The New York herald., 1862-03-16
Our New Iron-Claa Navy.


bill providing for the construction, OF q
steam ram of five or six thousand tons
burthen, at the cost Of q million OF dol
lars, and also appropriating $l3,0OO,O0O for
the construction of iron-clad gunboats;
S7S3,0OO for the completion Of Stevens bat
terry and s5OO00O for extending the facilities
of the Washington Navy Yard, so as to roll and
forge plates for the armored ships.
For this promptitude, and for this liberal and
wise provision to meet the exigencies of the
war, Senator Hale and the other members OF
tho Naval Committee deserve great credit.
The measure is on q scale commensurate with
the stake at issue and the necessities OF the
case. There is one grand practical result from
the present war which could not have been
attained for the republic under any other cir
cumstances, and that is an iron-clad, invincible
navy, the greatest in the world, and betting
commercial and maritime Power now second
to none, and ere long to be far ahead OF oil
nations. Heretofore the jealousy or indiffer
ence Of the Western States would never per-
NIT the development Of our naval strength,
because they were not themselves Immediately
concerned. But the rebellion, and the danger
of war with England which we narrow
ly escaped, have brought the matter home to
every loyal State as question OF the most
vital interest to all. The success Of our gun.
boats on the Tennessee, and the late naval bat.
ties in Hampton Roads, have awakened Con.
gress the administration and the whole country
to the practical Importance of the new inven-
ton of iron armor for ships, which inaugurated
a revolution in naval warfare which has been
fully consammated at the mouth OF the
James river Hitherto such vessels had been
little more than theory-an experiment in the
course of development The first practical
test is in American waters and by American
vessels constructed by the genius of American
mechanics. Their immense success will startle
all Europe, and compel the maritime Powers to
abandon their deienceless "wooden walls" and
seek for safety behind impregnable bulwarks of
iron. This will add vastly to their public bur
thens. for it involves not only the construction
of new navies, but an entirely different system
Of Notifications. Thus the world moves.
1t is a grand point to have the start in these
engines Of destruction, and America will have
gained that point over every Power Of Europe
In the event of war between two maritime
Powers. that nation which has the most and
best iron-clad vessels first at sea will be able
to maintain the superiority to the end; for not
only can she destroy or capture all the mere
wooden war vessels Of her enemy, but prevent
the construction Of iron-clad craft by entering
her ports and burning her navy yards, with the
ships on the stocks. No coast Notifications now
! built can keep such vessels out of an enemy's
! harbors They can be easily demolished or
rendered untenable, and seoboard cities will
| be at the mercy Of iron-clad frigates. How do
| the Powers Of Europe and the United States
relatively stand in regard 10 such vesseis' The
| following table will show what has been done
! and ia now in progress in Europs:-
England is building. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. .l5
France. ................ IA
SPAN ..'.'''' '''''''''''''''''''''
Total... ..................'.. 90
| or the English, according to the recent
| statement Of Lord Paget, six are to be Of the
same model as the Monitor, having turret and
| two guns. The Warrior and Black Prince, al
| ready completed, are each upwards Of 5000
| tons burthen. In addition to her other guns.
| the Warrior carries one which throws prOjec.
tile Of 450 pounds weight. This vessel is shown.
T by her trial trip to Lisbon. in smooth water, to
| be in some respects a failure. The iron-clad
ram, the Defence whose performances on her
trial trip an accounts given in another column
appears to be more seaworthy. but clumsy
structure, though il is stated she made eleven
knots an hour. Her burthen is $500 tons. The
French iron-plated frigate Glore is the first
ever built, and few others have been finished
| by order Of Napoleon. which are regarded as an
| improvement on her; but what is done in this
respect is kept as secret as possible, while the
| Emperor gets all the information he can Of
English experiments and OF our own--as for ex.
ample, through his Minister, NJ. Morcier, in re-.
| lation to the Stevens battery.
The United States have the following already
built contracted for and proposed
| The Galena, built at Mystic. ic..................
| The powerful vessel al Philadelphia. ........
| The Adirondack. .........................
| The Stevens battery. Observation-Disclosures.
| The Naugatuck. built by Stevens. ..........
| lron-clad gnnboats ordered by Congress. :. 20
| Iron clad frigates, recommended by Senate Ma
val Committee. .......................2 20
\ The iron ram, do. ]
| Gunboats ordered by Massachusetts,. ........ 2
|
Total al....................... ..49
New York State will probably add one Or two
more; thus making naval force Of fifty iron
| clad gunboats-grsatly exceeding the combined
| iron-plsed vessels Of ell Europe. and able 10
whip the navies Of the world. In the foregoing
list we have not included our ironplatcd gun
| boats on the inland waters Of the West. We
have only enumerated those on the Atlantic
seaboard. As yet we have only one--the
Moni,or-ready for action, She has already
given good account Of herself The Gaiens,
| built at Mystic Conn and NOW heinr iinishnd