The New York herald., 1862-04-23
THE AGE OF IRON.

LIE A0G UE xdUN.
N->>>>>o~o>-oyo(>o>~o~--~
Progress or the Great Naval RovOlu-
tion-The World Wide Duel Between
Cannon and IrOn-EngIand's Experi-
ments with Great Guns Against Iron
Plates-The Scientific Movement I'm
France, Italy and Denmark-Austria u
Surprised and FOrtresses UseIess-Honor
to Ericsson from France.
LONDON, April TO- 1854.
The Admiralty have contracted with bIessrs San,uda
for the construction OF of the cupola iron
war under the invention of Captain Coles OF which the
Monitor is an imperfect imitation. The price is to be
f54 l50 per ton including everything, and the vessel is
bc ready launching the 9th Of February next
and 10 be delivered 1 for the 1st Of June follow
ing.
The London Times contains account of experiments
at tShoeburyness Tuesday with gun of large size and
great caiore which showed evory discharge that
best and hitherto considered lnvulnerable forms
sides were speak almost easily penetrated by
shot If the targets had been OF timber After all
labor and ell our expense, after having made beyond
comparison the nest aud strongest rigates the
world. find that op poste large mnzzlo loading
gun the best Of our ironsides be easily yided
sunk wooden sailing vessels. This discovery, only
made Tuesday afternoon last due to the keen and
wholesome rivalry between the War ONCE and tho Adm
raity the former striving 10 devise irresistible artillery
and the latter to build invulnerabe ships
There has been an immense variety Of experiments on
every conceivable form of target and upon posi-
BILE combnaon OF iron and wood iron and India rubber
iron and wrc iron and hemp, and epery section OF
american Aonor has been erected and fired a, al Shos
and that no chance may be neglected target is being
made OF railway bars doveailed and riveted together
in tho same ingenious manner the coating OF the Mer
rimac uni this also will be tried in few days and he
yOnd doubt with much the same results that attended
the Monitor target.
During recent experiment a target, exactly OF the
materials and Sf7lOM the Warriors byNJd16s
subjected during the whole OF ono day and part OF
second to a most tremendous fire: but tho concen
trated vollsys flew of ia hail OF iron splnters Tho
target grew almost red hot in parts; but missile
passed beyond its iron The Warrior, therefore,
and iron plated ships we're justly deemed invulnerabe.
Sir W. Armstrong has a letter in todays Times
planning the principle which has rendered the last
pertinent successful penetrating and smashing iron
plates. The smooth bore gun has velocity exceng
that Of the rifle gun by more than quarer smooth
bore gun has been mado by sir W. Armstrong,
length fourteen foet weight twelve tons aud il tried
against the Warrior target tuesday presence OF this
Duke Of Cambrdgc the Duke Of Somerset and other high
officials Of tho Admiralty and War Once The Hrst shot
WAS i5G pounds, and tired 4 distance OF 200 yards
with acharge OF forty pounds Of powder.
This solved all doubts the shattered
lto crumbs Of metal and the teak s2atcrei into bres
literally as small as pins.
An increased charge next tried, and the sho.
sed not only through the plates teak and through the
inner skin but buried itself in the massive timber that
supported ihs target. These two shots qns
elusive ~ to the power OF the gun Sir W. Armstrong
says that OF twelve tons weight fired with ch Irge
of ATTY pounds 6 powder viii break through this side OF
the Warrior or the strongest ships anost.
The London Tins ronarks thst no OF offence
defence seems left 20 us now go effective as large armor
clad and very swift steam ram.
STRENGTH OF TIE IRON NAVY OF ENGLAND.
lfroal the London Times, April 81
In addition 10 the iron rrigatc Achilles. so, O7g tons
$50 horse power building at Chatham dockyard. the
following squadron OF iron vessels are under
sTucton by private rnS for the Admiralty several of
which in a very advanced state, viz
The Aginconrt So 6,62l tons $50 hors. power build
ing n: Blrkenhead.
The Northumberland, So 6s2i tons, i,e5o horse
power.
The valisut, 80 o6s TONS 500 hoTse power, building
at Milwa.
