Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-06-02
ARMORED VESSELS.

ARMORED VESSELS.
Our readers are aware that successive calls have
been made in each branch of Congress during the
present session upon the Navy Department for all
information in its possession with regard to ar
mored vessels and their efficiency and capability as
revealed by the service they have performed in the
pending war, and especially in the naval operations
before Charleston.
In response to these several calls as made on the
following 18th of January and 10Th of February
in the House of Representatives, the Secretary of
the Navy has communicated to Speaker CoLFAx
mass of letters, official papers, and memoranda
relating to the topics embraced ia the resolution
of Congress. These papers, as printed, fill vo-
lume of over 600 pages, and give complete ex-
position Of the whole subject, commencing with
the first Recommendation of Secretary Wellcs under
this head made on the 4th Of July, 1861, in his
report communicated to Congress as then convened
in extraordinary session.
The volume will be found interesting as well for
the ightit sheds on the history of the war as for
its relation to the progress that has been made in
merits and capabilities of which some difference
Of opinion Exists among experts as well as among
others less qualified to judge.
AS relating directly to this general subject, and
as giving the opinion Of enlightened observers be-
longing to the naval service of another nation, VIC
armored vessels of the "monitor class" by con-
tributor to Russian periodical, and translated by
Admiral Lesofsky, who, our readers are aware, was
detailed by the Russian Government to study and
report on our system of iron-clad ships of war;
The writer says:
notwithstanding the defects OF the American Monitors
the strength shown by them Outing the bombar dment
truly astonishing. The Souberners firing from guns
of heaviest cabres at distances which probably were
carefully measured before the commencement of the
ton-hese distances being smaller than halt the distance
OF ordinary pointing freand yet not OF the
charges penetrated the turre The
of this kind sustained by the P8ssc and what wss
the result shot from gun of heavy cabre sti uck
the upper edge Of the rret broke eleven plates but did
penetrate the turret though the strength of the
such that the preec tile rebouudug upwards made
iudenation Of two and half inches in the pilot house.
bent side AMI notwithstanding al his in the
turet proper of the Passac well in the turrets
tue other monitors, there killed or wounded;
result certainly very important, and which confirms the
great superiority of the monitor system all other sys
TENS of armor plated vestes
The fighting test through WHICH the monitors have
passed certainly effective and decisive than the ex
perments made plates representing the sides Of War
ror La Goire' Al inch plates Of these were frac
tured by occasional shots.
"We may well ask what would have become of the YES
sells covered by such plates aud their sides presenting
large target aud if Gas it happened with the Nahan they
would be exposed for some time to concentrated FIRE of
100 guns at distance less than 500 feet! 1t is not
difficult to Notcnly the arror,' with the La
GlOire but all those Minotsurs, Northuuberlands Ma
SOlerlnOs, structed IA INN
would be sunk in such circumstances while the Nahant
got out of the action with injuries comparatively not very
important.
. In examining the reports of the captains can find
several other places confirming the sody of the monitors
With the exception Of the Keckuk aud Passac all the
sells of the squadron condition to continue the
fight and it only the signal OF the Admiral Ito stop
the bate) that made them stop the attack The monitors
WeehawkeD, Monsuk Patapsco, and Cstskl after hot
action of forty minutes had serious injuries Opy
their turre but ia any other parts of the vessels In
word from hatever side you look upon the results of the
battle, they are positively favorable to the monitor system
OF constructing vessels Dasmuch the subject
improvements which be partly adopted the mont
tors building at the present Time aud Internationally on
those that be built Passing the reproach of slow
OF fire from the monitors prove that taking
into consideration the present state of artillery the mum
Der of projectes fired within certain specified time is
not very important is the degree of destruction they
produce. Five shots from the Weehawken were quite
sufficient to force the Atlanta beautiful iron clad corvette
which cost the Southerners million OF dollars to strike
her flag.
u
gun fired by the Psssac in foryfve minutes would do
great deal OF harm 10 the Warrior Black Prince In
threequarers OF hour the Federal squadron let out
1879 proectles excluding three shots that the Keokuk
made and remembering that the Admirss ship the New
IoDsdes scarcely participated in the fight, il appears
that the number Of shots fired from the fourteen
guns OF the remaining monitors during the action
nine, shot for every FIVE minutes, result if not
particularly brilliant, still very satisfactory, remember
that the continual toppages firing partly planned by
inevitable accidents in first experiments and for the
part set aside by another system of artillery, possible
improvements in loading guns and port shoppers.
" In conclusion it will not be amss to remark that in
examining the reports OF the captains who participated in
the bombsrdment of the 9TH April are far from
ing that their vessels perfect No, certainly not.
Monitors like all other specimens Of ship building, have
their defects They not easily msnaged they
suited for passages of long duration for fight agains for
they nearly useless and, Outstanding this,
it be boldly asserted that rot only eight months ago
when commenced their construction but at the
time after all the experiments and latest Inventions il is
difficult designate any other system for constructing
vessels useful for the defence Of Cronsadt from
attack from sea- navigate and shallow chan
nes and particularly is there other system suit
able to the OF construction had in Russia in the
summer Of 1863" IL
CENSUS In 1865.