The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-10-15
NEW YORK HERALD TUESDAY OCTOBER 49, esl-TRpLE SHEET

with regard 70 the great question Of the ultimate effect OF
artillery against ships protected by defensive armor
believe that whatever thickness Of iron may be adopted
guns will be constructed capable OF destroying IT, At the
same time am Of opinion that iron plated ships will be
infinitely against artillery than timber ships
The former will effectively resist every species OF explo
sve incendiary proectle, well as solid shot from
all but the heaviest guns, which ch never be used IN
large numbers against them In short, it appears to me
10 be question between plated ships or none ut NIL NJ
any rate SO far as line ships concerned With
respect TO the quality Of the material best adapted TO
resist the impact OF shot, this subject Is engaging mch
attention in the town Of Sheffield and the iron districts
generally SO far my observation and experience
go, may say that hardness and lamination the
conditions most essential 10 avoid. In striking a
plate the tendency Of the shot is to fracture rather
than to pierce tho material. When penetration
s effected, the hole is Of broken character, and not
such rs would be made by the cutting action Of punch
The softer therefore, the ron the less injury it will
TAIN and apprehend that Steel in every form, will from
its greater hardness be found less effective than wrought
IRON, while its cost would be very much greater.
am tempted TO advert, before conclude, to subject
intimately connected with mechanical progress but upon
winch much difference OF opinion may exist Under our
present patent laws We are borne down with Of
protection We are obstructed in every direction by
patented inventions which will never be reduced TO prac
tce by those who hold them but which embrace IDEAS
capable Of useful application IL freed from monopoly
The merit Of invention seldom lies in the fundamental
conception but is TO be found in the subsequent eabora
ton and in the successful struggle with difficulties I'M
known to the theors and often requiring years OF
labor, blended with Disappointment for their removal
Nothing can be more irrational, therefore, than to give
equal privileges to the mere schemer and to the who
gives actual effect to an invention. ....
THE NAvIEs OF FRANCE, PAST AND PREsENr-HER
IRON PLATED SHIPS, AND CHANCES OF A DESCENT
ON THE ENGLISH COAST
[Paris July 26) correspondence OF London Army and
Navy Gazette.
Rear Admiral Jurien Jagraviere has lately written two
works the French marine These works have been
viewed by the Dtbdt which has devoted to them less
than sixteen columns Judging by quantity the books of
Admiral Lgravere should contain subjects Of more than
usual interest This IL the In these days OF naval
Improvement such title as "The Old and New Marine of
- ne a nj
years ago fought the last great butte where
Nelson fell and the French feet persisted from the face Of
the waters Glorious single combats the French say
in some manner redeemed this great national ca
lamity; and besides that, their has otherwise
distinguished i'seli-at Nayarno, the taking Of Az
giers and elsewhere More recently in the Baltic
and before Venice 1t showed what might be ex-
pected from ii. Between the navy Of Trafalgar and
that of to-day there is but connecting link, and that
s-radition Bravery and devotion to the national flag
handed down from generation to another but that
il ALL Three navies less than half century have sup
planted each other and fourth Is in the womb. Under
Admiral aand the employment Of sails carried to n
high perfection; then sailing vessels with auxiliary
steam power After that marine and comes
another reveutonv,ssels plated with iron, and armed
with and terrible artillery. In these combinations
power has increased and cost has increased vessel Of
war, which formerly cost three millions to-day, with its
new appliances costs nearly double and those building in
England about four times that or the result of this
enormous expense speak
Admiral Iagravere explains how it is that while the
navy in England occupies the first rank in France it only
holds secondary place. England has to depend on her
her frontiers Under its shelter she either mix her
self up with continental Quarrels hold herself aloof
The pride Of the nation il concentrated in its ships and
for them no expense is spared France on the other
hand, has other caresall her frontiers not ocean
bound; she is more wrapped up in her army In France
the navy is subordinate to the army In England IT is
just the reverse.
Having Transcribed these preliminary remarks, l will
give few extracts from the articles Of NJ Louis Rey-
baud:-How much prejudice will fall before the simple
statement that between 1876 and 1882 the French marine
fought wenty-onc general engagements, and oLy lost
fuv1 olta 1.ta nd Jt,e.t poe,
cawens victory, which the French call lie jour de N.
