Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-12-30
IRON WALLS FOR PURPOSES OF DEFENCE.
70 be Edil0r. ef de courier and Eaqaaru:

TO the Editors Of The Courier and Enquire:
In your paper OF two or three days ago there was .
communication, the signature Of NJ in which
parison is drawn between stone and wooden walls,
defence against shot and Shells and proving very concu
sivey rom effects produced at Sebastopo the SUPERIOR
ity Of stone. viii you allow to suggest another
teral in my estimation very far superior defence
either the other, viz. wrought ironf Some fvs
and twenty thirty years ago experiments were made
by RoBHRr L. STEVENS Esq. which proved concusively
that shot could be eectuay arrested BY thickness Of
wrought iron proportoned to the diameter Of the ball.
Some time in the year lS40 AZ Mr. Stevens proposed
to the Government to build Floating Steam Battery Of
iron, protection in the event Of TO the harbor
Of New York. By order Of the Government experiments
were made to test the correctness Of this theory under
the supervision Of Board Of Navy and Army officers.
Commodore STEWART was at the head Of one and Col
ToTTEs Of the other The result proved ahaf
inches in thickness Of wrought iron to be perfect de
fence against sxtyfour pound solid shot, fired at ten
yards distance from the target. 4.
Upon their report Of these facts Congress directed the
Secretary Of the Navy TO enter into contract with Ro
nm ne dsfen.s vf ne fsrsur " levYcrk Aftef
Of this agreement Mr. Stevens consrructs6
at his own expense dry dock capable Of containing
vessel Of the size required by the contract together with
shops, steam engine, furnaces TOOLS So necessary to
the construction Of such vessel Owing presume,
to adverse Influences and the opposition Of those opposed
the introduction Of iron shotproof vessels her COM
pleton has been delayed the costly works necessary to
completion rendered useless for years. and the inter-
est Of the large amount invested in property purchased
for the purpose lost to him. About two years ago, at
the earnest solicitation Of Commodore STocKToN then
member Of the United States Senate backed by the s
forts Of many Of the old and fast friends Of the measure
Congress again directed the Secretary Of the Navy
proceed with the vessel under the contract Some delay
occaoned by the necessity Of enlargg the dry dock
for the reception Of vessel Of much larger dimensions
to enable her to carry the additional thickness Of iron
required to resist shot Of greater size than that re-
quired by the contract The battery now construct
ing over four hundred feet in length on the waterne
Since the completion of the drydock she has rapidly
and steadily progressed and is now with the exception
Of few ribs, completely in frame, and about third
planked up with heavy iron plates From the difficulty
Of procuring funds during this pressure in the
money market he reluctantly compelled, three days
ago. to discharge ont Of the four hundred and seventy
engaged in her construction, hundred and forty
Of those working by the day in the yard at Hoboken.
The first and only appropriation for iron steam bat
terry whose sides to be six inches in thick
ness and whose length the waterne s 400 feet
and whose speed is intended to excel that Of any other
at present afoat two hundred and ffy
thousand dollars.
Not cent Of this has been paid appropriated
to the construction Of the immense drydock twenty-five
to keep free from water for the last two years for
the shops, toos and fixtures, &c. indispensable to her
construction. This appropriation was exhausted three
months ago. since which Mr. Stevens has been informed
that money would be paid until second appro
pration should be made by Congress. This was unex-
pected and leaves to him the payment Of one hum
ed thousand dollars for work done and entered
into on account of the Steam Battery Had the land de-
fences Of the Russians consisted Of iron walls with aper
lures larger than necessary to change the angle Of
the gum and had their floating steam batteries been Of
iron instead Of wood they would have had spnters
or red hot shot to fear or breaches to repair. s
An Observer Of Passing Events