New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-12-03

gun WHICH ne Dhn Just " NuI'W -
round shot of l56 ponnds which. with 50 pounds OF
powder, most expectedly changed tho whole as
lect Of the question by It's treatment OF the target,
which was said TO have been completely pieiced.
The revns'on in comIron opinion went 10 TER ~
TO dscredis tire Warror" enti;ely, aud the falli-
biliiy of that vessel pronounced certain.
! Bat during q di'clrs.on IN parliamen', memher
maintained that he facts had not been accurately
stated eyel b. oical anlEoii,y, and the deductions
were consequently uloro ultavorable TO the target
than wac 20 rect. Ill affirmed that tie target
had no. been fatally Injured, but would In iScs have
! KEEP opt the shot from entering vessel.
/ W ether for this reason not ire rial we re-
peated and very fully disposed Of al DOUBTS in favor
of tire tdrget; bIt It sctt.td the gun also, which
| burst a. the fourth round.
/ Thus demonstrating that if the target were psne-
trale by the ire OF such piece OF ordnance, 1t was
ony by an effort that destroyed the qua al5o--a riSk
not 10 be thought OF or shpboard.
aud hence II was inferred that tic Warrior "
was i'm pr5enabie 20 he Effort Of any ordnance that
could 10 then used safely against her.
The triumph OF the defense was, however OF short
dnralion Cor the rupture Of the Armstrong gun left
/ the WAY open 20 other competitors, and lDng-neg-
lected piece that had lain remote from view for sew
ergi years was suggested deserving OF an Oppor-
tunlty 20 Try It's powers.
! THIS was the ilorcenll l3.inch, Of wrought iron
! IT. frs. blow with rhot Of go pounds. was do
risivc. The plate was pierced and badly injured.
"
As If to complete the entire failure of the defense,
and TO puzzle It's advocates, Mr.. Whiiworth under.
took 10 drive sher through a stout iron-pl lated
target, which he accomplished.
SO that the system oi srloor that had bean relied
on was proven 10 be Vulnerable by shells, ss
well as BY shot, which was an unhoped for gdvGn-
| tage on the side o! the attack.
Here IL will probably rest for the while until the
deense sha DO able TO device sone plan OF greater
effcscy.
l.. 10 ,,rf, sha
ciusion That armor IS needless because the most
powerful ordnance should, under skillu guidance be
able TO piercs 10.
For even agains, such cannon ship NAV delay
tho conclusive difficulty long enough 10 make its
own guns OF avail; AID, when opposed 10 any but
these heayiest pieces, will still DO in effect inpfsg
nabc.
! The case of the Monitor and Meuimac affords an
iliUsira.ion.
! No one supposes tia, either OF these vesses could
have escaped seriogs injury II sul ected 10 course
/ OF target irlng from the most recent and powerful
descriptions OF ordnance; We; they sustained for
four hours the utmost effort Of each others batteries
The Monitor was hardly more than scarIed b. The
fire Of Tic very guns WHICH, Oh The Preceding day.
had IN fourth OF the time, acted mos deetfuciiyely
on y hulls and crows Of Two fine wooden fiig.'es
4 very high official authority has t. be siro
imputed the default OF injury TO he hub in ibis
con bat 70 lack Of power ~ the artillery which the
two vessels csrried-wlich is no doubt truv-but it
u equally true that no guns Of ike weight and kind
now used ia the British Navy would lave effected
as much under like drclu stances.
Thesc cannon are uo. " Idle againft iron plates,
as may De shown by their operations upon ssmpios
Cf Warrior targets OIL which they have been tried
here. Nor arc they rIfled shell ordnance. Nor IL
there initial velocity low 200 .ee slated by
the Duke.
The Il.inch guns Of the Monitor Were designed
chiefly for sieil.. which were computed W leave
with velocity Of at least 80 % 80 feet. In
the acton. sJi were used with imria velocity Of
abOsl !, i2O ioet.
