New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-07-25

rhe M.ni,.r es-CIsA..
~ n. rAlov Of The ~ T,,s-.e


SlR: Mr.. Ericsson states in one OF his letters,
- that the Monitors never cost the Government any
Sing for experiments 30. though they had proved
ODE q success. instead of most lamentabe failure.
No man ever had farer opportunity to succeed in IN
Undertaking In every way than MFR. Ericsson has bad
Hacked by the Government honored and applsuded by
generous though not far-seoing public. be has bad
10 glorious chance TO be successful had there been
ny merit virtue In the class OF vessels with which be
become associated. That there no GROUNDS iof
ths great expectations which the public had from 'ne
monitor ironclads is now pretty well apparent Iha'
tiere any grounds for such expectations h"
zen apparent 10 me from the time the first monitor
lcounteIcd. but did not vsnquish the Merrlmac'
The monitor system Of war vessels may very safely
considered 10 have been intolerance rather than en-
assistance to the Navy-and Ind there never been
,ae constructed the country would have been In better
condition than is Tie only two naval engagements
shich have bee carried through in successful and
spectacle manner the bombadments Of Port Royal
sod New-Orleans, which owe their success 10 the ED
'ssAce of anything like a monitor. In fact, the Navy
seems 10 have dcgenerated from the introduction Of the
eoutrvGnce. do not mean to say the officers and men
have degcncrated, b. any and more than tins.
think that the skill bravery. and cool courage Of Oh.
s0oblc who have been in tho monitors have
fiied 10 accomplish anything that it is pretty good
ssh&oucc that they worthless and fnlfls the old
.srsing; That neither wise fools can do Their
work without tools
hayo also seen it stated that the monitors are cheap
A vessel take 1t. is valuable III proportion 10 lie
actan aggressive power which of course includes us
aiity TO use it-as well as it, defensive qualities,
which are 20 certain extent necessary the aggressive
power Now what is the aggressive power OF mon
ttnrs Take the Dictator for example, an enormous
sesSe, of over three thousand tuus aggressive power
T. whGtf Two guns, which cab 10 fired about once IN
ten minutes Experience has shown that about one
shot only ont OF forty strikes tie object nred a. and
The arrangement for taking sight In monitors tuTe'
L. by no means calculated the firing being any
more accurate than heretofore. Now we come 10 the
porcr of the vessel Two shots every ten minutes Is
sWve shots an hour forty shots in about three and
4 .if hourS-so that in all days fight tho Dictator
z,ud dictate" efiectuany only three times. THIS
s,nlny looks small even if the SHOT used should
b. i5inch and it 10 small and. all things considered.
r,dculogs The ramming qualities of tie Dictator Will
e. about le the ramming qualities OF any other heavy
slow vessel e. uncertain at best-and practically use
hes. She will have speed enough to enable bei
e. her rsm 10 any purpoee-so that the wnoe az
gfossive power of this large vessel costing about
one ami a quarter millions Of dclais, VIII De
fhiee or o; most four effective shots in u
nay Thst is against a moving olject-of course
az bombording purposes a better result would and
shopld DO obtained. Probably after once getting TIE
range she could throw nine out Of ten Of her shot INTO
Oh enemys works. But this against lard works Wonld
DC even insignificant than three elective Shoh
sysiast ship. experience (Which mast always DC re-
spscted) having shown that large shot shell al long
Intervals are much less destructive iban smaller pro-
sec..les in greater numbers
Looking az the question in this light monitor would
sesu to be anything but 'choap" var vessel.
Then again there is another thing ~ be looked at
which is important Capt Ericsson has strained al
snat and swallowed a camel" In other words: In Try
ing (and not succeeding make vessel which should
be inyulncrabe against shot he has forgotten OF noi
treated with enough respect the fact that iron Is heavier
than water and in providing FOR security against
human enemy occasionally he has not provided for the
Other fight which has to he Tough; against the elements
parpctualy that the monitor iron-cads" are no.
only inferior 20 other vessels in aggressive quantities
bat in going qualities also. and venture the pre-
eton-no with any leyity. but after serious thought
On the subjecthat If the Dictator goe TO sea- she
viii bo very unlikely TO return-unless indeed. she
seects season Of the year when the Olwsys calm
g. which caso an trip would DO no test Of sea
going qualities ut all
Some one has stated that "the monitors are pretty
invention / dOnt even soc this. IL takes neither
genius education 10 determine that If four inohes Of
from will stop shot that eight inches may, and If
eight inches viii that twelve inches may and 20 on
until sufficient thickness is reached and adopted TO
enc dispsragenent of every other good and necessary
quality In my opinion. there is nothing pretty about
snonitor and the only thing it worthy Of notice
Is the complete yindicston of all established principles
Of science and sense. which this system Of
yesse and its armament for time seemed TO dispute.
At some future time will 20 into details, and show
why the monitor iron-clsds are not what it was
pected they would be.
Respectfully CHAs w. HEToN, Z. f.
Wee Yori July -, 1854.