Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-03-13
VOLUME 65.
RICHMOND WHIG.
SHIPS IN ARNOR.


onderful triumph HIS national pride fires at the idea
that ANYBODY, especially Frenehman, has accomplished
come unheard Of act and he rests till he has tried
his hand in the same direction and produced specimen
bigger and more extraordinary in every way than the
other To crv France in the Of England produces
An effect ike that Of the toss Of gauntlet in deince OF
eheyaHer of the old regime. John Bull considers bis
honor touched, and at sets at work in rage Of
competition He generally has the best of the affair in
the end.
The latest instance of this fiery national rivalry is the
qllrrel over the question Of the iron clad ships when
France launched Ia Glore says enthusiastic writer
IN the last CorahU Maga-ins she challenged England
challenged her. not to 6gbt but to fit herseff fighting
On new terms. The Warrior is Euglands reply"
Raiders curious in such matters Who NAV not have
had leisure to follow the elaborate discussions Of the mer
its Of these rival ships that have appeared in the English
and French press will find the story of the pleas
antv told by the C9raIW writer. lie shows that the
British public fell into state Of violent agitation when
was announced thst France had begun build float
ius battery, clad in shotproOf armos filled with death
dealing pro,ces, contrived upon such plan that she
could neither sunk burned rdded by canon balls,
nor blown up by enemy. Astute British statesmen
a.k,l the reason of this extraordinary movement, stout
Els,h squires qulked in their boots in their spacious
rural hcms the scaboard shvered with fright All Eng
land thrown into CONSERVATION. II would never DO
TO- her be beaten the by any eontrysnce Of Ma
poeoa The idea of allowing herself to be outwitted by
Frccs was preposerous-and something must be done.
Tas ia no. the language Of our writer. He puts the
ease in a more gingely way pruning down the harsler
features of the emergency, aud demonstrating the malL
tim, necessity for active competition. We have given
the substance Of bis introduction in way which ex
presses his real meaning "The British public ho adds
care probably anxious learn whether have replied
worthy or not" The problem to be solved was this:
What kind Of vessel will best enable British 20
contend successfully against La Glore and similar ships
In other words although France had built La G.Oe she
was not TO be allowed to have all the glory to herself
La Goire is a timber built ship eassd from end to end
10 cad with iron plates four and half inches thick
z52 feet inches long 55 fee; broad and p feet IN
chs deep below the line; her ports are feet
inches apart and from 20 feet above the water; her
engines are Of 900 horse power her speed IL knots an
hour and her armament "a guns carrying 5ipound shot,
and two shell guns.
The Warrior is 42O feet long, IS feet broad 26 feet
draft and O5O tons burden. She has cost fS5O0O0.-
Hence she is longer, broader, lighter and more eHPen-
siye than La Glorie. So far good. II IS elamed,
moreover that she ousal, Outright and ouast her
French rival Her ports higher than those OF Ia
Gore aud it is confidently asserted that she can blow
the latter out of the with the greatest facility
Os, to quote the CorHhW
'Her plan corresponds with the well known spirit of
our naval commanders Who have always had passion
for laying alongside Of Zoe. Even in a
crippled state Warrior would probably steam as tat
As La Goire and would certainly carry lotler battery
than that vaunted vessel possesses at her best
The Warrior carries but fortyeigh guns but they are
so disposed that no FIRE can dismount them, while
the remarkable spicousness OF her fghtingdeck gives
facilities for handling the guns with ease and rapdy, so
that the Admiralty claim for her great superiority OF
power over her rival Unlike the latter she Is not pro-
teetd throughout by Ouly the central part Of
tbs vessel protected by shot proof PAes the remainder
is fitted up with bukheads eneased in iron Hence she
Is lighter than La GlOe. Other Pecuartes of her con
slructiOn are thus described:
"Bu. even with Der fine ends uncased, an immense
weight Of iron has 10 be supported And this weight has
not as some u0pcse been determined IN the case o Ie
Warrior BY the number Of guns which were to De carried
The whole art OF warship construction had 10 DC re-
vesed in this respect the dimensions and structure OF
toe hull being the first things hXed and the number Snd
positions Of the guEs being subsequently settled FOr,
let il be understood there is much more than the guuS
and gunners to be protected In the aFFior tne e.
