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

ing them, so far as advertisements or subscrip
'fions are concerned They have but little lift
now left. They have diminished in size, have
cut down their writer's salaries, have ATTEMPTED
to cut down their printers wages, and are il,
every way, in appearance as in character. des.
picable. In their dastardly treason they invite
= war with England; and if that war shall come
we shall find the Tribune and Times either ex-
tinct, or, like the former journal during the
Mexican war, opposing our own government
and cheering on the enemy who sheds our brave
soldiers blood. -
Iron-Clnd Vessels OF War Will Rule the
Waves.
In another column will be found historical
account of iron clad vessels of war, which must
at this time possess more than ordinary interest
for the American reader-an interest which is
destined to increase every day.
The three great modern improvements in the
art of war are the Mimic rife, rifed cannon and
iron cased vessels of war-all of them due to
the invention of the French. The Crimean war
developed these Improvements and demon
strated their importance. The MIME rife was
invented in lst9. but it was at the siege of Sc
bastopo] that its deadly power and great supe-
riority were shown in picking off the gunners
at the embrasures of the fortress The effect
of this invention was to greatly depreciae
cannon. AS other nations had initiated the
French rife. and its advantages could no
longer be monopolized, the Emperor deter
mined to ret ahead in another invention
;hr:.,.
lessening the effect of the riHed musket. Il
IS for the interest Of rulers to render war costly
in order to insure success. Insurgents can easily
procure rfed muskets when they cannot obtain
cannon, much less rifled guns. Now the En-
peror Napoleon has established the superiority
Of the cannon by rihing it, thus giving it
greater cefta;nty and an increased range. far
beyond the reach Of the MIME muskct So
great We're the practical difficulties which lay
In the way OF the use of rifed cannon that it
was feared they would never be overcome
These difficulties were, however, removed by
the French; and the Armstrong rited gun in
England is at the head of all other guns for
ships and Notifications, though for field pieces
the palm must be still yielded to the Napoleon
gun.
Again necessity was the mother of invention.
1t was found by experience that wooden walls
were but poor defence against stone walls,
with equal armament and equally well manned.
Red hot SHOT shells filed with liquid molten
iron-and comhustible shells fred directly at
the sides Ct ships, like solid shot, and
exploding upon their entrance, would soon
demolish the most powerful sailing craft,
steamers alone having the advantage of moving
as they delivered their fire, and thus rendering
: she aim of the gunners from fortress or land
battery uncertain. The rapid destruction Of
the Turkish fleet at Sinope by the Russians
showed what modern missiles could do with
ships. Immediately after Napoleon ordered
three small gunboats, cased with iron, to be fitted
out, and these in u very few minutes silenced
and captured the strong Russian fortress at
kinburn. This success suggested the construc-
ton OF frgate after the same fashion, the
appearance Of which scared John Bull out Of
ms wits, and soon produced the Warrior, with
number OF others Russia, too, and Spain, have
since ordered several iron-plated vessels.
1t is now proposed to make the frames of these
dogs of war of iron, as well as the outside
which would be q vast improvement, as they
could be made of lighter draught in proportion
TO their size. Plates of five inches thick have
been found to resist cannon balls Of two hundred
pounds weight from an Armstrong rifed gun,
che only effect of the heavy missiles being some
times to loosen the plates on account of the
great shock. but not to penetrate them. 1t is
said however, that steel pointed ri1ed missile
has been invented which will penetrate the
square-sided vessels Of French and English cor
struction, though the chances are that it will
glance off the curved, kettle shaped surface OF
the American invention. To resist this steel
pointed missile, plates of steel, instead of iron.
are resorted to.
The general impression now among military
and naval men in Europe is that iron will com
pletely supersede wood in vessels of war; and
they will probably lead to another revolution.
and that is the construction of iron fortresses;
for stone is no match for iron. It is curious
that the first approach to this was made by the
Southern rebels at the siege of Fort Sumter
The engineers who had received their educa
ton at West Point and deserted from the federal
government, invented batteries covered with
railroad iron which was SO disposed in curves
that the balls it at an angle and glance
su w a ams ar was eomf in he Rgsd
the idea of the turtle at New Orleans, which tits
reported sunk the Preble and suffered no in
Jury herself, though cannon balls showered
upon her like hail. This was owing to her iron
armor and her circular lines. The Merrimac, al
Norfolk, has been fitted out in the same man.
ner, also the Yorktown and jamestown, at
Richmond.
Now what have we to cope with these yes