The New York herald., 1863-10-23
Great Guns Against iron Ships.
IHE MECHANICAL CON RsT or AMERICA wYTH


(From the london Poet government organ), Oct. 81
We recently took occasion 20 draw at'entn TO the hge
guns 6r honsrusl four hundred POND shot, sciich hs
unid sad Z, Je hGnuf, ring d fhs rae OF on.
dGU, and to tire possibility nay, the probability, OF
purposes, ordnance OF smaller csliOrc The consruc
ton " guns sicnty strong to bear charges Of powder
adequate 70 esing very hlh initial velocity, and
consequently The greatest possible destructive power
these heavy shot, u hut question Of time and
experience. Tho merits e vessels-of-war, with re-
vuying tarrets Of the Nonor tyre, we have already
discussed. compared with the Old brcadside pin.
cipe OF Warrior and tho ca ire. Tho relative pow.
ors OF thcs, last mentioned ships have Just been
brought before uubc attention ny french bdmital IN
n work coiefnparary naval architecture. sccor ling
10 the Views of the .nlaut Admalviews which tha
presco occ1ei We tend merely 10 state, without cr
teisng ihefna duel between these floating iron
would sieediiy terminate N the former being rdded
with she, ana rloNn 10 pieces sunk, The data on
which Admiral 30 Paris fognds his opinions are 10 io
lows; be Gioife Is ship completely covered with iron
uNor no' s"the "u" 'u. ~ W n'uertpio az Achilles
Ia the Immortal armor forged by Vulcan would
have been, bad he not bad the misiortune 20
have one weak spot about him where
tal wound might lie Indicted. Such at least u
tho gallant Adin'rais opinion. Tho armor plates of
the Glcire 30, Z n represented at least solid
aud impenetrr ,ilose of tho Warrior, which only
o,ver portWrs &c broadsGos, and leave both stem
End stern wholly exp scd. The ruddcr, the screw the
st.rnust nse OF tc Warrior are ali open and exp,ssd
10 the impact ot shot and shell The hull itself OF tho
Warrior Is buili &c iron. over this comes wooden on
vere twelve inches think, uoa which her plates
arc fastened h these arrnor plates do not The
tire length of tie vessel The only protection Therefore
u s concndei whicn proportion of about hut tho
'
run plating which form. her hull and the wood work al
tachei ~ this would oior M re-starcc whatever to
the shot ard shell VI the ore, armed a. she s with
powerful rincd carnfn.
The Admiral comes to the conclusion thai tho
h'O.rc IL the mcst crfect vcssepAar ahoat there ore
course IN h opinion the Mentors, such as the one
turreted Neeh twken which disabled and captured tho
Atlanta ard the Roanoke with s .hree rcvoiv ug tur.
rcts throwing four hundred pound shot from three
pas OF huge guns, must alike DO interior to her. for
ocoan ngttug, Tor crossing the Atlantic this may we
DO so; for actual warfare. when IN collision IN
smooth water near shore, II may 10 very dfnArent
lhe Amcrcans show by facts rIat they consider their
lhey have Va Vw Bot pst the construction of guns
S,nbe d ue1ri1s charges Of rovdcr ior pro.
tehiOg torr hnadrc5 vouni shot with the maxi
nun NeccHf ana momcntum. is only question ~ time
d eSpercnco, % also q he oRsrrc ION N trr,f SHIPS
nlut 70 rIc nng ~ o'eir. ~ present n comparison
900 of the amenities pa each other by the story ,od th
fox The sturk could not feo ont nf fat ,lates ina ,x
suld not oy dtuer which bad "a be rstroeta o, M
narrow bccked bottles The warrior (Ql m vht ess,,v
cross the ocean, say the French ye. ansver ,Ls
Americans with their usual arrogance and sv,gvcr as
mpch NE corsc for her, she psvd b, sur, n d. tfr,
n piocs, k orp,.rd drecty ~, con-, vphsn ,anS =,
HouGovs ts in'-rtslnJ to8ch ne or q o. rr
at az r'ocsscd bg otssr nations, ~ ord,r 10 yf ty e.
An Agent or the Cotton l.oNn rvcited.
Mr.. spence, Of Liverpool has letter In the London
rmes. lie remarks the ragrsnt d grace inflicted
the North by the suspension ~ the habcas corpus
bountry's need mis- people cannot bc trusted
nRge district of the North be lett 10 the action Of the
pf1.rery law with safety 10 the State. But (ssys Mr.
xol tbere r.,ained hardly choice FOE faction 10
Gvss ~ 70 on all disguise and rue by brute
DD. ~ - - Il the North-so, tho Contractors and