The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1813-03-25

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which will certainly prove fatal in case OF Sc
rious attack.
Suppose, for instance, Castle Williams
were attacked by five vessels OF war oi "a
guns each, they would at the distance of halt
a mile FIRE i've Zines the weight OF metal the
Castle could in the same time and would Ger.
tainIy dismount the guns oil tho fort by firing
in at the embrasures. The battery oil n
gun ship is capable, at that distance, OF re-
sisting very heavy shot.
The following is plan OF floating 6atte-
ry which possesses ,he advantage OF
Combining force,
Choosing position,
Firing with precision,
Is ball and bomb proof,
Cannot be burst nor sunk from the hire OF
cannon,
Has small draft ofswater,
Is susua!iy constructed, and
Materials for which are in plcanty & cheap.
- Take two sioops or schooncrs, OF about 70
or 90 tons burthcn, and remove their masts
ynd rigging--put in their holds as many emp
II casks tightly bunged, as they will contain,
and let them be fastened 10 the keel, timbers,
Sec. so as TO distribute the buoyant power e.
gualy over the vessel. Place the vessels
longside Of each other, six feet apart, and
put floor Of 90 feet square, made Of pine
logs, about lS inches thick, cross7vise.
Let this platform be firmly fastened down
by letting bolts pass from the vessels through
the logs.
On this platform lay another tier Of logs of
the same dimensions as the former, by plac-
ing the logs iengtAsvise with the vessels, and
let il be firmly bound to the other by iron
bolts.
Make breast work all round the platform
Of pine logs, le inches thick, and feet long.
About la inches at each end OF the logs will
be GU, half way through, that they will
bind over the eods Ut the platform and rhe
cover that forms the roof of the battery.
At one foot distance from the tier of up
right logs for the breat work, place another
tier Of upright logs of the same thickness,
Te, their ends niue inches into the platform,
and the same depth into the logs tha, form
the roof thereof.
Fill the intermediate space between the
two tiers of logs with cotton, saturated in
solution of potash, and dried again, which
will pfeven, il from taking fire.
In forming the breast work, openings will
be made for round port HOLES Of abou, l5
inches diameter, on each side OF the platform
corresponding with the heads and sterns Of
the vessels aiso 90 openings for sweepst on
each side of the platform corresponding wl,h
the sides Of the vessels.
Cover the whole with pine logs Of the a
forcsaid dimensions, firmly bound together
by bars and bolts of iron and supported by
stautions, placed at an angle OF As DEGREES,
with their abutmcnts meeting near the centre
Of the platform. Leave <gralinss aud hatch
as for letting in the airSaad light, and Tor suf-
fering the smoke TO escape.
Let the roof or uppermost platform be
firmly united to the breast work OF vertical
logs by straps Of iron, aod bolts passing thro'
the two rows of vcrtica logs, and also thro'-
the horizontal logs on tho bottom and root.
On the sides where the oars are, paiellel
with the sides Of the vessels, ,em5rasures may
be made, so the, carronades may be used TO de-
? stroy any boats attempting to destroy the oars.
a furnace, with Two ovens for heating balls, .
may be placed near the centre Of the platform.
The battery may be steered by one ruddcr
fore and anothsr aft, in the centre between
the two hulls, or any other way that is most
convenient.
Place on each OF the two batteries six a.
pounders,t and on the sides with the oars
Two heavy carronades.
Put ON board 200 men, with good officers,
good courage, 6oou uisS'p""S, ""d pie"'y VI
ammunition.
Comparative pie.s Nth sesrniytour Gun ship.
A "a gun ship carries Iwen,y-eigh, S2's,
twenty-eight ISIS, eighteen 9's, two 3a's and
six Is csrronadcs. The whole weight OF
metal, therefore, that could be fred from the
side Of the ship is 867 lbs But as nothing
less than 50 Founders could make any mate
rial impression on so strong battery, as that
Covers for embrazures may be made Of cast l.
ron raised in the middle, to glance and resist ball.
and may be hung by suong hinge on the outside,
SO that when the gun is run out, tho cover will be
razed by the n.azzel, and when the gun recos, II
will drop aud close the embrssurc.
A steam engine made ball and bomb proof
might be made to move 1t, IL the power Of the
sweeps were found insufficient