The New York herald., 1863-12-05
IMPENDING WAR IN EUROPE.



(From tho London Tmes. Nov, l0l
During the last three months much has been done
not only ngthenlng Oronstadt but also in forty
ing tho to the NevA building gunboats bat
Cronsadt erg strengthened under the superintend
Of Geuers odebon and General Zsreva BY placing
poin's oovert % the masonry by earthworxs On tho
mAm sl,nd oil Cronstadt. seaward, large esrthworks
are oeIpg throwo up, some Of which are nearly
finished From the sea they will be scarcely
visible and they not only eo6ade the channel. but
some OF tbem being connected by parallels ono with
another will be able to hold guns 10 take In
any sn,ps which may the gauntlet or their fire
and that Of the forts Some OF these oarthworks more
exposed than others To be with seven
ba inch plates placed on an anglo OF forty Ave degrees
and curved over tho top 30 a 10 form cover from
vertical ire and at toe same tie obvise the necessity
OF bolts any ohor asteungs retain tho plates
in positu The embr asures will be closed Immediately
the gun is fred bya Slide OF eleven inch iron or by
drop door The guns TO be placed IN these iron clad and
ether earhworls 10 be Inch rod cast steol
ryng three huudrcd pound rded shot or two hundred
protection o tho forts supplies Of
and iascineJ placed ut dforcnt points. all carried
thence from st. Petersburg. at enormous labor and ex-
pense TO provide further against the possibility OF
feet passing 10 the back OF Croustadt by the south
channel about three hundred lighters, laden with stones
been sunk so that DOW IN no part i5 thore more
than four feet OF water.
Tho authorities have supposed possibility of some
hostile feet passing the forts and earthworks They
are therefore preparing TO lay three hundred Internal
machines In the channel zach Of which will contain Sow
eny pounds Of powder and explode by slight touch
my vo shall suppose has passed Cronstadt and arrived
some up 70 the head OF the bay and wishes TO
are fresh earthworks thrown up: they will not be
pleod weeks yet, but will bo capable OF mount
endade tho entrance the 1t point where II Is
about threo thousand feet wide supply OF internal
machines also TO be kept ready TO sink in tho narrow
ch0unel OF the bar.
Another means OF defence also In course OF prepara
tona submarine boat OF colossal dmensons in the con
structon ol which about hundred Of iron and
steel TO be used II RAPIDLY progressing towards
completion Great secrecy being used about this boat
Wo can however, say that it I TO have ongnes worked
by compressed air. 70 have very strong boak with pro
vision attaching large cylinders charged with powder
to the bottoms of vessels to be red by electricity The
by means OF bulls eyes and they will DO abo to regulate
the depth at which they swim. generally keeping quite
the surface The Emperor has not only approved
the pnns, but months since signed the decree ap
proprating about f27 ooo-say, 10000 silver roubles
Tor this monster.
Nv the ls Of June 1884, the Marine Department conf
gently expect have Cronst,dt sixteen iron clad
sells and they consider this very poor fleet for such
Power as Russia. There will DO four vessels OF larger
size IN many respects alike, including the Pervenez.
