, 1863-10-07
THE U. s STEAM FEIGATE
NIAGARA.
Description of the Vessel and her pres.
cn- Afmament-HeF Battery with.
out an Equal.

The United States steam Hgate Niagara,
now at the Char1estoWn Navy Yard, nearly
ready for Eea, has IN armament consisting Of
on the spar deck, and twenty four eleyen-inch
gums On the main or gun deck. The hitter
are for throwing hollow or solid shot and
longshell. These guns have range OF eight
thousand eight hundred and forty-d7e yards,
or little over five miles. Their destructive
poweris sufficient to demoliah any wooden
vessel at distance Of four miles, provided
the gunnery is accurate. The Niagara has
been about year fitting for sea, aud has been
almost entirely rcouilt in the Char1estonn
Navy. Yard. Her speed, with her old engines
at d propeller, il said to have been sixteen
knots an hour. These engines have all been
taken ont, however, and new and vastly more
powerful ones added, together with new
and enlarged propeller, with the Idea that
her speed Will be greatly Increased. Some Of
the old heads are Of opinion that her immense
armament causes her to sit SO deep IN the
water that she will be difficult to handle in
rough Eea, and 1t Is rumored that some of the
guns are to be taken of. These guns run on
the improved carriage. resting on brass rail
t5acks inte1sectfng each other fore and aft
the decks. The ports are 80 enlarged that
very wide range Is obtained, aud the extreme
forward and after guns on both the starboard
and port sfdes can be swung round to act
either as bow or stern chaser5. The Niagara
Is peculiarly an American ship: Her. hull is
chinery is American, both In model and con-
struction; her main deck battery is CON-
posed Of guns Of the invention OF Admiral
Dahlgren, and her spar deck battery, rIded
guns Of the p1an OF Mr. Parrott. TIE speed
Of the Nisgara Tas fully tested on her
one Of the fastest Us well as one Of
tie best seagoing ships ever constructed
In this country. What Will she be now with
engines Of largely increased power, and with
out alteration In any other essentia1 part? We
predict she will prove without an equal. As
cruiser she will be perfect; under canvass
bama, Florida, or any other steamers that her
commander may desire to overhaul. Escape
will be impo ssib1e except By stratagem and m
der cover Of darkness. When not IN chase Of O
vessel. canvass will be used almost entirely.
Herdies viii be banked, which will economize
coal; but steam can so readily be raised, It
needed, that hardly any delay will take p1acs
before this noble ship: will be sure to dis
tauce any competitor now on the ocean,
We viii consider the solid shot used as
aDa sn ana as taens ae
guns can be used In broadside, VIC have 1000
pounds Of metal thrown ut each discharge Of
the guns from one sfde alone, which would be
annihilatlon almost to any wooden ship thst
received It. The extreme range Of her bat
terry will not amount TO much in sea way;
but It still possesses an advantage, from the
fact that one shot might strike, which, from
It's size, would inf1ct serious damage long be-
fore her antagonist would come within ordi-
nary range. It Is when all the battery Of the
Niagara can be used that its crushing power
will be felt. The broadslde Of an old hshion-
ed ship Of the line, presenting q mark like 4
row Of houses, would be hit at every dis
charge, AID very soon torn to pieces. No
thing but an iron.c1ad can Withstand this
truly formidable ship; and these, If she can
not fight with any hope Of success, she can
leave to search for some more vulnerable an
tagonist. In the event Of . war with any great
maritime Power, the Niagara would prove the
the wooden navy and commerce Of our nd
ye1sary; and, IN consequence, re notify
England of her existence.