New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-08-03
STEAM zAMrr1oATtoN.


most astounding secret and the world is very properly
agitated, and sufficiently astonishsd to crafty the
most sngoine expectations Of the sensationst king
dom, which gets mp the little surprise The secret
made for while secret for reasons Of state, Is
nothing more nor less than the great steam ram
which u being constructed and which is doing much
TO alleviate the constitutional dread which the Eng
lsh have Of invasion by the Bonaparte for its pro-
ecors promise that it viii be mere pastine for this
warlike monster to attack perfect Armada of oppo-
sing warships, its dangerous gamboling about in q
feet annihiatng the whole Of II, each gallant ship
sent without shrf to the bottom BY as many doughty
punches from the iron beak Of the inyulnerable and
invincible sea ram The theory y plausible that the
British Ministry Is getting up this fearful combina
ton Of hostile teak steam and iron without any view
to ia practical usefulness but sagacous
Of governmental policy intended TO calm the fears OF
the bold yeomen Of Britain, excited TO panic by the
ominous warning Of poor Tennyson, and to disperse
the vast number Of rife clubs which are becoming
nuisance in the land.
For rifles, Of course, there will be no use, as the
most valiant steam ram will permit no invader to
land to be shot by these vicious implements of retail
destruction, the monarch OF The waves rubbing out
whole ornaments by wholesale. s8
But this great steam ram idea-and it is 3 good
one, no doubt, though not altogether wonderful-ia
not peculiarly Of English but rather Of American orr
gin for more than four years ago Mr.. Charles Ellet
IT, addressed series of communications to the then
Secretary Of the Navy Mr.. Dobbin, in which he par
ticularized plans and specifications for the construc
ton OF Just such marine anomalies as the steam
ram over which there is so much English felicia.
ton. Mr.. Ellet urged the adoption Of these floating
rams as the only efficient means of defense of our
harbors-as the recourse rendered absolutely ne
cessary by the introduction Of steam war vessels
which are able to run past any harbor fortifca.
ticns in this country without suffering much
damage In their rapid passage, and having done
% to hold Of their mercy the unprotected cities.
Mr.. Ellet especially recommended the immediate
construction Of one experimental sea-ram, or bat
teringram," as he termed It, for each Of the cities
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and New
OEleans-arguing that each Of them is positively de-
fenseess in the event Of war with any power which
can send steamships to attack them, for they have
N no batteries which could prevent their passage-in
fact that enough stationary batteries could not be
erected to afford the amount Of protection which a
single powerful ram would for, nvulnerabe to shot
and shell, it could destroy the enemies steamers in
Il detail with the blows Of its irpn beak.
i Mr.. Secretary Dobbin, in brief note, acknowl
edged the force and point Of Mr.. Eets representa-
tions, considering them Of" great moment and
worthy OF grave consideration, but stated that how
ever much importance he might attach to such views
be had very little discretion 10 forwarding them. So
the matter dropped, but 1t seems probable that Eng
land will show us the way that we should have and
could have shown her in the practical application o.
this species of harbor defence, for Mr. Elet was un
doubtedy correct u his estimation Of both ts value
and its need. We may add that the late Com. Barron
/ Was strong advocate Of this sort Of defence.