The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-09-22
THE IRoN-cLADs.
EneIish Va. American rurre, snin.

THE IR0N-CLADs.
English vs. American Tarret Ships.
From The london Times, sept IA
u has been already Observed that the news we get
from Charleston should sch lec narrowly to The
machinery Of urret shins 4 As he rnse ALBERT, build
irg by AR. Slmnia on tho Thlnes aud the goya sove
reign converting al portsmpn d ckysod, the only
turrc; ships we have at IN hand aud the las.
The two, W. purpose offering few remarks the
ch'ery Of her turres and use 70 give general flea OF
their construction with their frame Of = shaped iron ribs
projecting from the inner ssir, led in VITA teak
iron !attce work outside both embraced in its tnrn by
the teak cushion on which rests the five aud half inch
is to extent impossible draw any correct
inference TO the part urre ships would have
pyed in the attacks ugon the forts Charleston from
the defeat u tho federal tar their attacks upon that
place os we do not even know hox the revolving urrets
%ese pivoted upon their decks. We however, know
enough OF the double turret yessc, tho KcoSuk
lsnik in the first ac,ion) to draw compars
between her and our Royal Sovereign, and think
1t viii be at once seen that the English ship will be
n vastly more formidable vessel either for purposes
q. water) Than the federal vessel coud .l.ayc Doe
The length OF tho Feokuk 1so feet 8 inchel aud her
light drought Of water 70 fcct prccluded her carrying
any great weigh, Ct armor. ard her hull may DO
considered as vulnerable TO twelve FOUNDER red gun
stern the turrcts weighed each fcrty tons
were built up alternate LIZ ers OK wood ana iran-
system that has been proved by actual experience with
tho sork's smo th bore sixty eight FOUNDER At Ports
s,xye,aht found round shot in tenth part OF the
time IT would take with similar proiectie 10 destroy
wooden structure Of the same weight The K.osuk's
tnrrcts were as stated IN the Times Of April 25
OF an Internal groundwork Of half inch ro cd plates
cover cd with bars OF ol four inches In DEPTH standing
cigeways, placed aud quarter inch apart, and
the nterstices being fitted with yellow pine all this
H an uen ss' ae1es p sea vo GSs q
| together with bolts OF one aud onc-ciehth inch,
with ccuntersunk heads one foot apart The trres
III fact, no hing than iron and wooden piankiag
coated with three hcknesscs OF ordinary boiler plate
is worthy OF particular Docs that the Keokuks two trr.
rcts were not revolving, but that she fitted with
"twn screws" worked by ndepcndot engines 10 give
har
the guns In her urre 10 bear upon the enemy. This
rorant principle was referred to by Sir James Ephia-
stone on introducing bis motion on iron clad ships in tho
House Of Commons, and first brought under the
tcc Of the Admiralty by the AessEs pudgeon OF Lime
mercantile purposes. That the Admiralty is fully
OF the value Of the twin screw" system n means OF
manoruvrlng ships O. unor steam Is evident from
the given TO the honorable member for Porimouh
by Lord careece FACET and By ttc order recently given
by tho Admiralty to the Messrs udgeon to construct
small steamer on this principle Tor Experimental purposes
The tarrets o the keokuk lat however fata! fault
They mad ron pendulum shutters lifted 70 their por,s
as 20 close them against the cncnys shot while the guns
eng ,ged in reloadns. Tho result Of this
rangenen that the shutters when co-cd struck
BY shot from Fort Sumter, became jammcd on their
pivots the GU inside thus enclosed cyn.
der without ports through which they could return the
euemy's fire. II Ia evident therefore, from the foregoing
facts, that the destruction OF the Kcokuk owing u
tho disposition and lehtncss f her and that her
offensive powers were rcadered almost NIL BY the jam
ming OF her pendu m port shutters When struck by the
| enemy shot.
