The New York herald., 1862-01-12
STEVENS BATTERY.
No rus Ep1roa or THE HERALD.


with grea, interest the elaborate report 81
.s. ss,sn appointed hy the secretary Of the Navy
70 examine this celebrated battery, published In the
xnAp of the 4th inxnt hoped for an opportunityPf
.ae,ux tho battery and aSrseaby surprised to read
m the HERALD THAI Of experiments in relation to
n were TO take place Saturday. So for the purpose Of
seeing the battery the experiments that might
possible appreciate fully the weighy objections
brought against it in the report determined to be pre-
sent Accordingly, Saturday morning. repaired to the
sbattsry yard" At Hoboken, and found there quite
number Of political and scientific gentlemen examining
tho battery.
wen may the Board say that they found uron the
rrounds of Mr Steyers Hob6ken, f" long, scnder,
Iron vessel In unn shed state evidently intended for
high speed smooth water.n There was enough,
simply the hull Of iron vessel without decks, the en-
lire central portion filed with engnes and boilers for
although four hundred and twenty feet long, her ex
trcmities sharp that for many feet az either
end there is space which be made OF any
use whatever. lea Dimensions large, but her
capacity comparison exceeding small heard the
remark made by prominent gentleman present, "Is it
possible there is Sgoo 900 thatg This remark struck
me as being peculiarly significant, WHOM it is reinem
bered that the Persia ship nearly as long,
and Of BREADTH cost complete, with her pom
derous machinery &C., very little more than this The
Persia though by means considered very strong
is
.des she has not the weight Of and bat
tory 70 carry.
After having satisfied themselves with the battery,
The party proceeded the Eysan Fields to witness tho
experiments. Here two guns, mounted exceed
ngy rude and massive wooden frames embedded in the
parth On each of the runnions Of these guns in
slot Termed this Frame series Of India rubber
ear springs receive the reco In front Of the guns
platform represent the deck, about twelve feet
long and composed Of planks two and half inches thick
Underneath this platform was small steam
cylinder, with length Of stroke of piston equal
10 the length Of the bore Of the gun. To the piston
rod of this cylinder attached the compound
sponge rammer. This cylinder placed in suoh
position that whom the gun above depressed about
twenty degrees would be the straight
hne Suitable cocks, &C. attached to this cylinder
that the steam from small boiler at hand could
be admitted upon either side CT the piston
One Of these guns the old Paixan ten inch she
gun, Of 300 pounds weight, which condemned in
the navy years since the other q ri1ed 100.
FOUNDER PARROT gun. At about $50 feet from the guns,
securely fastened piles in the river section Of the
Inclined sides Of the loading house Of the battery its
strongest part. The object of these experiments was,
then, prove the impregnability OF the target the
eapabty of India rubber springs receive the reco
q the guns, that deck would be injured by firing
It, and the practicablity Of loading &C. by
DOW could possibly be eliminated. No at all con-
versant with such matters doubted impregnablity
section Of tho strongest part Of the battery,
and pronou need shot proof by the Board ITSELF
7he result was as anticipated, the target was in
1sntsd slightly ana the snos nS Ins aa So
npon the gun and carriage, by this method OF checking
The recoi, very much greater than whom the gun s
permitted to recoil in the usual manner.
Az settling the question the deck win not ben-
jured by firing heavy ordnance over it, these expert
ments cannot be considered as at all conclusive The
section Of deck fred only about twelve feet
long composed of plank two half inches thick; where
the battery the deck to be fred will boone
hundred and thirty feet long, with plank two inches
thick. The steam loading and swabbing arrangement
occupied much longer time than 1t does well trained
guns on man OF war to perform the same duty to
. much larger gun.
Thiscomplicated arrangement is rendered necessary
for the Of the who work tho guns by the
plan adopted by Mr.. Stevens OF having the
Cd and depending their immense size for their protsc
1t win be remembered before stated, that the gun
used this occasion the old condemned ten inch
Paxan shell gun, intended to be used with solid
shot Tho charge Of powder eleven pounds Now the
service charge Of the xty.eight FOUNDER solid
shot gun s sixteen pounds and the ten inch coumbi
ID Of sixteen thousand pounds weight (for which
the expcrimentcd with parled on 10 fred with
great difference between fifteen inch gun he kind the
battery TO have fred with nifty pounds Of powder and
. shell gun fred with eleven pounds.
Tho next experiment consisted Of alng the old propel
Ter Naugauck, built by Mr. Drnbam Of this city, many
years since partly full OF water the pumping out again
when at what il called the 'fghtng draught,' BY mas
sivs cedar buwaks, which completely surround the
se their buoyancy supporting her. while IN this
dton these bulwsrks should be partially destroyed by
shot, she would sink. This remarkable vessel also
made around by working her screws in opposite
directions This is the gunboat Stevens present
70 the government.
not have read the report thoroughly before making the
stsemenss which appear in that paper Of the above
Spon the principal features and states them to be speed
impregnablity and the power TO throw the heaviest
broadside aaoat' He appears to think that want q
strength and the inability 70 carry her features or
consequence.
But let US look report upon the three points
toned aone,-Frst as TO speed. The Board, after
ducing the number Of horses power sco0. claimed by
Mr.. Stevens, TO $3.50, and assuming, rs Mr., stevens
states that 600 horse power will give her speed II
twenty miles per hour, $3.50 horse power will give
speed Of about seventeen miles per hour Now this al
can only be obtained when the boilers are clean and free
from scae, and aft important aId expensive alterations
70 the engines haSe been made TO correct great an
gineerng bunder viz to ntepote between each engine
where the crank shafts are joined loose coupling or
universal joint. Her maximum speed would probably be
blity. II appears that the only portion Of the vessel
which is perfectly impenetrsble to shot IL that part
termed the loading house. and that only when the vessel
kept the loaded draueht Tbereport says thc side
armor, where joins the loading house portion IL well
calculated protect the vessel she be kept ali times
down TO The loaded draught but forward of this during
ength Of nineiysix feet and abaf fer length Of
hundred and thitysix feet, we regard as very def
cient in having the placed inc ncd position,
while the oaken backing only sup ors il horizontally
Although the shot comes IN horizontal direction, tie
upon the plating is at right angles its surface
and therefore partially upward The result would be that
the iron would give way for want OF proper support in
the direction where the support IL needed" This does
look much like perfect npregnsbity. Third, to
the throw ing of the heaviest broadsde This is simply
question: not OF the battery, but OF large guns II would
6gwe hoEe remark that gun thoroughly protected
sorth half dozen situated tdyJce exposed TO de-
lction from the enemy's shot,
Her great want OF strength Ia apparent 10 the most
fSual observer. The report this head says,-'1hs
great eng Of the vessel compared with the transverse
~ krau .nI. ID,
vestgaton clearly indicates that il would be the hcght
OF professional imprudence TO send such vessel
The action of the would cause her to wrhe and
twist that open the seams of her
light iron sides Her use II completed, would therefore
be confined to the esnce OF the harbor Her ncoavenen
length and draft Of water which could be reduced 10
much less than nineteen for this service when
fully equipped, would initiate against her usefulness to
certain extent" To appreciate fully these obec-
strengh IL IA only consult