The Minotaur, so q. .6.I tons / $50 horse power.
The Uronies, 3, 2,s2 tons, 500 horse power building
ct Bt kwall.
The Hector, 81, 1858 tons horse power building
al Glasgow
The following iron plated rgatos are now building At
the several Royal dOckyarcs, the whole of which
tended 10 be aioat during tho present year. VIZ
The Caslonia, so, 0lj tons, 500 horse power, at
Woolwich.
The ocean So Oi5 tons, 900 horse power al Devon
port.
The Prince Consort, 80, 4,oi5 tons 900 norge powe
rne Royal Oak 5o s,7ls tons, 900 horse power at
Chatham.
The Royal Alfred, so, Tl6 tons 800 horse poyrr at
Portsmouth.
In addition the above thcre are no fewer than thirty
neor bste ships and other screw steamers row on
the stocks at tho several docsyards, most OF which
admirably adapted for conversion into shield ships,
Captain Coles principle. of these ths Buwars 81, at
Chntham the Rcpusc 81, at WoOlw ch; the Robust 81
at Devonplrt snd the Jealous gl at Pembroke al
in very advanc ID state, requiring only paraivey
small outlay plate them with iron. There are also
three urst class MY gun frsaes also budnevz:
tle RelvideTa at Chatham, the Tweed at Pembroke
and the Dryad at Portsmouh-whch ar. admirably
adapted for conversion into plated ships They
would not require The removal of any decks as would
be the case with lueof.batle ships but would only
have to be heightened and strengthened 10 enable
| them bear the increased We phi which wonId =
paced them. Uf the other vessels progress
are htenaed 70 carry twenty Two GUNS and apmaFds u
corced as iron cascd steamers they would he aud
&C greater tonnage than either the Monitor Mefrnac.
The whole Of the hands have been removed from the
wooden ships building at the several decsyards aud
mpoye on the roncase frgates under con strar-
ton i've OF which viii be afoa by The end OF the present
year.
The Resistance Is, sos tons 900 horse power ron
steamer. fitting at Chatham for particular service 5
ordered to be supplied Win 700 sixty FOUNDER so
shot, instead Of 80, previously directed In addition
70 hsr deck broadsde Armstrong and uch guns she
Is 70 be furnished with two twenty poduder Armstrour
guns each Of l3cwt. and i've feet inches in enrth
and one niDe.pounder 6cwt. Armstrong for boat
vice. Her Geld II consist OF one twelve.ponnGer
Armstrong. with fold carriage and timber, and one six
pcudcr brass smooth bore 6cv gGn for short practice
with eievsng carriage. She will also board one
Geld carriage and Timber 10 mount twenty-po ,nder
| Armstrong boat gun.
| Tho Defence, eighteen, iron frigate Captain r, A.
Powell, b. IL ID expected will 30 into Portsmouth har.
Dor tomorrow. She TO be placed in No 10 dock It's
vacation by ths Pack Prince, iron frigate ascerta in
the effects of the recent grounds southses beach
when returning into harbor from her trial trip at the
measured mile IN stokes Bay The officers or this ship
speak in the most enthusiastic terms OF ho per.
ormsnces under sail and stesn and further declare
her steer ng qualities have turned oqt good AZ gene
raj rule IN the service however, officers belonging to
ship hot the most impartial Judges Of her good bad
qualities, and We trus that the Dcences steering appa
ratus viii be made perfect possible before she Is
again sent TO sea- On her trial Of speed Stokes Bay the
ship did not steer at all we'll she wercd her helm
different times, and no reason discovered that we
aware of TO account safactor for this defect To
end her davs work she groundedtwie beach
broke the Up OF Of her propeller blades to aud
may, when she s IN dock be sscertained 10 have sus.
| tanned other damage.
ANOTHER cuPoLA MODEL TO NAPOLEON.
Paris (Apri y correspondence Of London Post
fhavs seen the model OF vessel war, with cupols
rising gradually from The centre of tho deck which was
sent 20 the Emperor about hsen months since wheth
or tho model IN question let at the Tusriss by
foreigner know not II received the attention Of the