarding a ship and n erei,
approaching Within few yards of il ana
firing gun. VI II anu
ne anchor cutter is certainly a very in
genlous project. To render IL e,cces.c,L
practice and experience are necessaTy -
wo Iacts are asCertained. TO wit. th.,
cannon may be fired under water 5v;,i, .Ls
same effect as in open air; and new ths,
tue th'ckest cables may be cut nv ,bese
means. The anchor of a large CHI, -
riverin which there is considerable crrr.r,
must necessarily be placed at a cone;ds,a'
Ole distance from the ship, So that No, en-,
ieast danger would be tn Cured bv the 49,
that shouldb be employed in cutting Tire CO
oie during dark night The nosi,;on -
tne snip points out that of the cable and -
little practice would enable the boat r. n,sca.
the nook upon 1t at considerable RI, 80,
IRON the ship The effect of depr;y;ng .
snip OF her anchor in calm, and wi, bons -,
eneiny's port, are too obvious to need mo-,
tiOnIng. "'0"-
Nouefence that IrecoIect was ofstedb,,
the haVal officers against the anchored tor.
PeaoeS' ne only question was. whetbet
they womb maintain their vertical pos,t;o,
when a strong tide run : AS far 40 zoe
couluJuoge from what we saw, there is mo-
REASON 20 dou0t that they would bui enn.
posing tnat they would Weld IN ,he t;d, a. y