me destruction OF The Kcckuk must not, however be
looked Mt all condcmpatory u the ledoral Mnn
tors II 40 can trust the accounts since received in
country Of their donss unier the batteries OF the Con
fcderaies, they have been under terrific storms
from the rned two hundred pound bolt 10 the spherical
smooth bore. without suffering any material damage and
proving the value 81 trrrcs defective surface, whiic
their offensive hive been snIci nifty demonstrated
by the destruction Of the Confederate onclld Ataana
BY mine shots from the federal urre ship Weehaw.
ken. The Americans arc the frst people who havc
rittod iron turretslils against iron clads-that IT,
Confederate improvised iron cats, coated with rail-
way bars, aud against forts armed with such
guns ns the Brookcs or the Blaklcey and Wbitworth
riaed one hundred and twenty aud two hundred
pounders ard after experience In such matters
other nation Mt tho present time possess they
continue Building monster Monitors and arming them
with fifteen inch guns. and Northern men, told
say, Our navy, which only sixty the commence.
ment Of the war; has been rnsed to six hundred
to cpeat here that She IS being lifted win, four snrres
the one forward being tho largest Of the four ard In
tended 70 carry two three hundred FOUNDER smooth bore
guns, while tho three others will be Of css diameter,
and viii carry only one gun each Of the same cabre.
From tho inner skin Of tho turret, formed OF
ribs shaped, ten inches In length and twenty
inches apart, the spaces between tbuse ribs being
Of this combination OF teak and iron ribs crossed
trci iswork Of three Of inch Of rou and on
this reiswork and through all and outside all s bclted
eight inches OF solid teak ncrc is at once FAR
better calculated 10 resist the impact Of shot than he
ret OF the Royal Sovereign which has been so far do
scribd ~ vet without lis armour for round the
surface q the ,uret on the eight inch teak cushonng
10 he laid tho solid five and half inch rolled armour
plates, when are being manufactured and bent
mcdney leaving the rolls n the required segments
circle. nj the lnrkgatc Works. Yorkshire. In. the
Immediate front Of the urrct vicinity Of tho two
ports however the resisting power OF the Gve half
inch armnr plate IL further supplemented by -four and
hair ch rolled plate that In the oG the iurrcts
entire circumference whch will exposed tho shot OF
an enemy the dccnavc powers of the viii consist
of,r outwards. ten and han inches ~ iron three
ana haf inches o. teak, I've inchos Of three Qnnrter
inch Iron rciswork, tcninch rcn shaped bs Anci In
With teak ard tho inner iron skin The outer cc,e n
armor plates 10 TO be bol,ed. married we brcye
IN technicsy expressed, the urretg uDpcr rim
20 massive iron ring nineteen feet dame er furc IN
inch by two inch iron, and weighing alpc hun
dfef weight This part ~ tho turrct's defence viii
extend TO Just beneath the upper deck brt n urcpgh
| ened ard protected by massive Iron rim Wrought
| In sections AMI rivcicd together Ia thu strongest
| possible manner tho asmar. cavcr~d portion
o. tho tnrre projecting above the upper deck and with
the rim, being together 10 shape exactly like bread
brimmed coachmans hat OF tho oldcn times The urgct
itself OF eourse rests With the guns and their carig
upon massive circular platform or ,urntabc tho cu or
rim o. which Mted with riuT rood stout iron teeth
by ap lying " which cogscd wheel wnrkcl BY winch
hy eight or les men ~ the bandcs may be- required
tue turrsi Is made ~ rcvove uron the acLirery bely
pnring the recent visit ~ the admiralty o. rurs,non
the foremost tnrre complete Ia all respecs cxccut ~
armor plating which, how ver was re.rscrted In M
wcirht by s equivalent IN lissof Iron b,,ss reviewed
Ia complete circle IN four minutes an FORTY rero,
eight u the winch handles and IN the presence n Mr
Reed CHIEF Constructor ~ the Navy quarter circle was
turned and back again The me distance In nc minnie
subsequently. however. with eight men Al the wir~h
seconds or compete circle 10 minute aud thrtv
two seconds, thus enabling the two In the trret 10
he brought 70 bcW IRON one brosdsdc 10 the other ia
| forty SIX seconds.
Tho Royal sovercigns turret machinery, with Tho
bed urcn which u rests, we WV now cndeayw to de.