Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-07-16
A VISIT TO THE WARRIOR.
A Graphic Description Of the ees.ei-Hs
Merits and Defects.

uer1ts anu DcIeCh
We take the following interesting description
OF the Warrior from the London Exchange for
July. II will be seen that the ship d<es not VET
mind her helm; that she is imPregnable only
nla'hips, and that for close action her guns
nsVe not enough TO m in the narrow ports for
range well forward or aft. Her engihes are said
70 have enormous p"wsr, and her outfit Is in all
respects magnificent;
Outside VIEW.
on cur nrst approach, in q small boat, we
looked up with wond-r to the vast hull, which
lowered above the water, and whose rigid sides
tn graceful S lines Of her wales, az seen in per-
snective diminishing in width nom distance,
tne beautifui clipper bow, unPreeeesnted In a
silent and grim, representing Greek warrior
Hike another Ajax defYing ali cnners; the ele-
gaa' ellipt'cai stern: to be altogether discarded
In u. models now laid down.; the formidable
muzzl-s of her enormous guns, peeting out OF the
very narrow ports, with tie stout half porn over
shadowing them; the enormous chain cable by
which she was moOredi the gigantic she-t ,nS
hedge anchors. slsng ou1ide the fore-chsnreI,
the u assfve double tunnels belchinQ forth enor
hous volumes Of smoke the boats hanging from
the davits, the diminished figure OF the marine
sEtlllerymen and sailors looking over the sides
wi the sarouds, square yards, and Trim ris-gino
appearing 80 back ground above them, al an
heig ht, Whlcn fangued the eve 10 look up to-au
tOEeth = formed such picture as never IS e5,ced
From the memory when seen for q rat or only time
ON DICK.
On reaching the top OF tee temporary ladder
like the Warrior leads on to the upper deck
eoreasi the ma nnsst, we came at once on the
Quarter-deck- and great vas our astonishment al
tie scene which 10 presented Toe long streen
from he.d to stern, . range Of nearly three hnnp
ored and ninety feet; the novelty Of some OF n.
ments and gear, now eret adopted in our ser
vice; the flne tower, obtruding on the uusrtsr
deck; t1e peculiar and uncouth appearance ~ H.
'Afmssrongs,' 10 med an saSsnabis quite Str king
even to ore who, like the writer, had been
Ismi lar with the royal navy
isO he
really - al enorin 'us frigats, c,rrying her pups
on sinSls whole deck, quarter deck and f,re
castle. We Had her rated at and mounting a total
OF forty guns Her upper weather deck
Deing, like all friga.es in the british service
ausn nom head 70 strrn-is armed with sir ppns
w" lOo- FOUNDER Armstrongs OF eiGntv-one cwt
as cnaserS, fore 1ad aft, ana four 7O-poundsrz Of
sixty cwt for both broads!des. The two loo
pounoor pivot guns, shifting on ing ceut-rs
Gcnsfge each az ooiong shot of rather less
oIamettt nr Iron than seven inches and eleven
inches Ia length; these substitute ON ho,I5 ,ha
warrior the g. poundtr smooth bore formeIIv
used for that purpose.
STEERING APPARArus
Before the pivot gun on the quarter dech ,,a
eoin the miZIen- mast, We notice the yrbe.f
Wn!en, ioi the enormous power required, neces-
STATED a double barrel and the joint eIertion,.
even IN moderate weather, Of no less than
twenty-four men. cts TO be regretted that tbe
many tuHts To bring a ship OF such oioan,,c
PIcpo'Hons under perfect steering control, owing
20 the vortex Of waters caused hy the immsns.
steam power, have IA Yet proved entirety ,hoT
tive; for 1t is now officially stated that ths Wo,
tlot on ner last voyage, took but little notice II
iaoor, as formerly. Lord Clarence Papet reIuc-
tahuy sald, on tue question Of the navy estimatss
tnat sne would NOT steer properly, and ingen'
uously added, Sit is quite true that snch w. ~.
case In nef construction a detail of immen.e
importance to the ship was neglected. Tbe voSe
vas ntteo In such manner that she had not suf.
