New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-07-15
= II - M. y. Irltns.

4
SIR: In reply 10 Numerous communications
received fon ~, and distns ushed oisi1sS, residing
In dinerent sections q the Union tbs subject Of tie
Monitor bon.clads, permit me 10 make the following
statement through Jour colunn&
II IL not True that large have been wasted n
eIperimenis on tho contrary, previous TRIAL what
ever Of the rev systsn was Instituted TIE original
Monitor vent into soHon uudef positive guaranty q
succss - e entire feet 81 lie Pessaio class Of Mon
i;rs went directly from tie builders yard under tie
enemies batteries circurrs slce ilhoI pGne IN
tue history o. naval engineering il was r,sarTed ~
the United states 20 Introduce successfully during
great national crisis systsm q naval attack and
defense without expenG.rs = sEsJe dollar sJPeTi.
neEt'
It lot true that the National Excheeaer bas been
depleted tho ncrdinate expenses attending TIE
sruoon q ironclj Tie contract price for each %
the ten Monitors Of The Pessaic class sOCO)0 20
which wa, sddsd $4,000 Tor Improvements o5d add.
ons; thus tie emGnnt expended for ire FIST feet 81
ten vessels only Si.@&C03 The too ocean Bioni-
tors Dictator AID Puritan, All eo-t With improve
Iaeats and additions s30e9O09 The cost u each OF
tie mise VESSELS VI tae IccamseB class mEy reach
$4,000 together e. OcO. The totsl expenditure
Tor the entire Geef II twsntyons mentor iroG-cats
enumerated vii thus sno1nt - yeIy Httle over
el20Oocoo certain European Naval Power
bss expended in ezpcrimelis connected with
ordnance far grostor SUN than this. lie
twenty nght ldraneht turct vessels row in
course Of construction may cost, with Improvements
and alterations nader TIE present enhanced pFee q
labor end materials geo 90 apiece. The whole leet
u orJyoae turTefed iron c.sds viii t.us cal fr
peuditure of s22 co 0C-s sum amounting 10 only
per cent cf the aggregate cost Of the present
cF U.s. tfur.rf.
cnt fact Abroad. however. the thing IL well under
stood There are coC heads On The olaer side Of tie
Atlantic who have estimated the comp lratyey smell
cost Of our iron clal and who know that .hs United
States eoud without tie least sIsining Of resources.
iucrcasc the present imgreguabs feet to any cerlbe
extent These cool heads deem hands or TIE best pol
y toward nation which, while carrying the nlost
extensive WGr known. has created leet Il
wooden vessels beside constructing iioaclel Navy,
which has freaJy demanded more than 100 o0O Of
maeable iron.
II not true that the monitors have proved gnsoa
worthy Every trial made at has disIroyed the
early Impressions tbat tho overhsug Of tho side anor
was Objectionable. This oyerlaug has been found 70
check the appIeheldsd rolling Of these vessels 50 eo-
pleely Of Lo commanders Of The monitors re-
port that the rolling motion is scarcely rcator thar
that produced By pitching The supposed weakness at
the Junction Of Oyerhang and body in the smaller VOC
sels has been oroughy dsprvved whe IN The ocean
monitors this Junction has been formed that IFS
strength cannot oven he questioned Commodore John
Rodgers reported the SECRETARY " the Navy after the
tarly trials Of the monitors that tie deck openings
could 10 made tight nothing coaid harm this class Of
Vesseli ut sea- Experience has IN the mean til,
shove how 10 maze tlOse nngs perfectly tght. 1t
may be freely admitted that II deck matches left
open IL rough water. te case With the Weehaw'
ks the sinking 81 the vessel becomes inevitable but Il
ray be insisted that this fact ioes not dpIo'e the
perfect seawor5noss Of monitor. 1t s net true that
monitors cannot Gglt tboir guns at sea- They are In
reality the only class Of irouclads capable Of raking
eectral Of their armament in sea vay. from The
fact that they train their entire battery over the
bow ara thereby fire with great accuracy at tines
when tho EuTopesn ironclads owing 10 their e31itteG
excessive rolling, cannot tbei gans The assertion
that Is not sale 10 open tho porte Of the Monitor t4r
in rough water is made only by those WHO uot
aware Of the mechanical expedieRt which has been De-
rsod for preventing tie sea iIon entering the pom
holes An expcdient it may be observed which thougi
readily applied from the deck Of turTst vessel IL wholly
inspplicahle TO the sides Of European ifoHeled.
j. Ot true that tns Dictator is incapable Of carry
ing coal enough for IN At,sc nasss-S ~ the us.i
economical II eeG u va eaaCib ersnE INC
Dictator csu go llGd New.York to st. Petersburg
.itbous taking in coal Tho ship whiah IS quito ready
for steam has at present yearly 200 tans OF vstcr IN her
ooalbunkers te mean hight 0i her ggnw ele beng ou
feet above water.
Il e. not true that tie ocean monitors lack proper
means Of voaatioD. Jhis class o. ships have iaISe
standing pipes fore md oft through which column Of
cold air is constantly drawn into AMI through the qrar
tsrs II IL safs ~ asser that vessels Of any ANA are
provided with such perisos noars Of ventilation q" the
OCEAN monitors nor have proper means scr iioriing
sir and recreation 10 TIE al sea been omitted.
circular grated promenade, Of 100 feet ciiernsropcG
surrounds the top q the grret beside which grsed
promonade or uricals-deck 10 feet above the main
deck and 20 feet wide extends from The tuIret 10 tie
stern Of the ship.
II is not true that Che Monitor system s condemned in
Furorc Two fleets OF lron.clals, precisely Ike cns,
art now being built tie Balte-oEo iIs eastern.
and one on its western sherry nations who IevG
adopt un,ried novelties
Yours vory respectfully. j. EncssoN.
Nsr Yori, July -. 1851.