The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-05-13

capture and Bonding Of 40 BARK
New Light,
10, &C., IA
Our Nassau Correspondence.
NA1Au, N. p, Nay I, 1885,
Tho rebel ram Stonewa, commanded by Captain Page,
arrived bore from Spain yesterday having touched at
Santa Cruz on the passage Az this Ia the redoubtabe
vessel tha IL mid 70 have bid defiance q Fero in March
last 70 the United Sstes war ships Niagara and Sacra
mento detailed description Of her may Be Of service
She now lies or this port about mile from the town,
and in close proximity 10 the British corvette Fawn,
which arrived about the time cruise from the
Guk The ssonswan steamed in on the morning Of
the 9Th instant, making, should think, quite eight
knoss an hour She had the rebel flag (staTs and
bars white sroundwork) flying at her main gar and
the whip u the masthead Immediately on coming 70
sho ssnt boat shore and made arrangements for
ceivins coal Of which her bunkers were well nigh sx
haasted. number Of the ofcers smartly dressed In
the rsbe uniform, ashore soon aftef, and have
been knocking about town until now. She viii remain
here only long Enough TO take Il coal and Win then put
70 sea- but whittier bound kept close secret board
On the arrival here Of the British yacht Corsica from
Havana number OF French and Belgian ocers, rots
from Mexico, via Havana, 70 TIE United States and
Europe twho passengers in the Corsica determined
to visit the Stonewa and your correspondent availing
himself Of the OCCASION was admitted with che party
We were on board two three hours made close and
thorough examination Of the steamer and wore freely
shown al her points Ind capabilities
believe the fact Of her having been built in France
and getting possession Of the rebes via Denmark 10
generally known, we'll - the great attention she
cited At Ferol and Corunna in Spain How she eluded
neet those waters and made her passage uumoest
Cd 10 the American coast unable 70 say; but certain
here abe is and presenta, In my opinion, the most
formidable rebel ship that government hes yet
had 70 deal with
Tho Stonewal 10 q trihe than two hdfsd fcet-in
length over all and has thirty three feet breadth a beam
feet six inchss sAt and twelve feet forward She
plated with three and half inch iron, backed inside
with about three foot teak African oak supported by
diagonal iron braces Of great strength into which the
bolts securely fastened Inside this again second
plating, should think about inch In thickness This
extends up the planksheAr and waserways
which of heavy oak. Above that comes iron bull
wark, bullet proof and made to fall mboard hinges,
IN such way TO present obstruction In action.
These bulwsrks about i've feet high. The steamer
u brig rleged with bright lower masts short mastheads
and spsrs painted black She has only small boom for
bowspri, which rigs ont through iron neck without
foreopmass stays sct up She carries topgallant sails
main and foretopmast staysaIls and forestaysa Her
square sails all and Of light canvass Of French
make The mas,s have but slight rake, scarcely more
than that Of her smoke stack which Is telescope"
and made descend entirely out Of sight into the hull
Of the ship Viewed from little distance she presents
rather awkward unganly appearance, owing 70 the
peculiarly OF her build She trims by the stern when,
in good sailing conditions 10 IAinted black from the
wstcrlne up, and rides lightly and easily the SWELL
considering her unwieldy build and great weight Of
material am thus particular In describing the appear
sncc Of the ship probably will be In request
among our cruisers from this time forward.
The Stonewal Is armed with three guns-two seventy
FOUNDERS her after and three hundred poundsr In
the forward turrel These turss Of African oak,
stationary and about eighteen inches In thickness, with
aplatng Of iron ono and threo quarter inches There
are Eve openings port holes, TO reach which
told the guns could bs turned by OF fourteen
with great celebrity, and that in fact they could be served
easily and quickly howtzs The great gun In tho
forward turrct s served by eighteen men-ths entire
crew Of the rtsames slncers ana men, amounting now
70 about seventy, but twenty moro 70 bs shipped
within tho turrets racks Of lcutassos firearms,
pixies &c, probably for repellns boarers The three
guns marked "slr William Armstrong" in large
raised letter An old dog who was with us felt surc
that they were ma Of English manufacture but had been
marked for some special purpose. think however,
that they are undoubtedly Armstrong gum They arc
not black Ike the American great guns but strsaked
like the surface Of stub and twist shot gun. they arc
kept beautifully polished and indeed the whole ship
has the appearance of being under rigid and perfect d
eplne. Every part Of her 10 neas and cisanly and ell
the rucs Of the best regulated naval vessels observed
But the most Formidable fcaurs Of the stonewall u
the which forms her bow under water, and which
projects about twenty feet beyond the buff Of the bova
Az We stood on The forward turret We looked directly
down upon this instsamsnk The bows Of the steamer,
which <fe iron plated, plops insensiby down to the
waters edge, and gradually disappear swsy forward
under water In hugo round backed point shsrpened
and curved ~ desosuds under the water line and pro
ssnting sharp aee, edge 70 he object q her attack
We were told that this does nos sensby ae The speed
manouvring qualities Of the ship, serving rather - N
improved cutwassr and sans her motions In head beat
- Directly above n porthole towards which the big
gun was pointed and busting antagonist thIs gun
n always shsIlioadsA ssd fred directly ahead thus
breaking in the side of shp under water and crashing
~ Close range twohuadrsd-and snypound shell isso
her simultaneously Ths shot and shell Of the big gun
are elongated or sDniesl and claimed 70 bs the
most destructive yst invented This ram is made
smooth, 70 that upon hiuing ship she can instantly
Withdraw, rctrsas short distance ana repeat the a.
saul This she sxpscssd 70 BE- easily able 10 DO BY her
doubs pFopsllsrss which, II 10 said viii back her almost
rapidly - shsy can arvs her ahead and serve The 3D.
auosa purpose sf turning her around almost % hcs hse
By propslins wsA one and rsvsvnag win che other.
shs hes also we kss which sdd greatly sohss strength
She hes four bssIsn and engines, with On sssssats
power Of nearly six hundred honea The disposition Of
the magazine coal bunks, provision and sIore rooms
not materially drsr from that Of other vessels Of
her character being, Of course arranged with reference
to economy Of space and the engines and boilers Alto
sstbcr below, she n curious sisht and dIspsys great
csnssruotve ingenuity
II viii be well for Navy Department NJ, tc dcspse
the dssrstvs qualities Of .hs nsodsscnpI She ooIa.