New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-03-01
LETTBR PROM CAPTAIN COLEs.

To Ire El;for Of The Times.
Sra-The fall of Fort Fisher, as you truly re-
zDarx presents points Of deep interest 70 the country
md 10 these who stuly the art Of 0rn convinced
90 very great extent Of the souHdness OF admiral FOR
teYs conclusions FOR there eau be no douD lhi fo'
FISHER was a much more formidable WORK than ue
Naekbof with the advantage Of modern ordnance ana
violence But when lie draws an cyu,lng comparison
Between the prolonged and honorable rcs'ance 81 ta
Maakhof against the allied forces OF Great Britan aad
r'rance and the rapid capture OF Fort ISher Or tIe
ledcre- beg % differ os There 10 no anaiogy IN
tie events for while Fort Fisher was captured 10y
handful OF men. under the IL 9. Inc guns Of thc e'
and In ''sercn hours after the attack eOhmsnoeu ~
earnest the MalakhoT Tower was free iron Inc Ie OF
-he guns OF tho allied fects We once We' II II inc
con faces of SobeatOpcl with On cnorM' i force OF
wooden ships unGide1 by ironclads, enc we never
cried il again. All Who saw these Migh!AceAt n,e'h
81 wood ships tc6 / by lesser humber q guns
in ior.rtss depiOTed this waste OF power uOO.n
Eng thousands of fine fellows 70 DO compare
tively inactive spectators Of great sTlsge. Inis
inst suggested 70 ne the Necessary oi bd'lbH SOM.
rnachii = better adapted for tic offensive purt5ts Oh
warfare than wooden three decAers Ake Ihf fcloII"
and then proposed Monitors or rather " Lazy Nance
.-ons for this purpose How far my views were TBh'
nas been answered tie fall of Fort Fisher nthp9sh
:. NAV be said the Monitors did not succeed OF Charles
TO- But an attack y sea 10 Dc n,Ss ~.
pef!Ority of guns against an portion OF
% rs 10 silence It's Offensive powers, when ie OtnrI
lNufngcnt AID outlying works must fall IN IAN il Iv'
sy,enetcd aain the case 0: Fort Fisher. Bot IN ne
Tbofcston affair there Only 20 guns nholt bogN1
81 bear against some 100 guns. bcdes tie
q
ont will leave the question If forts and SHIPS ~ no"
hc great interest Of ts country j. holp a-hs- ShP
:or Il IL Ia The open we shall have to test our
srv and Il Is as well in the great lncc OF
ion now Going on 10 weigh carefully Admiral ToI,ei
and others remarks, elected as thcy nave DcoH ~ NV
Ial warfare. 90 -, ,. 90, ~ .
,ntni;c Of thesc Monitors. FIs lot me chi attention
81 TIC sallness OF these vessels compared WIN any
,.ve that could attempt 10 cope with them Inc sinaci
Mentor are iO3g tuns sad the honadnoci although
oo,y -; tuns Admire Porter g. WolId ues,ro! ~!
xesSel We have In the British navy. in tDis ed'ilio
err Il with the gallant Admired Tor peitFS "a" i'
yntbourh but a co..l crsOu-f size hao - per
,,ns supped her TO be good instcl lof mo SioIau
Sock However on both sides OF the Nat' J.. nov ~
-carg 10 he admitted that in actual hgbt Oi snip 1SaS
.hio the turrct slip must have great superiority cu
atecr ships up 10 COCO tuns ana We nav ~
clad approaching so smell unnase - i be~ NOT as
excep, Tie Research and Enteipi,'e S'llci , az
.-ct been tried IN gale OF Wjnu' anu caHH'' '''" ~
aompt 10 carry these heavy guns
Admiral Porter sara for al services ne wonh pre,er
flo Ironsidcs 10 the MODadnocA Du' 'na' ''
tvouId be more than q match Iof her' e...,. lent
not tle list OK the Federal navy before me- ou
believe bc Ironsides IL 3.4OO tuns ana cons,
-wice large as the nonaaboon. scacrin dual.
.es ~ these vessels and general confvlts VI "
xhi,e on service This however must pe 2 lined
rouparison 40 find from ilc niue eAp
=, 90 q. n, our iron ciads that they are al cObuu.pn"
IS seo.cong vessels except the i1ar fst cons'1
Warrior Black Prince Defence aa go tho mix Of
lo,ds az IN tbc unpalatabic conclusion tlat tc pun
% 49,; LADS are little better than hoatnE pat,ce,cs'
IN. could ali be knocked % pieces by 'os be monitor,
.ereisn or Monadnock lnc "s bsys been in except
he Prince cossoT9 w GT ps as S@s
rNffet FI,n' Iose yery great advantage over our
sSf Of oans batteries bct for comfort and tho e''
seEfials OF "a gong snlp ,,, ann or two feet
NO bcar of these Monitor, beng ohiy 9no VI ~ IA
. ,.a,c, with their turrcts arIidships, ytt nu'
os out these gales rad weaterpg them 9etc him Ina
other vessels in their company. ING b. tbat the
,,os. are 40 Ear similar To those 3iohltois 'nat s
,roectcd or wcg5ct portion Of Toe ,e,e a%d
"ny II. is.ead Of being wholly exposed, tho lower
oTp,os and base OF the rre is protected BY square
Or circular box which admits Of another geek anu
,nsiac beng bult up the extrcinities over Will
.ti c. and ewing this extra space between
for nc Of s as crew w f segs the the
~. is 10 ,rciobt of this extra deck and upper
works would require but small increase Of tIanase 20
the.e Monitor, and would not thcn bring them ny 20
anti .De Ike hall the tgnage Of our sea gong ~
x.os o foatng batteTes. at the same tlhs
~ q - - =, 4s>,-a 49, ~ sJss~s 10y s.sia