Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-11-30

j. LEe CohhLEuCLAou OF 1rOm-DlHuss
It is still leading question with our
marine architects. whether we or other
nations have attained anything like per-
fection in the building of iron-clad YES
sells Of war. Our monitors, any one with
half sesman's eyes can see, are wholly
unit for ocean navigation, as far as going
on distant voyages, or even cruising along
shore. l. is always necessary to send a
tug along with them to act as convoy and
for towing purposes, and the loss of one of
them in storm of the coast proves that
their sphere is the harbOr defense or Of.
tense. The Ironsides is the most complete
ocean iron clad we have sfoat, and is the
pride Of the Charleston fleet and more
dreaded by the rebels in action than the
monitors her brosdside being absolutely
terrific, though believe she mounts but
twelve guns, II so many, at q side. But
the Ironsides has not yet been fully tested
in heavy sea, such as is to be found in
the middle or on the eastern shore Of the
Atlantic. The Dunderberg, Dictator, Pu-
ritan, and vessels Of that class now build
ing, are immense structures, combining
the turret and broadside principles, and
must carry an immense weight Of metal
sheathing, not less than twelve or fifteen
hundred tuns. They are wooden vessels
cased with iron. The Roanoke, an old
wooden frigate, and as such, a magnificent
vessel, has been plated and turreled; but
when taken TO sea was found to roll SO
much as TO be dangerous, and she was
sent back to New York from Fortress
Monroe to remsiD in the former port Us a
gusrd-ship, for which she Is, Of course,
admirably adapted. incline to tho opin-
ion Of some intelligent naval men, hoWev.
er, that she would possess greater power
# fitted with 8 broadside instead of tur-
ret battery. In that case she could conoen-
trste much greater weightot. metal upon
a given obje0E-say twelve or fourteen
guns to four in her turrets, as at present.
But the great defect in wooden vessels
heavily plated, (either with or without
turrets, but especially In the former in
stance, is in the strainiBg Of that portion
Of the structure below the water line and
not plated. A weight Of thousand tons,
not including the srmsment, above the
water line, has been found to terribly
strain vessel, az was demonstrated in the
experimental cruise of the French iron
clad squadron few weeks since, which is
composed Of wooden vessels plated, and
which suffered severely in q moderate
gale. Later, the iron-clad English war
vessel Prince Consort, on her voyage from
Plymouth 10 Liverpool, to prevent the sail
ing OF the rebel rams from the latter place,
was compelled to put into Dublin Bay in
distress, with her hold half full of water.
She was caught in q terrible gale. This
vessel lie also a wooden one plated. She
is of rs guns, and 5,S94 tons, American
measurement. The Warrior, Defence, Des-
perate, Valiant and some other plated Vss-
sels in EnglsUd are wholly Of iron, and al
though they roll q great deal in the sea,
sre comparatively tight It is question,
then, say, with marine builders, whether
wooden vessels plated can stand the enor-
nous strain put upon them. Mr.. Webb,
Of New York, the builder Of the Dunder.
berg, is fitting that vessel with an addi-
tional keel on each side, near the bilges.
This, he thinks, will prevent rolling. He
also gives 'his iron-olad ships a much
greater breadth Of beam than ordinarily.
This or some other method must be adopted
in order to prevent wooden vessels, espe-
eially those provided with turrets (which
increase the tendency to roll) from strain
. ing. and also to enable them to use their
brOsdside guns with effect In . sea