Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-01-24
From the N. Y. Evening Post
HarbOr and Coast Defences 1.-The ROdman
Gun 10 be Used.

Gun TO be USeds
The fortifcation bill, which hPa.Ress -neAir
" 1aI1IIUns 10 the completion of tb
most important of our Northern coast forti
hcations- But somethsng is needed beside
stone and mortar, We need-heavier guns il
all our seacoast works, and Congress should
make sufficient appropriations to secure, al
quickly as possible, a number of the Rod
man l6-iDch guns, enough to place one ol
two in every fort and more at the more i'm.
Dortsnt forti6cations The thirty-two, forty.
two and sixty-eight FOUNDERS, with which
/ our forts are now armed, are of little avail
against iron-clad ships, such as France, Eng
land, and other powers are providing. Their
| shot would rebound from the iron sides like
peas from the side of an elepha But our
! ordnance officers believe that no ship VET
built can Withstand the crushing effect Of
four hundred FOUNDER fired from a Rodman
| gun. In this respect, too, we are already in
advance of the world. Major Rodman's in
vention-the peculisr manner in which be
cools the huge castings which are needed for
a four hundred pounder-hss not come into
use abroad yet and the guns he makes are
best fitted for seacoast defence, and will prob
ably never be used for an attack on ship
board, being too heavy.
The ffteen-inch Rodman gun is a success,
and we have heard that ordnance officers
count it quite possible to cast twenty-inch
cannon on the same principle Now the
difference in effect between a fifteen or
twenty inch round shot, from one Of these
guns, and Whitworth rife bolt is this
The Whitworth bolt has perhaps greater
penetratiye power, but it makes q clean
hole, which is easily plugged; while four
hundred-pound round shot has q crushing
force much greater than the bolt, and
though it might not go through the War
rior's armOr, would inevitably smash in her
side, a damage which must be fatal.
In addition, it would be well for a naval
commission to look into the question of
steam-rams. For ssc0ast defence a vessel
Of great force, strength and swiftness, pro-
Vided with a beak, fitted to run into and
sink common ships, must of necessity be a
very formidable enemy to encounter. A
naval officer, quoted in communication to
the Washington Intelligencer, says. "No
ships of war can stand before them. They
must recede or 60 down. OF course, to sink
great ships viii require great steam rams
But, arranged for their work, on the coasts
and in harbors, the result is sure. As to
the construction and employment of steam
rams, consider the question TO be so far
settled that success will wait upon those
who get them ready first, and in the greatest
numbers and force"
A correspondent calls our attention to the
fact that England and France are already
building such rams. The London Shipping |
Gazette of September 1lth states that flour |
new iron clad frst-class steam frigates are |
to be built with ali possible dispatch. They |
are to be steam rams as we'll as steam frig- |
ates. The projecting stem under water is 10 |
be twenty feet in advance Of the stem above
the water line. As compared with the War
rior, they will be eighty feet longer, but on.
" eighteen inches broader. Their tonnage
viii be 6S15 tons" And our correspond
ant, who is an intelligent and responsible
man, assures Us that the rebels are also pre-
pairing several vessels Of this class. De
IayE San officer of the Navy informs me
hat he has precise information of two
arge rams, now nearly ready for service, at
dobile."
Works for defence are always expedient
or Us, who are less likely TO undertake an
,fensive war than any other civilized na-
ion, but who are always likely to be set up.
N by the powers of the Old World and
hat especially II we expose ourselves by
our frontiers.