New-York daily tribune., 1862-04-23
TuB REVOLUTION IN NAVAL WAR
FARE.

The question of primary interest in the Eu
ropean news which we publish this morning, II
that of iron-plated war vessels Since the in
telligence of the fight in Hampton Roads reached
England, the current of public sentiment has
set in with remarkable force in favor not only
of an accumulation of ponderous iron-plated
sbips after the fashion Of tho Warrior oud La
Gloire. but in favor likewise of coast-guard
batteries. after the model Of the Monitor. In
regard TO the former, the English Admiralty
have, it appears, been for some time making
preparations with reasonable speed, and the
First Lord of the Admiralty speaks with unus'
uol confidence as to what extra force might
be employed to clOtbe q sufficient number OF
vessels in mail, for any possible contingency.
Five france of lne-of-battle ships and seven
frigutcs are in a condition TO be easily adapted
as irou-clad vessels. Beside these, the Admi-
rally claim TO have eight large coryettes which
could be adapted at least to carry limited
number of guns protected by iron plates. More
over. there are twenty lne-oi-battle ships which
could be cut down aud made useful for coast
services; leaving still forty of the old class oil
men. war for prorniscuous service against yes-
sels If the same caiber.
This is the reply in substance which The
Admiralty makes TO tie demand "hichehas
renlIy become cialnorous for an instant reyou-
ton in the English Nayy-iards. The construc-
tion Of vessel on the plan of tho Monitor
claimed TO be the invention of Capt Cowper
Cole,-is also ordered as o concession to the
nnperious demands Of TIE pnbhc. The worhmen
in the different ship.yard, where wooden vessels.
of.War have been in progress. are either dismissed
or ass gned TO duty in other branches OF the
service. Meanwhile, az counterbatt to all
this sound of war preparations, under tpo new
81, stem of nav al architecture, We have report
from Sir William Armstrong as to the action oil
,mooth.bore guns. which, we take it, as much
demands study ON this side OF the Atlantic ss
did the Hampton fight in England aud the
Continent. Sir William writes to Tie I'"tS
that he has constructed smooth-bore, "hIch
has a velocity excelling BY one-quartcr that oi
the rife. The piece ia fourteen feet i0Dg' ana
weighs twelve tune, and it has been tried agatHt
The Warrior target with surprising results. The
first sbot was IJG pounds, and was fired at
d.tance Of 300 yard. The result was that the
iron mass opposed to it was shattered at the
first shot into crumbs of metal. - aud the
Z" teak splin,ered into fbers LITERALLY as small
L" q. pns." A second charge resulted in the
shots passing through the plates, teak nnd inner
Skin. and burying Itself in the timber' support
ing the target
The rehectionE-if we are compelled to draw
anv-ffom these facts would seem to be, that
for wealthy aud civilized nations to attempt TO
run A race in tue manufacture OF mutually de-
strtirtiye instruments OF warfare - a. neaFl!
allied % madness as anything within the range
of human weakness. 1t is needless 10 ark
whether Capt. Cowper Coles devised the plan
of the Monitor, which Capt. Ericsson most
opportunely built. 1t is equally needless
10 sit down TO prove with mathematical
precision that tho fourteen feet smooth
bore which Sir William Armstrong has
tested, could not penetrate tao cupola OF
the Monitor with one or two shots, az in the
case of the Warrior target. 1t is more i'm
portant, if Ne would see the futility of wealthy
ard powerful peoples attempting to outdo each
other in the creation Of war agencies, to say
that neither Mr.. Ericsson nor the Government
Of this country can have monopoly of Noui.
tors; and that, If tho smooth-bore gun which
-mashes the iron plato to splinters in a
single shot, would fail against tho Mon-
tor-a longer bore, a heavier charge
and an additional weight of shct will
be tried again and again, until our famous
Cnpola will have to give place to other naval
de ices, or until other means Of national at
tack and national defense are found TO answer
the purposes OF justice, security, and right
There can be no doubt oi the fact that En-
gland and France, with no domestic troubles
to distract their attention, can arm their navy
after the revolutionary mode rs fast as they
may deem expedient. Fortunately, the English
Government is less disposed to run riot in the
same needless fashion that half the press Of the
country seems eager to adopt a single Monitor
is all that is promised by the Admiralty as a
beginning. And whether il be that thi, tenn.
pelance aud economy is due to the great de-
prcssion of trade, and q declining revenue, or
TO the more honorable aud meritOrous concu.
sion that perpetual arming alike in peace and
war, is not the normal condition OF the most
highly civilized peoples, we do not care to in.
quire. 1t ia only important as showing that
the mania may he arrested before it has set
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