gines and boilers the magazines shelErooms, spirit
Tooms-a the stores in fact that IL would be dangerous
TO expose either TO 6re OF 70 water-are Placed ~nln
the shelter OF the plates The engines ana oenes
alone occupy length Of one hundred and ht iee'
Here then we see at that considerable length oi
proof side becomes requisite. that great hegh'
of t il also necessary will De seen from the tacts lIst
that the ports be considerably eeyatedi next na'
the plating be continued down lev feet oeo" tne
waterne in order 20 prevent shots entering Just oe
meath the seas surface lower down when the ship Is
in sea-way or keeling under wildi aud finally taat
the armOr be carried up W, above the heacs OF te
guaners In order 10 protect them properly. Ine size
of iiuarV ms
hull outside OF which placed IN opposite directions,
tNo LAYERS Of teak timber Of ten inches hleS and
the other Of eight inches and upon the outside oi s
mass Of timber 4linch iron plates are secured
The cayils Of skeptcs are met as follows
Very mistaken views are held ss 10 the probable &C
ton OF the shot aud she'll upon her uocAssd extTeme
bv prs9ns who have studied the Warriors construction
but mperectly In the first place, it should oe under
stood thtt no apprehension Of the ship there sstAis
r;os injury FROM the ce OF shsiS need be entertained
a. ls ara ali of iron. the beams Of rOn ana the
iron decks are laid the beams Tue only eomouSr
BILE mater ss exposed are the plank co'etl = oi 'oo
de, and such little Of ship furniture a. may oe
dasusd iudisDsnsabe Tne oLcers cabins Su DC III sue
s,t of the shin il is trae aud the mons messes IN
the fore pat but with the ship herself oil lron ana WIN
vedevised appliances for extngushing such local gh
no, A. may happen il will be scarcely posslo7 'Or ue
10 make progress in her But even Il y suo.i' -. b
bodv Of the ship viii be perfectly proof TO NJ Tor "nn
he mated bulkheads and tso feet IRON tnem, are
PLACID inner iron bulkheads and the spaces between are
used as water compartments, 20 that NerueAi snees
v,ter two feet thick intervene between the ooGy OF
he sbip and her extrerias through these i would oe
impoSsibls for any Ere TO make its way In t9e aeA,
place there Is no good ground for believing ha shos rA
DO much injury 10 the ships eItremites exeep' 10 tne
rdJer and after sterDpos perhaps hssS are the NeaA
poiats IN the Warrior in all other screw snPs OIL Na'
notwthstanding that they have in her case been AuS
enormously strong and heavy Tor the express purpose
resisting solid shot To suppose that any ndIoer OF snG'
which ship is likely 70 receive in action would knoeA
either the bOw or stern Of such ship as the warrior 70
pieces and leave the eased portion ony anoa would oe
20 manifest great ignorance Of the strength with "neh
she IS built throughout
The CoraAM article winds up With word Of counsel
70 the British government the effect that T the French
are not TO lock up Eogshmen in their hArbOFs or sweep
mercantile fleets from the open sOas there must be more
.ps le the Warror"-ships which shall be at leAs' her
equal ia speed and If possible superior to her IN the
power Of dealing destruction 10 the s'ss OF the Corr"
AN however. il Is clearly impossible to produce any
apdsr work Of naval arehtsOaFs than this last sPee
men Of British ingenuity.
STRENGTHENING THE DEFENCEs OF FORT PICK
EMS
The importance Of the recent move OF Lieut. seun'sf
in erecting sADd battery the eastward OF fo'. rsk