Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-07-19
THE EVENING STAR.
British Opinion of Naval Chain Armor-
The Gannery Of the Alabama.


The Gunnery Of the Alabama
In the House Of Lords, on the 9TH OF uIy, the
Earl OF hardwicke, adverting 70 me oesahs o.
the recent conflict between the Alabama and
me kearsarge, asked the noble DUKE at the
head Of the admiralty whether his attention
had been directed to the question OF protecting
was not new one, for it had been discussed in
letter written in 1862, to the noble lord at the
head Of the Government, by an iron master
resident at Belfast, in which he drew attention
to the important results which might be gained
by suspending chains over q ships side to act
as a foil against shot
The Duke of Somerset said the defence az
forded by the chain plating to the Kearsarge
must have been very small, for il only ex-
ended over space about tkirty-six feet in
length, ard the chain was of the kind known
as one and three-fourth inch. The firing from
the Alabama could not have been good, for
tais strip OF plating was only struck twice du.
rlng the engagement: one OF the shots glanced
on, and the other, which was the only one that
hit the armour, fairly pierced it and lodged In
the side Of the vessel At the same tune II was
X, ocn that the Alabama entered upon me contest
under great disadvantages her poodsr tstHg either
damp or uery bad and The rssseE herself IN @ rery
unit state. Two or three years ago the admit
rally made some experiments with chain ar
NOR, and the result was that with common
sixty-eight FOUNDER and cast iron shot it was
Knocked all TO pieces. so that against steel
proectiles it would afford no defence what
ever. 1t did not at all follow that, az
a make shift, il would not be better than
nothing, and at long distances, as in this case,
1t had some advantages. But what the admit
rally had to decide was-given a certain
weight, how 10 apply it most effectively for
the defence of the ship. [Hear.l Some time
ago the noble earl opposite expressed doubt
whether guns weighing six and half tons
each would not be found too heavy for broad
side purposes. He had since ascertained that
the two eleven-inch guns on board the Kear.
sarge, one before and the other abatt the main
mast, weighed each seven and three quarter
tons. The real conclusions TO be drawn from
the Kearsarge and the Alabama were that rery
poloerJul guns and r'ry speedy resscts 1pere re-
quired. The speed OF the kearsarge gave her
great superiority over the Alabama, which,
moreover, ioas not built for fighting purposes but
mainly rgth a rie,c to cruising. Experiments
had shown conclusively that the continuous
surface OF armor plate yielded great ad vantage
over interrupted surfaces like bar iron or chain
covering
WHAT Is AsTRAKAN MANY women the
past winter have worn Astrakan without
thin king what il is. Astrakan, as its name in
dicates, is an Asiatic invention. They couple
black eve with a black ram. Before the
dam has given birth to the young, she is killed,
and the lambs are taken from her womb. Their
wool is jet black. and of an extreme fineness.
1t costs very dear; there are Persians whose
Astrakan bonnets are worth 500 francs (Sl00) a
piece. This statement is worthy of notice by
ladies who have false Astrakan-Astrakan, the
wool Of which is long and dyed.
- The Berkshire fMIass) Courier tells a
story OF a farmers boy, named Gates, who
Inree years ago desired 10 enlist, put MS parents
objected. He was sent to drive the cows home.
Instead OF doing so he ran Off and enlisted In
the 10th Massachusetts, served three years,
and did not receive a scratch; returned home
with his regiment; was mustered out; and get
ting TO his fathers house just at milking time,
drove the cows home, and reported for duty on
the farm.
SAt Oxford, England, the Johnny Bulls
disgraced the great commemoration day and
gave another evidence of British sympathy
with the rebellion by vociferousIy and fire.
qnently cheering g. Confederate officer who
was upon the platform.
AT ST. Josephs, Mo-, man is on trial &C
eused Of nine murders.
ENational sailors fairs are to be the next
f'rage."