, 1862-03-25
An IRON Clad Navy-What Engiand
and France have Got, and what
America will Have.

With, the lessons before us, the United
States Government has no other alternative
but to provide itself with an iron clad navy.
The warning received in Hampton Roads, with
all its cost Of life and property, viii prove to
be a 'Ealutary admonition if it shall stimulate
to preparation for q more dangerous enemy.
There is prevalent distrust Of al the ordina-
r. means Of defense, as compared with batter
les that arc movable and inyulnerahle, SO that
Mr.. Hale's bill, authorizing the construction
gunboats, and the completion Of stegens'g
battery also the proposition to transfer the
Congressional appropriation for Notifications
to the building Of vessels Of this character,
meets with general favor The list OF vessels
already contracted for by the Government, or
proposed, is as follows:
The Galcna, built At Mystic. ..............
The powerful vessel at Philadelphia.
me M Aaifonaaek. ..-......-....-..-..-.--1
Tie Naugatuck, built BY Stevens s.............
Honc1ad gunboats ordered By Congress 30
Hon,clad G1gafes, recommended BY Senate na-.
val committee
Gnnboats ordered By Massachusetts. ....... -.
Total. ~
As long ago as the year 1854, pending the
Crimcan war, the experience gained pointed
unerringly to this result. When 8 powerful
British steam frigate got ashore near Odessa,
she was quickly torn In pieces and burnt by
small Russian battery sent against her. And
at BomarEund, huge allied fleet found its ef-
forts unsyailing till the ships guns were land
ed and protected by earthWorks. So in the
subsequent attacks on Odessa, Cronstadt and
Sebastopo1, the same truth was forced home
that new safeguards must be devised to resist
the terrific missiles Of modern invention.
Hore convincing than all Was the attack Of the
French On Kinbun (exactIy one year after the
first futile bombardment Of SebastopoD,
when strong, fortress Of tltty-one guns and
fTes ST lec mapsps Saergs fgss Fhnh 5sufSa Sa
latter took position only 800 yards distant,
the shot Of the enemy Ind no effect. With
characteristic sagacity, the Emperor Napoleon
Immediately proceeded to turn to practical
account the experience thus obtained, SO that
shortly before the conclusion Of the war with
Austria, French gunboats were in readiness to
bombard Venice or Trieste. Healso hastened
the construction Of the iron frigate Gloire, for
sea-servlcc. England, meanwhile, trusted more
to the penetrating power Of her Armstrong
Guns, and it was not until tue year 1858, after
this weapon had been shown By experiment to
be powerless to iDjure seriously tue complete
protection Of the ships side, that the British
Government ordered four iron-clad vessels to
be constructed: Now, LET us sec what progress
these two leading powers have made. As
! stated in the British Parliament on the Gath
u1t., after 1ull investigation, France has four
iron ships a1loat, and two more will be launch
| ed three months hence, viz: Tile Gloire is at
sea, the lpyincible aud Normandie have made
trial trips, the Couronne will have trial
| trips i'll 4 few days, and the Magenta and Sol
fcfino are within three months If completion.
Last year, the English people were startled BY
| statement from the Prime Minister to the
effect that ten additional ships had been laid
down i'll the French dockyards, but the fact
now appears that none Of these vessels are in
such a state of forwardness as to make it
probable they will be launched before another
| year. What England has accomplished is thus
stated By the Admiralty
Black Prince and The Warrior; We have two
atloat Two others are Z building Of size between
The Achilles at Chatham. There are also i've line,
the money was voted In the estimates Of lastyear.
Six others arc to be built, on account Of which
wc lave bt o. are building iron vessels Of IN ag
sTegate burden Of about 81, ,t0u tons. while France
when She has all her iron vessels anoat. will only
sides aloat. Of 1900 tons, against four French
ironsides Of 1860; 60 that we are at present
superior to France IN this respect.''
Yet England docs not rest here. Adopting
as a true principle, the idea that 4 few guns
carrying heavy shot. arc more effective thur
those Of inferior calibre- latter making nc
impression against iron-plated vcssels-the
Admiralty are directing attention to "Coles's
! cnpolas- Haflng made successful expert
meuts with one OF these last year, it is nos
t proposed to construct ship Of about 2,5ol
t tons, to carry twelve breaehloading Arm
strong guns in six cupolas, the vessel to b.
| without rigging, Is she is intended for coas
defense. She viii draw only twenty feet Q
water, and have the additional advantage 0
moderate cost. In all this, the readc
cannot fail to note the fact that this pla1
is substantially the one already adopted
in the United States with eminent sue
cess, us illustrated by the exploits Q
Ericsson's steam battery Monitor, ''-th
latter, however, containing one essential fea
ture not contemplated by English naval archi
tects, i. C., the rotary motion by which tn
guns may be pointed without reference to til
: motion Of the ship. It is also n remarkably
fact, that in these devices Of modern intcllec,
apparently Indicating great progress, we ar
! reyertlDg to ancient usages. The tendency i
to greater dependence on personal prowess, q
exhibited by mail-clsd warriors Of the olde
time A few brave men, protected by iro
plates, must fight our battles on the sea an
instead Of the Martello to @crs and walled tu1
rets Of the Old World, We shall very ikel
adopt revolving towers of iron, or their equi,
aient in some other form.