The New York herald., 1862-01-24
THE GAMBLE FLOATING BATTERY.


There appeared some time since in your pa. or, and
anterior TO the capture of Port Royal notice Cam
be's Floating Battery Fort" II is inconceivable to
how important an agent for coast and harbor defence
could be overlooked whio all manner of floating bat
tsries RATS, gunboats &C., find acceptance Let us tale
the disaster at Port Royal the mode of warfare those
adopted and the consequences Of the enemys fire. to H.
lustrats the necessity for this fortcaon and its
roity above all others. In the first place. apparent
in modern naval warflres all the old modes OF
and defence Of earhwoks assaed by ships
changed by the superior action celebrity motion accu
racy of fire, and improvement ordnance, that oacu.
lations Of engineers based upon the anquated data Of
past wars must prove inaccurate and disastrous 70
those rep sing confidence in them. IN former sail
ing vessels constituted the attacking squadron these,
dependant upon winds aud tides necessarily far in
ferior to tho modern ships in facility Of management to
maintain their position IL was necessary to reso to
moorings; sheer from tide or wind often rut tn m
aground in positions most favorable for the re from tho
shore. II attacking in numbers the same causes
brought them in collision with each other, and
many other obvious causes gave. great snps-
But now all this is changed and tho attacking
squadrons, moving in a circle or parabos, pour un.
ceasing upon alternate broadsdes and every con-
angle upon the exposed and almost mmovabls
guns OF the earhworks. whose fires, having q limited
range only be delivered upon the ships rapidly
ing given point No battery not casemated could live
uader such destructive fire. and Is doubtful! whether
cose quarters tho best caseated works could resist
dis nting Of tho guns by the OF the
passing shiTs. Now. Of these
tn ugh casemated, presenting at ell points acute
angle to the lire OF the enemy a. to DO shot and shell
cof its cmbrasures, p0rth0les small that
llrge shot shell could enter thom when the gun was
out and by It's rotary motion while In acton il not
only rcndc IL almost impossible for the enemy strike
the muzzs Of its guns he only portions sxposed but
the ship, moving In the parabola Of attack, Is kepe
her whole under the fire of tho fort
Again. the fort by ito comparative light draugh could
take such positions would compel the attacking ships
perform their revolutions without passing around the
fort and thus would expose themselves for greater
portion Of their course TO rakng re from the fort.
Again, tho attacking force should bring nent
overwhelmingly dspr0pOtonatc to that Of the FORT the
latter by its ocomotion could seek such positions
would neutralize portion Of their armament would
retire from the unequal contest without loss Of guns
garrison believe that twcntyfour gun fort similar
to the model now in tho Navy Department at Richmond
Port Royal acting concert with tho land batteries al
Hilton Head and Bay Point would have utterly defeated
the late Yankee invasion This fort is also emnently
suited 70 the defence OF the inland passages along the
coasts of the Caronas and Georgia. BY its light draught
IL would move through those channels exclude or
destroy all light draught vessels gunboats sent into
them by the enemy and would also prevent the lodg
m,nt Of tho enemy any Of tho islands, 1t could ap-
proach the shores and by point blank fire destroy earth
works garrisons Il could eecualy protect the bars
and mouths of channels from the stone ships other
obstacles sought to be placed there by the vandal
Several Of these forts located at different points along the
coast could easily concentrate at any threatened point
and drive away destroy any fleet which could ba
brought against them. In short for offensive der.n
sive action in harbors rivers is invaluable and
equalled. Unfortunately, being novelty it finds TO-
with old fogy naval constructors, and IL left then
tender mercies will never be constructed