New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-12-20

IRON WALLIS FOR PURPOSES OF DEFENsE.-The
| following communication, from correspondent
| Of the New York Courier and Enquirer, we copy
| as one of interest upon an important subject:
To The Edors-In your paper Of two three days ago,
there was communication the signature OF NJ, In
which comparison is drawn between stone and wooden
WALLS defense against shot and Shells and proving
yery concusiyely (rom effects produced at Sebastopo
the superiority Of VIII you allow me to suggest
defense to either one or the other viz wrought iron
Some and twenty or thirty years ago experiments
made by Robt. L. Stevens Esa which proved con-
eusiyey that shot could be eectnay arrested by thick
ness Of wrought propooned to the diameter OF the
ball Some time in the year 1910 ~ Mr. Stevens pro-
posed to the Government to build Floating Steam Bat
tery of iron as protection in the event Of to the
of New York By order Of the expert
made to test the correctness Of ms tneofy
under the supervision Of Board of Navy and Army oi
GERS Com Stewart at the head Of one and Colonel
Totten Of the other The result proved four and nan
inches thickness Of wrought iron to be perfect de-
fense against sxtyfour pound solid shot, fired at ten
yards distance from the target
Upon their report these facts Congress directed the
Secretary of the Navy to contract with Robert
Stevens for building steam bnttery upon ms pan iof
the defence Of the harbor Of Nswfork Alter ne
own expense dry dock capable OF containing vessel OF
the size required by the contract together with shops
steam engine furnaces tools etc necessary 10 the ccn
sruction Of such vessel Owing (as presume) to ad
verse influences, and the opposition OF those opposed
the Introduction Of IRON vessels ner hs
completion rendered useless for years. and the
the large amount invested in property purchased Ior Tn
lost him About two years ago. at the earnss
solicitation Of Commodore Stockton, then member
the o. S. Senate backed by the efforts OF many OF tn
old and fast friends the measure Congress again direc
ed the Secretary OF the Navy to the ese
under contract Some delay was occasioned by the ne
cessty of enargng the dry dock for the reeepton OF
vessel of SO much larger dimensions as to enable her
carry the additional thickness of iron required TO res
shot Of greater size than that required by the
c The battery constructing Is over tour honars
feet In length on the water line. 80
Since the completion Of the dry-dock she has rapid
and steadily progressed and s now with the exception
few ribs, completely in frame, and about one-thif
planked up with heavy iron plates. From the dhcuity
procuring funds during this severe pressure in the one
market he was reluctantly compelled three days ago.
Il discharge out of the four hundred and seventy men
gaaed S her construction hundred and forty of tho
working by the day in the yard at Hoboken
The rst and only appropriation for an iron steam ba
ery whose sides to be six more fnches In
and whose length on the Waterine is now four hundr
feet and whose speed Is intended to excel tnat OF
other war present soat was two hundred
fifty thousand dollars. .,.....,
Not cent Of this sum has been paid or appropriated
Id The construction of the immense drydock, twsntyt
feet deep (which of itself has required
keen free from water for the last two yearsD or Tor
shoos tools fixtures, etc. etc. Indispensable TO ner q
IL, struction This appropriation was exhausted "
months ago. since which Mr. Stevens has been inform
that no more money would be paid until second app
pectea and leaves to him the payment Of over one
ired thousand dollars for work done, and contracts
ex tered into on account Of the steam battery Had
land defense Of the Russians consisted OF IRON wallis
aperures no larger than necessary to change the 81
of the gun and had their floating steam batteries bee
IRON instead of wood they would have had no spin
u Or red-hot shot to fear, or breaches 70 repair,