ncIoht pay Tor Der helm. In ships he went ON
to say, I've usually give thirty sI deorees s,ch
Wv Ios TOE eelm TO move in-that is, a ouadrant
csss onIy twenty. ,ix degrees each yey were al.
lowed. IL was only natural, therefore, that the
hsJior could not answer her helm
rHxFAcrs ABOUT rHE STEERING APPARATUS
IN w, tue fact IL, that everything had been
ioreseen; but the new tangled yoke and iron
tiller which were tried on her hrst and last
voyage At an enormous expense, and were thouG ht
20 bear on the rudder head, nave been found like
q sore more wonderful Inventions to fail In
practice at the hour Of neei. The fatal efscts of
tnadequate steering apparatus, and Of perfce,
troll Of the helm. were painfully e1em pliied in
the disastrous loss of the Prince, in that Of the
Royal Char.er, and more recently In the disaster
which bsfsll the Gr-at Eastern at sea, and which
would have most assuredly entailed her loss had
she been on lee shore A worse defect for a
shlp-of-war could not posi- bly, EXIT. Sir Howard
Douglas, In his admirable work, and looking at
the subject In purely tactical point OF view,
says most truly that the steering Of screw man
Of war, under steam and In action Sd ould be In
stinct with volitton'-a deside.atum which, we
regret to say, seems farther OF than ever, and
when 10 Is added that even no a new plan 10 10
be tried, at cost OF some 81 40, we may con-
ceivr how largely this item Of steering has en-
tered In the fl2 9l6 which have been put to tbs
cost Of repairs and alterations on the Warriors
account
THE RIFLx TOWER.
g The quartsr-deck, r, on which we now stand,
includes on board frigas all that space that Lies
between the nainmast and the taffail. Greatly
encrosching on 1t, and destroying that symmetry
which we have been accustomed to see on board
our SHIPS OF war, 10 the ride towers huge, cre-
nelatsd, circular eIcrescence First adopted by
the French In the GlOire, 1t cannot be said 70
urailY suppose that IL intended for defense or to
sweep the decks Of an enemy who NAV have OBJ
tained a footing by boarding, IL may yet fail In
Its object before the innumerable posts which
might shelter msn on her decks. We know, by
experience, how difficult II In to board a large
ship when her crew are all At their quarters, and
how much more dificult II 10 70 escape from her
deek In the event Of q repulse. As screen for
the captain I'd master In action, and a a substi-
tute fOr the bridge, its value cannot be denied.
the main deacent for officers TO her lower deck
the capstan and her main mast, with Its maze Of
well-feevsd ropes, we enter the gangways, which
extend from the main TO tee foremost, forming
passage from the quarter deck TO the forcastle
Between the gangways are the oooms, or spare
mass ana sPars, lying near tbs grstings, and the
boats, nine In mum Der, tie largest OF which, the
launch, 10 capsule Of containing ten tons Of water
and forty or nfsy men, with arms and stores for
short expedition Ahead Of the boats, between
nels and waste steam-pipe, lowered when the
ship 10 under canvass alone and another ca pstan
rendered necessary by the immense length Of the
ship. Beyond the foremost we And ourselves on
the roomy fofecaste--a csntnuation Of the upper
deck, from the gangwaY to the head; here, the
sam ss estern, Ne nad the main portion en-
cIosched on eya no Pounder Pivotgun, Int ided
In the Warrior, as In all frigates, above the
bulwa;ks are slowed the hammocks, inclined In
an unin efrup,ed line from head to stern--the
whole intended 70 form in action very secure
protection agaiaEt the N usketry Of an enemy.
THg GVN-DsCK.
"Retracing our steps 60 ths companion or after
lsdder on the q quar r-deck, or descending by any
OF the various hatchwsys, so disposed that large
numbers Of the crew will be enabled 70 repair
instantly on the upper deck, on any sudden emer-
gency, TO beard or repel an enemy, we enter the
gun or main deck-in II gate, The principal bat
terry; but In the Warrior, sustaining the hesyiest
tier Of ordnance yet Introduced ahoat The long
vista between deck, Increased by the eompaYs-
tive lowness Of thsceiling; the scrupulous order
N.A - Rrr1N