Contains and French history says France had lost in
fgaes The accession Of the Spanish marine but poorly
compensated for these losses" Tho loss of the
great naval battles Of the empire have always been at
trbuted to the want of officers and consequently OF dis
cpine. When the first empire about TO breathe its
last breath Of lame Waterloo the French ee had III
ready made serious advances towards reconstruction
The minister Decres worked silently but well that
1914 France whom fortune had abandoned the CONT
ncnt found herself with fleets superior in number to those
she had lost In the dockyards and aaoat she had
hundred and three ships aud fifty five frigates."
In comparing sailing ships to steam vessels regards
away with much the hardship of the profession There
is no longer that continual struggle with the clements
Masss have been diminished and sails reduced to
accessory and both destined to greater reduc-
tons. The mast serving auxiliary does harm
than hing else Its weight prevents the carriage Of
much more coal and provisions; in an engagement ii IL
mark 70 ire at and its spliners do immense slaughter
and cucumber the decks. The masts, then, viii he cut
down low possible. merely allowing vessel carry
of accident her machinery without masts sailors will
have little to do They will have to turn their attention
to machinery, TO cannon exercise and small arms They
viii become more military and less maritime.
In speaking of the change which has taken place in naval
architecture
.1hefe were many difficulties to encounter in changing
from sailing vessels to steam. but these difficulties
overcome by our engineers Europe owes 20 them the
models she copies, lie Napoleon screw La Glore
plated frgate' The chapter this understanding
the fight between sails and wheels and then wheels and
the screw and the manner In which ships had TO be al
tered in order bear the different application Of the pro-
peling power changed from the asts to the tanks and
then TO the stcrn--is most interesting.
With regard to spccd:-ssTne swiftncss Of vessel OF
offers advantages easily undsrsood in single encoun
tiers il gives ship the choice Of either accepting de-
clning combat, &c, &c.n Admiral Iagrayiere has,
however emitted the important use Of speed that
of allowing vessel to take up any position she chooses
and TO fight al her distancc-at the distance which
suits best her power Of resistance and the range Of her
guns. "From machines of 300 horsepower have
reached 200 and have only stopped at the limit Of
ships capacity after having entreDchcd much posi-
bic on the armament, &c More than surprise has
marked the course Of our trials. Machines Of thu
power and construction have furnished results most dis
propori onate
Having watched the trials maze by Ia Gloire, Twas
much struck by the rates Of speed, andsn my liter in
serted in your impression Of the 9Th July wf.te:-a
Glorc returning troin Algeria. is said 20 have made
eleven knots with four boilers. IN ing to Algeria her
speed then said to have been much greater than that
OF the fastest despatch boats and that only two boilers
used. does Ia Goire so faster with two boilers
than with forY This remark is now in a way explained
and the trials Of La Goirc will be watched with renewed
As may well be imagined good deal Is said If the
artillery regard to heavy pieces there have been
Grave and the islands Of Hyeres trials which Though ST
lenty pursued have not been less sve IN England
they have made more noise, nut have not done
more work Their nnovators still defending their in
ventions the platform and showing their certificates
and incertitldi seems TO hover over all
Admiral Lagravere divides naval warfare into three
acknowledgements bockades and combats and he first
dwels npon what is the most n,eresng--dcsccnt
He says that there was general cry when steam
first applied to ships that for the future the navy would
be but auxiliary TO the army fescents with sailing
vessels dangerous, but with steam they could be
easily effected. And in fact any who has conversed
with Frcnchman naval matters will not have failed
10 have made the remark. The French in general
look upon steam means which will day atone
for every bygone dsasterit is to bridge the Channel
gain them glorious victories, and do nothing for
any one else. "These plans for descent have found
great credit in France. Our debarkation in the Cr
the possibility Of similar operations; $4,000 men
were thrown ashore in few hours. without blow
being struck France has everything to aid such an
enterprise, says the admiral9unboats Of the ghtes
draft floating batteries bullet proof and iron transports
but the sea is not doce instrument Nothing would he
dangerous than 10 conlde to the army which
might be annihated before fighting single battle. II
steam has simihea descents it has not done away with
the difficulty of such enterprises. Between States Of the
order the advantages to be derived from steam
pear TO be evenly balanced.
In writing TINS admiral acrayiero course audcc