The New York herald., 1862-01-04

rcady for service estimated by Mr.. Stevens at -four
months from the date OF recommending the work.
EafEnRScy OF ciN'rrIKNo ER-
The expedency or mourning the above expense In pro-
dncing sleh sesei as described only 1eterhhed py
exami ing IN detail the many novel characteristics she
| would !ossess.
She differs from the ordinary war vessel. with which
we are acquainted. First in having long slender en- is
| Second, in employing two indeFendent piopelers with
several engines attached to each Third, in dee dag
entirely upon bo~or for the ventilation Of ito
lower par, OF the vessel when In action. Fourth. in
employing neav armament than has ever yet been
put aloat training loading these heavy guns by
ST. machinery below the deck, manipulated b.! per-
sons who do not the guns Five, having the guns ex
posed the direct hrs Of the enemy The top Of in
stead VI within, iron clad vessel. Six, in settling TIE
vessel when going into action and in several other re-
which will develop themselves in the course Of tai
report
l. The great length Of this vessel compared with the
transverse strength strikes nautical man At once and
careful Investigation clearly indicates that Would Do
the heghh OF professional mprudence 70 send such ves
Sci 10 The action u the waves would cat SO her TO
wrthe and twist extent tha; would soon open the
seams Of her light iron sides Her use, comr!eted
would therefore be confined to the defence Of the bcr
her nconvenient length and her dragh o. water which
could be much less than nineteen feet oven
for this service when fully equipred would initiate
| against her usefulness TO a certain eAtont.
2. The employment of two independent propelers in.
stead Of would appear to great advantages in
eecting great rapidy of maneuvres when in the pre-
sence OF the enemy and would be all the more useful to
her for being compelled conns her operations to the
defence of the habor the channels Of which would be
rendered comparatively restricted by her great length
The application OF more than two engines to pro-
peler shaft arranged in the Of this vessel to
occupy considerable portion Of it's length has its advan
tages and disadvantages II doubt distributes
greater the reactve strains which the engines bring
the vessel when they are in OPERATION but 1t also
ADDS TO the first cost Of tic machinery the space occu
| pied and the labor Of attendance.
g. vsn,atng the lower part Of the vessel by artn
cia during action 1t must not be forgotten that
fresh air is constant necessity human lire and to
maintain it in this vessel there must be always steam up
(lpo The mn irnNO Of
that Of using very heavy guns. The five ffeen-inch
smooth bore and the two rife throw atty per
cent greater weight Of metal broadside, than our
forty gun fgates armed with heavy
Lab gren guns.
guns a be large enough for their protection against
the Of the enemy, would be we'll to examine the
question OF how large must De ne mass OF cas-. rom 10
inch Rodman gun, now ~ Fortress Monroe. Is four
feet diameter at the brcech, and two feet one
inch at the muzze, 10 fifteen feet ten inches long and
weighs 40 100 pounds. Experiments tried at Wool
wich. in England, in September. 1857 by firing from
sixty eight FOUNDER ninety-hve hundred weight gun,
with charge sixteen pounds OF powder four wrought
iron shot, at distance Of six hundred yards, and cast
iron shot at distance of hundred yards target
composed Of three iron blocks each eight feet long,
two feet high and two and half feet thck-ayeIage
weight Of each block eight tons They placed one
above another groove being cast the upper surface
OF the upper block three inches deep by ourte inches
widc receive corresponding projection On the under
Of the block aboyeit This target supported in
by rectangular consisting OF six heavy blocks
granite each block 4Lx3x2 feet leaving four and af
feet OF the centre or the target unsupported Ills wall
Of cast iron struck times entirely destroyed
| (Tiie "Naval Gunnery" by General Sir Howard Doug
las fifth edition, PIP. 40a and 4O5)
There doub. in minds that the metal OF the
Rodan gun much stronger than that Of the cast iron
blocks forming the target above descrbed-or reason
OF which see Notes Sea Coast Defence, by Major
BARNARD United States Army p 3G)-bu still the results
are SO remarkable that until further experiments
tried, bearing more Immediately upon the case, we
the assaults Of heavy ordnance when exposed, as
these are. to the direct aim of the enemy. BY heig
tba ena dacE of fha
with neither bulwerks railing to screen them from
view with the necessity OF being trained to posi-
ton nearly line with the keel every time they
loaded Mr. Stevens has stated to the Board t;at
pertinent shah establish that the guns are not thus in
themselves their protection ON the elect II shot,
he prepa clohe them with angular wrought
armor, which he considers will be effective.
