The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-10-22

government having heard that the French vessels were
covered all over with an iron armor, has ordered the
new ships now in construction to be clad in the same
way. OF the weight of such vessels prodigous
We form idea of 1t by looking at the steel plated
ship Warrior, tho sides Of which are two feet three
inches in thckness-about thick in fact the wall
OF old Norman castle. OF that thickness twenty two
inches are wood and tho balance iron. 1t Is question
whether II would BIO better replace this enor
nous mass Of woodwork bya corresponding weight in
the thickness of tho iron. The thing to be per-
fectiy feasible and to Judge from the capacity Of tho iron
plates to resist powerful pressues the result would be
superior to that offered by wood 1t is not without
misgivings that have tho iron clad ship
built by order of the federal at Mystic Con-
nectcut, provided with wooden frame and beams Of
huge dimensions and perfectly solid throughout while
in many iron clad vessels built in France and England the
frame is hollow large spaces being left between the ribs
and timbers
The question to be solved is the fixing of the
plates to the ships and the relative position they occupy
ono to the other Experience proves that IN tho resist
ance of the iron to the bullet much depends the way
which the plates attached to the vessel at
what angles the sides should be inclined The thickness
OF the plates well the quality OF the woed be used
the frame OF the vessel has also yet decided
upon But the most important OF all considerations
relating TO the speed Arc small vessels constructed 20
carry few guns Of large cabre like the now in con-
struction at Mystic, with only 5000 in weight swift
or than the Warrior which carries 5000 and thirty
two pieces Of ordnance Of the largest cabrc9 To this
has been that small vessels not necessarily
faster than large ones but rather the contrary STILL the
question whether vessel larger than gunboat, but
smaller than the Warrior, might be propelled ut
greater speed though abc to carry two of the
cannon fuct that shin of M r,oro
rated according to tho number OF guns she carries but
that small number of guns Of large calibre like the
Dahgrens which are on board the Merrmac, are more
efficient than the 40 guns Of man-ofwar would seem to
settle that question in favor OF the small vessels
However, none of these questions have yet received
answer Tho experiments Of England on this
subject (and sho is the only nation speak Of know
ingy France not allowing any to get hold of hers)
to prove that all that has hitherto been done in tho
construction Of ironclad ships may be looked upon not
ms settling the matter, but rather series of compro
misses Let us look at some of them. Out OF the four
complete iron sides she possesses twothe Defence
and the esstance-are already spoken of lit for
the line Of BATTLE suitable for any other service than
the coast defence The Warrior and the Black Prince
which are fine vessels but which partially covered
with armor likely to be superseded by the new ones
now the stocks, the whole surface of which will be
plated. Then there five wooden ships, or rather
frames Of ships originally intended for that purpose
which arc to be Heightened by few feet beyond the
original dimensions aud then plated with armor from end
to end These rough and ready specimens will il is said
be superior to the French iron La Goire vessel
built in tho same condition and with the materials
as The i've vessels alluded to.
We are now building at Mystic Conn, a thoroughly
clad iron vessel, with portfolios Of new pattern OF
which re ad he will draxv Lac
than ten nor more than sixteen feet Of water. She
will have no bcak projecting under front Of her
PROV, and is therefore, not intended a ram to run
down vessels at She will be armed with small
bowsprt made Of ron to project forward and her bow
will be cased and made extremely strong; and whatever
position you may place her In she will present nothing
but curved lines. As to her armament it has not yet
been decided upon; but In all probability she will carry
two pivot r1ed guns OF the largest cabresay eighty.
FOUNDERS and twelve thirtytwo FOUNDERS also riaed
These pieces will be disposed that no one win
be obliged TO stand the upper deck when the
action will take place The information We possess
on the construction Of that vessel is, however
by no means positive. Our Navy Department like the
French keeps silence to the improvements contem
plated, and not that tho shape Of the
ship or the system of plating her known by the public
We do not imagine that anything reliable can be said Of
her till she is finished
Numerous inferences can be drawn from the expert
nents made the iron plates. Besides their property
of resisting all kind of procctlesa property which the
trial made lately by Mr. Whtworth place beyond
doubthey adapt themselves TO all OF wooden
vessels small large that gunboat taken out OF one
of navy yards may be covered with armor and
converted into an ron-clad vessel. They may also be
adapted 10 floating batteries and like In Devastation La
Lave and La Tonnante at the siege of Kinburn be most
efficient in stormng stroDshods and cities Suppose for
instance Aoa of gunhoats placed under the protec
ton Of small roncad vessels Of light draught or
under that Of light floating batteries and there
are no cities now in the possession Of the rebels
which we cannot attack and carry. We
may ascend their rivers, take their batteries
and storm the cities situated along their Shores We
may operate landing in any place choose with the
assurance OF success. We may lay siege before their
tresses and stand under their walls till We take them
We embark army on steam iron clad transports
and parayze their operations by causing their forces
be dispersed every direction; then land with impun
~ under the fire Of their batteries, which ours
being invulnerabIc fail to silence In fact there
are few military operations In which ironc clad feet
cannot participate, and few which, according what
we already know, it cannot make successful Let US
hope that before long the Northern States will have en-
iron fleet capable Of competing with that Of Eng
land France not only for the sake Of competition with
those Powers, but because on that day rebellion will
have been defeated and the Union restored.
PRECAUTIONS TO BE OBSERVED IN THE
TRANSPORTATION OF TROOPS BY SEA.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
Permit me to offer remarks regard the trans
portaton Of troops, suggested to by my experience
executive officer when engaged in this DUTY in the
Mexican war.
Precautions Against Fire.As the troops 60 board
let every knapsack be examined and the lucer matches
be removed from Them but to enable the smoke
let lighted lantern be at all times the forecaste in
charge Of a sentinel Smoking should be prohibited be
low Select the commissioned officers and best troops
for remcn and station them in each gangway in single
Ale, to be there the alarm of fire. Troops who arc
not hremen viii be directed the alarm, that part Of
the vessel where they will not interfere with the work Of
extingushng the re Splice lanyards or draw ropes to