The Goodhue volunteer., 1862-11-12
lrOa Clad Navies.

IrOa Clad Navies.
Donald Mckay, the American shipbuilder,
furnishes the Boston Commercial Bulletin
an interesting account Of the iron clad ves-
sells Of England and France. France has
ten iron cased floating batteries, four large
iron trigates, and two rams, and has on the
stocks ten iron frjgates and four batteries,
which can he completed in one year, if ne,
cessary. The English have six iron friga;es,
but are building seven iron ships, and are
casing five or six ships with iron. Mr.. Nc.
Kay thinks these French and English ships
altogether superior to our Monitors, which
he says cannot live in heavy seaway, and
heavy frigate would run them down.
Mr.. Mckay says -
II we compare with these immense fleets
the ironcased navy Of the United States i'm
partially, we have to acknowledge that in
case Of war with either of the above pow
srs, we would have to keep entirely on the
defensive, to submit to disgracefal block
ade, and to leave our merchant ships all over
the globe to the mercy Of our enemy. All
the Monitors, which we are building by the
dozen, are very well to defend our hartors,
but they are entirely unfit to break block
ade, or to act on the high seas, for to say
that these vessels are good seaboa,s, or suit
able for men to live in, is simply ridiculous,
in which statement l will be upheld by all
experienced sailors and shipbuildcrs Of any
note. With their very light draught OF wa
ter these Monitors never can obtain high
degree Of speed, and if ever they should fall
in with any Of the large frigates in deep wa
ter they will be terribly handled, and in all
probability run down. Do not think that
this could be done because the Merrimac fail
ed in her attempt to run down the Monitor
She strup with = speed Of fthree or four knots
or even not as much as that, but mass o
six to nine Thousand tons in weight driven
At speed Of twelve to fourteen nots, would
give different result. zssa1 ,~'s4 s..
"Of all the ironcased ships which we
have. the only one might successfully cope
with large English frigates is the -Ironsides,
built in Philadelphia. She is we'll Planned,
and her practical construction very well ex
ecuted. but her speed is too low to use the
good points Of the vessel to advantage, and
the way Of fastening her plates will not
stand the test Of heavy cannenade. for in
England with armor plates, similarly fasten,
ed by screw bolts screwed in from the in
side.. the bolts broke of short on the inside
Of the plate whenevera = heavy shot struck
the plate near such bolts. Il is satisfactory
to know that Mr. Webb has got ) cootrac,
for building IN iron-cased ship according te
his own plans. he certainly will produce
something able to compete with any Euro
Ipean frigais." ''''
In conelusion, Mr. Mckay suggests th.
construction sor or navy Of twenty 70 thut,
fast iron-cassd snellptoof corve.tss, OF aboul
tsn to twelvs Asavy guns each. and Of ! mod.
|erats dransht of water. with high speed
and atout twenty q thirty fiity gun frigzsez
no< cased. sor tsrsisn seryice. and as mani
|asoops. u leassssa md tuenty- -lou es.s
| q IL highsss assd shGainsd, . thaE llbsy
nay b enahssd . strike ussxpscsed blow,
Iasd q essds thsin iron-czsed adrersarri;e.:ss r;.:s
vhieA sevsr Win obsain shs same h.sh specs