The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-07

lOo, ITO and l5O-pounder wrought and cast
Iron shot thrown from the Armstrong ri1ed
guns, and it only was at last penetrated by
shot from the 3oo-pounder Armstrong gun
The Warrior target is plated with 4. inch
iron plates ON is inches of woodworking.
The target representing the side of the
Minotaur being plated with 81 inch iron, on
wood-backing of 8 inches, was penetrated
by the l50-lb Armstrong shot, and badly
shattered by the 6S-lb solid shot.
| Three other targets have been erected af-
ter plans furnished by Mr. Fairbairn, Samuda
and Scott Russell, where armor plates of in
creased thickness were applied directly on
the iron skin of the vessel. but they entirely
broke down, and were in short time totally
destroyed by the fire ofa 6S-pounder smooth
bore gun. Thus showing il is absolutely nee
essary to back the iron casing with great
thickness of wood.
will state here that the entire thickness
of iron (armor plates and skin of the vesseD
TO be penetrated was, in Tire case of Fair
BARNS target 6! inches; Samuda's inches;
Scott Russell's, 81 inches. The rivets fasten-
ing the armor plates TO the skin of the vessel
were in the two former targets entirely Jared
to pieces,so that the armor plates might have
dropped off the sides of the vessel In Scott
RuSselIs target the armor plates had no fas-
Jennings in them, but they were united to the
skin of the vessel by wedge shaped angle
irons, and the plates hung vertical instead of
horizontal. This way Of fastening seemed to
be well devised, but it did not prevent the
plates from being penetrated by the l5O-lb
shot, which made clean hole through the
! target.
Targets made on a similar principle as the
Monitor casing, composed Of great number
of successive layers of thin plates of iron
riveted together, have been penetrated with
the greatest facility by 6S-pounder solid shot.
1t was even proved by the experiments that
s single thicknesses of of one-inch plates riy-
eted together will not offer more resistance TO
shot than single we'll hammered, solid j.
inch plate.
\ further experience gained is that plates
hammered of well selected iron offer more re-
sistanee TO shot than rolled plates Of the same
thickness.
In conclusion, We see tina; the French can
have by the end Of next wear feet Of 10
iron-cased friga;es fit for foreign service, and
the English can muster in year and half
10 iron-eased frigates and ;ron-cased cover
ettes all iit for foreign service and for an ag-
gressive warfare.
If We compare with these immense fleets
the iron-cased navy of the United States i'm
par,iallv,w have 10 acknowledge that in case
of war with either of III above powers, We
would have TO keep entirel y on the defensive,
TO submit to disgraeeful blockade, and TO
leave our merchant ships all over the globe
to the mercy of our enemy Ali the Moni-
tors which we are building y The dozen, are
very well 10 defend our harhors, hut they are
entirely unfit 10 lrrak blockade or Ia act
on the high seas, for II ssy that these vessels
are good seaboat>, or suitable fur men to live
in, is simply ridiculous, in wf 'ch statement
will be upheld by all experienced sailors and
shipbuilders of any note.
With their very light draught of water
these Monitors never can obtain high de-
gree of speed, and if they should fall in with
any Of the large frigates in deep water. they
VIII be terribly handled, and in all probabili-
iy run down. Do not think that this could
not be done because the Merrimac failed IN
her attempt TO run down the Monitor. She
struck with speed of 3 or knots or even
not 50 much as that, but mass of6 to 5000
tens in weight, driven at speed of la to IA
knots woull! give different result.
OF all the iron-cased ships which We have,
the only one that might successfully cope with
the large English frisates is the lronsides,
built in Philadelphia. She is well planned
aud her practical construction very well exc
cutcd, bu; her speed is too low 10 use the
coed points of the vessel 70 advantage, and
the way of fastening her plates viii not stand
the test of heavy eannonaGe, for in the ex-
, pcriments made in England with armor plates
similarly fastened bv screw bolts screwed in
from the inside, the bolts broke off short on
, the inside of the plate whenever a heavy shot
strikes Tie plate near such bolts.
Ii is satisfactory TO know that Mr. Webb
has got a contract for building an iron cased
: ship according TO his own plans. He Ger
tainly will produce something able to conf
f pete with any European frigate.
h Not 10 be compelled to keep on the defen-
: sive lin itself a defeat in case of a war with
s any of the great naval powers, it is absolute
= ly necessary that We should have at least
q twenty large, powerful iron cased frigates
s that can be used also as rams, of at least l.
knots speed, capable TO carry ten days coal,
and not exceeding a draught of water Of 81
= feet. With less iraught it is impossible TO
impari 10 such large ships the abore high
&C speed. They ought TO be built Of wood that
Is they can be coppered, thus avoiding loss oi
- speed on account of the fouling of the bot
tom. In case Of these ships striking, 6
wooden bottom never is injured in a like
10 manner as an iron one invariably is, and be.