New-York daily tribune., 1862-04-23
LATEST-Via QaceRstorn.

LoNDoS, April 10
TIE English papers continue to dscuss the affair
between the Merrimac and Monitor.
Great activity prevails in the English dock
yards
The Admiralty have contracted with neSsrs. Sa-
muda for tie constitution Of one of the cupoa iron
sips-of-war under tho Invention Of Capt. Coles OF
which tie Monitor is an imperfect imitation.
Tie vessel il to be ready for launching on the Sth OF
February next, and to be delivered, III for sea, on
the Ia, OF June following.
The Times contains an account of experiments at
Shoebufyness, on Tuesday, with gun Of Large rize
and great cGliter, which showed AT every discharge
tlat our beet and hitherto considered inyulneiable
forms Of iron sides were 70 TO speak almost easily
pcuet .ated by slot ii the targets bad been Uf
,ia ber After all our labor ana all our expense,
after having made, beyond comparison. the finest
and strongest IRON frgates in tue world, we now
find that oppOfts large muLle-lOadIng gun tie
best Of orr irou.sides can be easily rddled and
sunk as wooden sailing vessels. This discovery,
only made on Tuesday afternoon last in due TO the
Keen and Wholesome rivalry between the War Office
aud The Admiralty, the former striving TO devise H.
rerishe artillery, and the latter 10 build lDYulnCr-
able ships.
! There has been an immense variety Of expert.
meuts on every conceivable form Of target and upon
| every poseiLe combination of iron aud wood, iron
and lnda-rubber, iron and wire, iron and hemp and
every section Of the American Monitor has been
eracied and fred at at Shoeburyness and proved 10
1
chance may be neglected, a target 10 being made OF
railway bars doyetaiied and riyeted together IN the
same ingenious manner as the coating OF tie Meui-
mac aud thi. also will be tried IN few days and
beyond doubt with much tie same results that a.
tended the Monitor target. During recent eXperi-
meut. target, exactly Of the came materials and
e,r,ugh as the Warriors broadside, was subjected
during the whole Of one day and part Of second 10
a most tremendous FIRE, but tue concentrated yoey'
| lew Of in hal OF iron fpliueIe. The targets grew
almos, red hot IN parts bat no miae passed beyond
ia iron armor. Tie Warrior, therefore, and iron
.hips were Justly deemed invunenble.
| Sir W. Armstrong hes "a letter IN iO-days i tmf'
eXtl,ipug tho principle which has rendered the last
xIeriment slCcessful in peuetyatiDg and snasliuG
IRON piates. Tie smOOih-DOge guu has velocity eN
ceiling that OF the idle gun by more thon quarter
4 sp'oo, -bore bn has been made by Sir w. Arm
,ttore, length lhcen feet, weight twelve tuns
and IA yaa tlied against the Warrior target on Tues
! day. in presence of the Duko Of Cambridge, th'
| pake Of somerset, and other high ohlcihs OF th'
| ,dg.;rllfy aud War-OhCo. Tie Grst snOt was IJ'
pornds. ana fired at distance Of two lundic'
Yards. with charge OF forty pounds of powder.
This solved al doubts; the non mas was chat
tetcd into crumbs oi metal and the teak fpllntere'
nio Gbels literally as tln;1 as pins. An inoreaee'
clarpe was next ried, aud The shot passed not onl
tro1eh the plaes, ak aud through tho inner skin
lint bIried iief in the massive timbers that support
. ed the TARGET. These two shots were quite concn
siye IA 10 the power OF the gun. Sir W. ArInstroI
elys that qua Of twelve tuns weight fired with
cLroe of 20 lbs. Of powder, will break through th
side Of tho Warrior, or the ftiongeat chip aiioai
| TIE TiAcs rInarfs that weapon of offence OF de
feuse seems left 70 us now ciiectual a large ar
NOR. clad and very swifi stcam-ram.
/ The Times correspondent at Paris has reason Z
/ believe that the Spanish and English Government
take the same views oi the question of Mexico.
| It is said the French Army will be reduced (
ninety.four Instead Of ono hundred regiments q
infantry. Five regiments Of cavalry ere also TO b
struck oR.