The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1863-04-23
Your obsdient Serv't,
4. L. McBROOME.
THE MONITORS AT CHARLESTON,
Captain Ericsson's Views.

| feel callei upon to state. for the In.
formation OF the country, that the inper.
tectionS VI the Monitors. shown by Ad
miraI Dupcnl's trial Of their strsOgh at
Charleston. are not Of serious character
What has happened will be readily obvi.
atel for the future. Everything connect.
ed with our new lighting machines work.
ed precisely As intended. cot a single
change Of plan being called for. The
pilot house proving of insufficient thick
mss was not an Unforeseen circums auce
The limited experience which We have
had in actual conflict indicated that sigh,
inches thickness would be sufficient, but
it was by no means assumed 10 he a Sc,
tied point. Hence such construction
was adopted that. without removing the
structure, or changing its int rior ar
ranyements, any number of additional
plates might be attached to the ex'erior.
aud It's thickness increased 10 any ext, ut
81 with fegsrd TO The ,urrst; it is con.
stracied Of an inferior tkeleton cylinder
composed OF plates Fl mly riviled logeth
er, to which any numoer Of plates may
be bolted. 1t s by no means yet estsb
lisled that our turrets require increased
thickness, excepting possibly at the base
The public will do we'll not 10 b. alarmed
by the MARKS of inexperienced observers
who are startled at sssing the indertsIion'
produced by tbs enemy's projectiles. W.
apply armor 10 keep ont hostile shot
not to prevent snars and linden atoms.
So far we have fully succeeded.
1t will he proper to observe that th
supposed imperfect steering qualities ar
utterly grOundle.s. There is no class o
vessels in The navy that obey their helm
so readily as the monitors. The reason
is self.evident The large equipois rud
der employed is acted upon by the pow
erful current from the propeller til surI
forcs as to change the course of the yes
sci with the slightest motion Of the helm
In strong currents and in shallow waters
as in Charleston harbOr, no vessel can b
readily Unanswered,
Admiral Dupoul's preliminary atarI
on Charleston first praoical test @
; iron clats-must be regarded as the mos
important event in naval history. To lhi
country the gallant assault on Sumter b
the new and untried vessels, exposed I
tile terrible hsnking and raking FIRE c
numerous other forts. is iraught with in
calculahle benefit Whatever may be Il,
ulterior object of Government, the sub
stanlial advantage has already been s.
cured Of Knowing exactly what tho iro
3 Clads can endure, what tremains 10 bs don
, TO render til, now system perfect. 1t WI
, high time that practical test was inst
tuled, since We building IN ore numerou
iron clad feet than is possessed by a
/ Europe. The nation may thank the con
. manders OF the monitors for the know
edge gained through their gallanlry =
With less daring OH their p'rt, the Nav
Department would yet lack some in!o
/ nation necessary 10 direct the competio
: OF the imprsguatle feet now building
At the same time, ths spirited attack G
-, Sumter, aud the havoc made during ha
an hours contest. warns the Confede
ate leaders that they must keep their nj
T. merous batteries fully manned, and th
d they must not for a moment slacken the
!. vigilance with Dupont and bib mohito
within half a days sail.
The history Of war may be searched
l. vained for an instance Of such costly pr
If parations KEEP up at suah vast sxpend
q ture as Charleston now requires, to wal
off the blow from half dozen small We
sells, manned, provisiOned and cosled
% pss cost than an ordinary first GLASS scre
d ship. j. EkiCSSoN'