lately arrived from England and which is now receiving
her armament and being finished o at Cronstadt The
second building ia st. Petersburg. under contract BY
Messrs MITCHELL of Newcastle. All her armor plates
on the spot from Messrs. John Brown Il Co g works
ana She should be ready at the time named aud Ia 10 be
called "Ne Iron Menyi" (Touch mott. Tho third Ia
building in st. Petersburg by Messrs semcnikod and
Potka, aud progresses iast towards completion. Her
armor plates also supplied by Messrs John Brown
& Co. The third is building by the Marine lie
pdf tincnt IN inc uoW hunlTulty yuTu. auu nor
armor plates are also fr m the same nrm. The
general dimensions Of these vessels foows:-
Length over a about 2o feet breadth 5a feet depth
meat is not exactly settled, but will be riied guns OF
heavy caibre. The remaining twelve vessels are all
Monitors, but only one Will have solid armor plates, sup
Piled by Messrs Bea'e and building by messrs Mitchell
She is from Cartain Coles design, and very nearly fac
smile Of the Danish vessel Olf krake Her length Is
lT5 feet between perpcndcuars breadth S feet depth
II feet; tunna &c to. M $50 The remaining eeven
vessels are ding by Messrs Carr Macpherson, two
tE0
the government. five. They are to be clad wi h
four aud 1--WE one-nch plates rolled in long lengths
following the ATelican plan. The towers to
be inch plates boted together, although
question has lust arisen whether would not be advisable
strengthen them The veripg OF these vessels with one
inch plates results partly from the haste with which the
machinery 10 Russia to roll heavier plates This want
they about to meet by erecting at their Colpno
works Ia &c armor plae mill, the machinery for which
has been sent fr,m England but which will not be sui
ncieLt for rolling the very argct plates II is. however,
proposed to build second rolling mill not however, by
the government, but with guarantee from the author
tis Of certain amount IL work. The building Of this Is,
h9wever somewhat probiematical.
lhe old gunboats built during tho Crmean war have all
bn thoroughly surveyed. and contract has been made
10 pat them in order. Fourteen are being provided with
new boilers and oil arc to have steam up and be in
thorough working condition on the 1st OF nne under
heavy penalties Many OF the gun and mortar boats built
ten years ago are completely used up aud the builders in
Russia To have emuated their English brethren
the use Of green timber, nc.
Enormous cxertions are being used to obtain the re-
1sIse ~, sanyh Of guns S %s .h suitable ;1 70.
foand that he Russians have really got ahead or England
in guns aud shot. The large riled caststee guns
which ttey are Obtaining from Krupp, aud which they
Will shortly commence making themselves 10 St.
Petersburg are good, and the smaller sized cast.
the Urai and also in Pooeios works in ST. Petersburg.
Aboukois system, are found to be great step In
advance They are not. perhaps, all that could be de.
sired yet they sustain large amount Of work. and their
defects seem 10 arise from want Of hammer POWER
which want will be shortly supplied Guns are now
h.tnr
night and day. and In few weeks another Eswick will
commence IT'S production will he solid caststeel guns,
ter s to fire i've hundred pound shell To provide the
necessary shot and shell for these guns all the roun
dries arorrd ST. Petersburg have orders varying from
fesn th0usspd 10 tfty thousand each. All the
shell from twelve Founders upwards for rfed guns
he shot sre from two TO two ana half diameter
rougd ncsed and provided with soft metal bearings
- ft the grooves Of the guns The production OF steel
shell o. the description Is also Increasing asst and
great e,esons being sde TO deliver arss supplies
Round hammered stee Shot are also being prepared to
suit the nava sxtypOunder gun arm alone has in
hand thirty thousand u these.
The and artillery forces also adopting the steel
ers for their service, and Ind them well adapted by
their ,shness. sun OF the same cabrc Is about
third lighter than brass gun nevertheless, fearing that
the supply steel guns for this branch OF the
may rot be adequate large quantity OF brass guns
ordered and ~ be ready for service early January
Larse supplies Of satpctre have been purchased dur.
me the nler, and the powder WORKS have been
tended and are working nigh, and day TO have a full
should the sntcipations Of the Authorities prove
correct and war be declared, they will not be
able 70 obtain supply Of armcr plates from
aorood. They therefore erecting mill at Copno.
rear Petersburg and propose 10 have secopd mill built
at that they may be able ~ produce twelve
thousand tons OF plates per year, independent
a soreisn aid. These works, the gun work., snd the
large .Tpos Of teak two years. supply of coal the
iee AID the extra voted account Of the war et.
.pudtlre during the last six months 70 abou,
ttynve millions of rouoles above the ordinary expend.
igresay me k,eriing and further sum is de.
nardcd iin.d'sely d Forty flions Of roGbes-say
NJ ors sterling his expenditure does not include the
extra ad out in clothing aud general comm
stores Tour has been very largely bought for delivery
IN eorusry, .or those places 20 which tie ordinary
route s by water IN spring extra prices beng paid