The New York herald., 1862-05-07
THE NAVAL REVOLUTION.

AN xrOm-Ey0GcN Coast Fleet for lE0 &lom0s
(from the london Times, April 2l.l
We arc ormed that stop Of treat importance in tho
existing state Of naval affairs has just been taken by
the Roird Of Admiralty. ,iswo, known ,ha. at tho me
soat moment ontire feet of sma ycssos Is
built Of wood, and y wholly unprotected By arnor
plating Every corvctte sooP and gunboat in tho ser
vicc Hble therefore, sudden and complete destruc
ton by tho shell fro OF an enemy. In view OF these
facts, complete stop has recently been put to the
dockyards. In France for some years past, and
In America during the last year, small iron
plated craft have. boon designed and built; but
In all tho,e have been ft to operate upon homo
coasts and harbors only, and have tesn wholly in
capablc Of performing general sea service. Our Al
miralty and their constructors have naturally been
to the building OF similar ses but At the
tmo no means OF producing sea going plated ships Of
moderate dimensions have boon doyiscd. A. length.
however, method OF construction has been devised,
which is said TO afford great security, with compare
tvey small amount Of plating and which has met with
tha full approval OF the koaru
Tho new design has been made by Mr.. r. J. Reed,
formerly of School of Naval Construct ton. Ports
tecs tho general supervision Of Admiral Robin
son, the Comptroller Of the Navy applicable 10 ships
of various classes ana provides for the OF u
plat battcry Of Armstrong guns with great range OF
fire; for the security OF the ship from penetration be.
tween wind aad wator for stoaming power sarcey in
feor TO the present unprotected vessels and for
the protection Of boilers engines ruddcr heat and seer
ing apparatus These advantages said to be secured
without at oil compromising the fitness OF the ship to
receive complete rig and equipment, 80 that she may
bo t for In any part Of the world Tho de-
sign understand has been placed unreseryedy the
DISPOSAL OF the Admiralty VINO nave ISSUED 0rdor
its immediate ADOPTION and have appointed tho inventor
Mr. Rec superntcnd the construction OF the vessels
in her Majostys dockyards Tho timber now in store,
and that already converted, will be available
the new vessels which to be timber built below the
water but incornbustble at tho upper part Although
the des,gn was only completed week ago. all the pre-
limnary arrangements for carrying out have already
been made under the immediate OF tie Comptroller
and tho Duke Of Somerset Tho FIRST vessel be
menced forthwith at Deptford dockyard and is TO be
named the enterprise.
Frigates.
from tho London Times, April q.
During the pas. fow weeks large suppcs Of tho best
descriptions OF both anglo and plato iron have poured
into Chatham dockyard TO be used in tho construction
OF the iron steam frgatc Achilles, 5o Tho number Of
hands employed upon tho will shortly be increased
70 roo the utmost number that bo accommodated in
the factory adjoining the dock in which tho Achilles
under construction. Msssrs Collier, of Stafford, have
factory-onea " sioting engiue for cutting and shap
ing slabs Of iron which win form the shield plates OF
the Achilles and tho other planning machine the largest
OF lis kind the world for smoothing tho surface Of the
plates before they are affixed to the ships side.
The projecting bow Of the Achilles forged tho Thames
will shortly be received from Glasgow whero It Is being
forged. The following tho principal dimensions OF
the Achilcs-ength betwccn pcrpendiculars, $50 feet
length Of keel for tonnage, S3S feet x nch extreme
breadth IS feet inches; breadth for tonnage So
IN inches breadth moulded 5s oet; depth in hold, q
feet inch; burden, 6,079 5.9i tons.
Orders have been received at Chaham to prepare the
following quantities Of proeces 70 be supplied TO the
iron screw igaies Hector 0Z ana valiant 32, now un
der construction private establishments the Admi
ralty-viz 200 common one hundred and ton poundor
and 200 OF tho segment hundred and Ten FOUNDER
Armstrong Shells lis common and ll3 segment twonty
poundor Armstrong;, and 200 twelve FOUNDER Armstrong
Shells 2SS Of the sixty eight FOUNDER smooth boro Moor
som Shells ninety OF the and half naval six
tyeght FOUNDER smooth bore shells, and ninety six Of
tho sixty eight FOUNDER aud fy OF the twelve FOUNDER
diaphragm smooth bore shells The solid shot to be sup
Piled each OF the above ships IL $50 sixty y-cigh
FOUNDER, $50 hundred and ten poinder Armstrong,
seventy five twcnty FOUNDER Armstrong and fifty twelve
FOUNDER Armstrong Each vessel Is also TO he supplied
with 115 common twelve FOUNDER howitzer shells and
sixty twenty -four poundsr congreve rockets.
The above is the largest quantity OF projcCtiles
ordered DO furnished TO any vessels Of that Glass;