, 1864-04-30

Report OF Commodore John uKo@ers--
The Ifou~ides and cae ZION.
tt0r Glass;.

WASHINGTON, u. T., April 7, 1851.
hage ths hono5 t9 5ss 70 gon' sttss IN
Gs OF iron-clad EesselsofWar IN uae, Ia which two
different principles arc involved: these clnsses
hare each their peculiar defects az adsantaZes.
In tic IronsfGe claas the hull ETA wooden man-
of-wa., rs constructed for general purpose, Is clad
with IRON. II Ia tue Fome modicat1ou OF ehapG
and Increase Of size Is required 3 pees tle addl~
tiora1 weight which she h2s TO cary but still In
st1tials khe is ycssrl OF the ordinary model; she
has the advantage Of ample quarters for her crew,
With fiee access to hsr deck + e1.rms With na,a-
Numerous guns, giving her Tap:dlty or IRE unat~
tairabjc III monitor, nnd eseeI1al in batterinE
foEa md she i rs able TO carry canvass a. other
men.of-var.
The Monitor c'ass, as far as '-raw. is new. II
understand the ldea. il is TO yrt OF Rll the sur
e-rary 10 otation and 70 carry the guns II Ecvol-
vim: iurret or turcts, near the center Of motion,
supported upon the keel and kclsoas.
ont this idea If his may bo 1ed,1sa by further e1;
while tror,clad vessels are used IA warfare.
The T monitor has thc icast possible surface to be
plated and therefore takes the Last possible tn1
nage 10 float armor Of given thiknczs:, Or with
aelsca ipnnage allows the gs''si posstole ,h1cS
eiblc !npenetrabiity.. The ability to CARY armor
il rropGrtiouate to the tunEa.c, but tho monitor
q ~ 1Ens b. seta .nsSr ,atnG t11a NE y,
G.ttU tonE; ind get the Irorsldes nd the Warrior
have only tac middle portion Of tttlr bulls plated,
fbeis ends teIng merely OF wood Eithout armor.
TIE guns of the monitors near tue centre OF mo-
t!on are supported upon the keet md kelaons. up
bernr By tie depth Of water undsg them, and car-
ried by ihe whole strength Of the lnI.
bic tan c.n ercr be- carried In bfiadsile out upon
TIC ribs Of d ship.
In tie monitors concentration 0. guns and armor
In them the plating fs compzcszea into inches Of
elevation while in tho 1fousfdcs :iass it extended
oyer feet: and the comparatively numerous guns
distributed oyer the decks Of the 1ronsides class
n1e nodded into few larger ones In the tns1cts OF
the uoiitors.
Wien tic power is required in the individual
adr.rsazy at q single blow, thu most formidable
artillery must be employed; and fftcen'ineh guns
arc the most formidable, which, 20 tar, wc have
tried. but no vessel OF thu r0nside class can carry
these cuns; aud the monitors actually do carry
them.
II Target experiments arc reliable. a shot from
yesre Of the 1rops.des class in Europe or America
4 etnSc we'll Planted blow wvn'd sink eitacr tic
We:sor. Gloirc, Magenta, Miuotaus OF Deil:so-
TLe pi:tator, Of 2,C29 tore, hss asnor thick
eacc:a Ec',eTc, to :7ifs and dfseen-fncsl guns
Tie eL'eetiunH to the 5;unitor class, such o. l
saye tceu IL Ete, a!c tso;n ts:vncss OF guns. ths
!:t cf .ap:di:y Of SIC III b:tr1ihc forts, or wooasa
,es.ee, Tic Io6a VI from dispensing
hcalthInees frur tlatpuese, end from confinement
leio1 In eren noteFnte Eea; from the loss OF
light; ard from depending On b1uEe-S driven by
steam, fur Ventilation.
1he monitors are sowe: than their s:eam.po*er
won!d secm tp premise. n ri Of them the ZIP Of
nye1Ean. witch, Ii eonree of strength III acttul
rur.. r u Us ram, and from its protecting the
propeller and rudae1, Is source OF "eaSnass and
BEI1tn at sGA.
The o:rrhane has tho advantage Of keeping the
vessel very stcady she can not roll with the wing
Ike projections holding up ber eiaea' nos pitch,
hang resist those motions; but as the monttoris
slower tian other vessels Of 1ike manage and pow
IT. it mnst he prcsumed that the difference of shnpc
makes the difference Of speed: and tho oFeFaaps5
constitutes the sole difference of ehspe.
II ordinary vessels can endure the pitching and
sending nct!ore IT may be inferred that the mon
i.oss car endure them
1co,a:rsrv vessels can have their rams below wa
.er, 20 r.py the monitors nor is It necessary to
ca,aity that tue ruddcr and propeller OF the mon
itor >hodd be better protected, than those OF our
The monitor model rolls very little, and 1s e1.
t:tme1y easy r ss: ~ var: ~ a gale, Of WIND IL
While he1 companion, the wooden corvette 1toauols
{acer7cd very perfect nndeD he'd very excessive
ly riolc1t nictiouso Violent Indeed that no on@
cuu,,! sand upon her decks without the assistance
1t iii: ;incs-thc Uechnwscn had So little motion
ftat !c,t!c Of c!a,et stood for m hoar upon i,s
1anow tase cr the dinner table In tho cabin, 'vhen
| /. Eas PIT away.
leo Iot consi1er the !osness OF Monitors IN the
water source Of rTlsa.euees. They siAtt to sen
uItt Sufficient buoylucy. and, By tho consumption
Of coal ind provisions they hourly grow lighter.
Anything lighter than waiter viii don't unou It and,
howrycI dtcp1y buried, whlfc lighter than water,
II m.st conc to the suTf:cc; but eGectual mcaas
tn1 he uast3 to Eefp tie vessel tight. foy any co!-
siderpble accumulation OF water In the hn will s|o
ber which is true also Of ships generally,
| The caecmated yessc}a-sucb rs tho !rorstdcs-ti
LOT soier than hcniors. :Ec more cn!nterfab!e anl
II. selore probably more healthy: viii greater H.
entities fur carving canvass than the Monitor class
| see1oe IL admit Of.
TO sum I'D my conclusions, I think that tho Mon.
| itcr Glars ard the Irons.des c'2as arc different
e:ponz, each l1aviag Its pecuIaE :dvansayss-
rec.:t to al ison-c:ad nary-ho;b needed In T1I
| Int thcr, when the Monitor c1aas roesS1rcs II
| strength nyninst the Iron-fdes class. then, With
ycsee.s cf eGrt; fize. the Monito: claes viii oTsT
rcwsr n. IronsIScs class; and. indeed. slnsls
elonlios will capture many cascmated vessels Of nc
sreater individual size g speed: sud; as vessels
-. ,ur1r ua,utsl antagonists in fors mast .9 qe
contdcred lint hpon tic whole u A9n,.o1 prfa ~
| cip}c contains the most eucceesfu cscHen's w
| plsti inc vessels for war purposes. = ...
! bare the honor to be, very respectfully, yon
| JoHS RoGERs, Commodore 3. n.
| Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary OF l,lSy.