Bat sinco thu, tho sane clas, Of gun hiss boen
M, ertaGcd TO 5e capable OF throwing solid shot Of
l6J pounds with charge q 20 pounds, giving AN
initial velocity Of J 400 let.
The y-ineh guns Of tue Icrrimae were intended
principally ior shell Of - pounds, and charge Of
10 ponnif, and therefore gave initial velocity II
about l. lJJ.est BuI they can 20 .afely used With
u solid shOa aud ~ pounds Of powder, 1Dich pro-
duccs al INITIAL velocity OF 30 feet.
One Of thee guns wss ired 40 times With ia
shell, hnd then 81 ZINES vita shot lad he hi.A
charge, showing ~ sympIon Of ,iViag s.y alter
such tovCre usage.
The Duke Of Somerset more nearly approached
tie preseut state OF The question, when doDLtoi
the c.uaCity Of plates finally rssis The .tlon Vi
ordnance; bat was in fs1s Ia over e. mating us
sorvios 20 De X c,tsd os tho Arras,I0fg I'm.
" ia ~ % .lo rcsIlss spoken 81 - o. isd
in Eng ind wti.h -sasn -aicriortJ. 10 to
toid Ia.fes, Il may or NAV hot BE- "a
u.e one-incd ll.,es IN making up hr tci i
ticAucss-.or 1T .hat line thee vas ytlv lifl..
Cd ice u the msitf; bu. !, IL oeTs.n tAas n Iric
&c iAeco hero proves hat -svs-l 'gfes o.. tr into
one are prsiarADls o. icany aceoeuts 20 one sid
tate, and wOala % 4, alto sther II a. nos tor
8 Increased nun5es OF lots THAT Lsc c4aiiiC
and are tic weakness Vi al. sue plains.
Illeed, even wlh Ih.B dis1osaI.sgc, 10 remsir.
10 he seen wheiher ~ NY pr,ce.s very lh.ck
solid pl4s can De uaGe equal IA "a tcz.lio TO tho
.Linn-r plates.
For IL. every iDs,ance where ! have ,e,n = so!il
plato pierced Dy u sh1t, tie lmleteltitn Al tAe
YIELDS las been made manifest by thslr a. afatI)l
although externally none sucu cOul. 6r y~srei7ed
III tbs connection u may also - -. rived, that
for want Of Information ~ u not possible for 10
form a tFlstwofly opinion FROM The Incidents Of the
cgIoa,, Of The relative power, offensive and delea
sye, OF lie two yessl Is
We know .he armament Of tie Monitor, and aso
thai slo wde no IN any way crippled by tic liza Of
the MerrlLsc, The most telling blow on the
rilo,-Ouso, but ths d.d not affect Tie Immediate ei
cheney oil The vessel
o. The olher and we DO not know to wha, extent
The ioriLac blurred by tue fire Of tbo Monitor;
nor, with any oertsiniy, what guns she csrrisi.
Among bose recovered with the Norfolk Navy
Yard, w.rsa yiu. winch, by the mu,iation OF SIGHT
ui scr trnnions, &c, LIst tavs been one Of tAOse
which a'teinl tcd 70 drstrUy on eva,ua.ing
the yard N April, 1851 rs muzI!o beng broken Oh
induces the bee that 4 vr- AlsO OF the guns OF
the Merrimao, which in the Official report Of her
proceeding. on the 5.h Of March, - stated 10 have
had the clase sh0. of.
The eud Of al eion gated thell was also found in
the plates Of tho Monitor slowing THAI such project.
lies were fired by the Merimac.
These facts seem 90 cOLlrin a current rumor that
this yessel hGd 9-Inch guns on the sdes and riaed
guns At each end--proOably :}2-pounders-ss We Gnd
pieces Of tlis description used very commonly by yLo
Conieder4tes. olte Of the iIlkcly pate n a
few OF winch are aleo known 10 have been dFnisaed
10 them.
II dis be true, then tho metal was entirely too
light 70 infect the Monitor, and VIII account ia u
measure, Tor Tie little damage she sustained.
Al 10 Inuah lnlerehl NAn AZ Tho lIni AilIaot. i n