The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-05-26
NOTICE.
IRON STEAMER.


sed bill for the construction Of an Isol
Steamer. Mr.. Wise made the following
remarks on the character of the vessel, aud
the necessity Of its construction:
Mr.. Wise observed that he would brief.
! Is explain all that was necessary for 4 per.
feet understanding of this bill. Every
gentleman Of information knew the exien;
Ok the coast Of the United States on the
lakes, on the Atlantic, and the Gulf OF
Mexico, and if they would read the report
Of the Committee of Naval Afiairs, they
would see that the naval force Of Great
Britain was no less than two hundred and
fifty ships Of war and that they had no less
than eight steamers on our coast, who had
under their decks preparations by which
they could be Immediately converted into
vessels OF war. twas absolutely nccessa.
~, IN the present posiGic Of our alldrs,
that wc should have the means Of defending
our coasts and barbors from the danger
that threatened them. The plan of the
ship was submitted BY che Of the ablest en-
glneerS Ia this or any country, Hr. Ste
yens, and had been tried aud found fully to
answer the purpose intended, bv board Of
army and navy officers. This shlp. by
means Of her sub-aqueous proPellers, would
have d velocity uneyampled, and from her
construction, would be iuyuncIabIe. She
was To be constructed Of sheet iron plates
riycted together IN such a manner as to be
impregnable either to the Paixhan or round
shot. Indeed the experiments Of lha board
Of officers had demonstrated that the plates,
pu; together in the manner intended for
this ship, resisted sixty -four pound shot FIR
ed at distance of thirty feet.
THE ship would also have all that
lightncss and buoyancy Of wooden ships,
vessel eeeeri EoF ee eselp e q qay other steam
were not her only merits all her machine.
~ would be below water, and out Of the
reach Of an enemv's shot. Her means Of
annoyance would be shot invented BY this
same Mr.. Stevens, which the Government
bad been in possession Of these twenty
years and which was as much superior to
the PaXhan shot as that was superior to
all othcrs--a shot that would explode inn
mediately on striking the oblect--tha. had
no fuse, and was perfectly safe in every
respect. He would mention one fact TO
show lis superiority. Gut Of twenty OF
these shots tha, had been kept on band for
ten years, nineteen of them exploded in
striking the object fired at. The whole
ship, with her armament and means of
propulsion, came from one Of the ablest en-
ginccrs in this country. He proposed a
new plan of propelIing vessels, similar to
that Of Mr.. Ericcson--and, hy-the.bve,
Ericcsou's plan was his-by which the
wheel would be below the water, and as
well out of the way Of the enemy's shot as
the roughness Of the sea. Mr.. W. con
cluded by saying that every thieg in rea-
ton TO the ship had been proved by actual
experiment, and that it was tho best mode
of defending our coasts and harbors, now
threatened by the English
power.
The New York Courier states that du.
ring the last week, upwards Of 200 heavy
guns were mounted in the Notifications
10 this port, under the supervi..-
sion of Gen. Wool. Also, that 400 more
will be mounted in the course of a few
days. The guns are from 81 to 81 poun.
ders.
The "Croscent City" is daily expect.
ing accounts of an earthquake in Tennes-
see, by reason of Van Buren, embracing
General jackson. When " Slippery Elm
and g Hickory" came together, the other
trees Of the forest may as well "squat."
A Modern Cinderella. We see it stat
cd in late English paper, as rcmarka.
bic and interesting fact, that the feet OF
Queen Victoria are so remarkably small,
that no lady has yet been found that could
wear her slippers.