g. The project Of settling the vessel down two feet be
yond deep load draft when pteparng her for action
by admitting water from the sea to different compart
Of TIE vessel and after the battle is over eeyat
lug her again to the normal draft by pumping the water
out is remarkable departure from all previous naval
practice the Board has given the subject considerable
in its various bearings upon praccalOperaons.
Firstly with regard the conpar within tho
sells which this water The statement Of
Mr. stevens upon his point is that 2l3 tors TO be adj
mitted into tanks b low two feet ie. Ncw til tanks
neither less than the spaces between The
floor timbeis of the ship or, in other words the hgc.
part the vessel that every prudent ccue keeps
lce from water possible; bat aside from this swcl
that the bilge water, Of steamers especially cnn
santy abo to choke the pumps on account Of tie debris
contained much that in all good steamships
different pumps arranged TO pump from the bge,
aured at that or them may certainly be In
good pumping order
The statement Of Mr. Stevens further Is that three hun
dred and fifty TO be put into the ntersces Of
the coal This regard as highly impfacticate. 10
say nothing Of the mpossblity Of getting coal frcm the
Lunkers while they full Of water the difficulty cf
again pumping the water out. filed IL would be vita
small particles and dust of the coal entirely prccudos in
our onion the use Of that part Of the ship such
purpose Mr. proposes TO knd Of puinp for
tins purpose which, 1t would appear has worked very
well for similar purposes in civil engineering Its appli
NJ ,S md laf
therefore the objection of all untricd projects.
Ssccady-The quarters for the men and officers are
upon the bombproof deck which Is about level with
the surface of the water at the ordinary deep lead
draft and would therefore be about two feet below it
when the vessel in action The sides above this deck
are MADE OF thin iron, easily foiated by the lgtest
tiery, that heavy shot forward or abat the cad
ing hose making large psloraon near the Masei Inc,
emo weight 10 the vessel for which no provision
has been made But one consequence could follow such
| a disaster e-the ship would sink
From thee considerations it is very clear to us
whatever theoretical excellence there may be in partial
y sinking the vessel for her better protection in time OF
action with enemy the plans here proposed for put
ting the project into execution entirely nraccablo
anu would be resorted TO by any prudent con.
| mander.
The sides OF above the fourteen feet ino have
no extra support beyond those usually applied 70 mer
chant steamer; and yet ia the prop scd plan they
sustain the weight Of tho side armor and tho upright
| smsnt 10 $50 tons adced to this is cns
| half the upper inclined armor. which protects
sides o the lcaGng mousse
reter 500 be cnred by the upper edges VI eso
light oyer gng sides without any provisions be-
ing made 10 carry any extra weight whatever. This
strikes Is remarkable deicct, which !; would be dill
cult remedy In any manner even II the buoyancy
suf,cisnt carry the added weigh Of such remedies
| EFFICIENCY sRMoK.
Aside from the above defect there can be little doubt
but that tho loading house Is efficiently protected against
the hcay iest ordnscce aoat any part the world
Above water the armor 10 fty per cent thlcte than
that which applied TO the Frerch and English iron clad
vessels and instead OF being placed at right angles to tie
line Of direct IRE Is acute anglo with tan immense
advantage In attaining impregrability.
The side who II joins this upper leading house
portion well calculated to protect the ycssc che be
kept at all times down to the loaded dfaft hut forward
cf this during length Of 9e fect and aba, for length
of 1856 feet VIC regard very deficient In havrg the
iron plating placed In al Inclined position, while the
ouken backing only supports II horizontally. Although
the shot comes hoi zontal direction the pressure up
on the plating right angler to iis surface and
fore partially upward the result woad he that the iron