The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-05
OUR IRON-CLADS.
Passage OF the "MfandOnOmRh,,-The
ReDOrt of CRptnin Fox.


As stated last week, the Navy Department has re-
leived dispatches from Captain Fox Assisant
Secretary Of the Navy, dated at Queenstown on tine
9Th ultlmO announcing the arrival there on that
lay Of the ion-clad Miantononah and her consorts,
Inc augusta and the Ashuetot, after run Of ten
usys and eighteen hours from st. Johns. The
Journal shows that the trip was pleasant one with
out either accident or incident of special interest,
though the vessels experienced some wind on the
second and third days out. The irOn-clad was not
In the Il asst disturbed by tho wind or heavy seas
though the other vessels rolled from ten TO twenty.
five degrees. In one of his letters Captain Fox dis
cusses the sea-gonR fighting capacity of the iron.
clads, ana as his remarks ana conclusions are Of
general interest, an extract is sUbjoined:--
"Can the monitor style of iron-clads invented by
Captain Ericsson be so constructed as to make
with regard to the behavior OF this vessel in mode
ate gale Of wind and heavy sea, when frigate
Eould find It impossible to use her battery, are as
ollows:-With head to the sea she takes over about
four feet of solid water which IS broken as II sweeps
mUS 'ne sSe1 1tcT 70 prevent nE the 1SncS guns
directly ahead with br0adside to the sea- either at
rest or while moving, he, her lee guns can always be
across Ire deck hon. windward being divided bv
the turrets an1 her extreme roll 50 moderate as not
to press her lee guns near the wafer; lying in the
Same position her Is inch guns can be fred directly
astern without interference from water, and when
stern TO the sea- the water which on board is
broken up in the same manner as when going head
TO il.
In the trough of the sea her ports will be liable to
ho0dng, II required to use her guns to wndward.
This, then, would be the position selected by
antagonist which designed to fight monitor in 6
u u
central position, where Notwithstanding the lowness
of the vessels hull they more easily and safely
handled in a sea way than guns of the same height
above tIe water in brOadside vessel he axis of
the bore of the guns of this vessel sX.and-ahaf
feet above the water, and the extreme lurch, when
lying broadslde to heavy sea IN moderate gale,
was seven degrees to windward and four degrees
o leeward-average fve.and a-half degrees; while
he average roll at the same time of the Aa-
JttstG, remarkably steady ship, was eighteen de-
grees, and of the AShucLOt twenty. five degrees
both vessels being seadIed by sail. A vessel
which attacks o monitor in sea-way must
approach very close TO have any chance of
hitting such low hull, and oven then the monitor
Is haf the time covered by three four feet of
Watel protecting her and disturbing her opponents
fre. From these facts not unknown to monitor.
mel, and the experience we derived from the
of ch vessels during the war, may safely con-
cue that the monIt Itor type of iron-clads is superior
he broadside, not only for fighting purposes at
sc, but also for cruising. A properly constructed
Initor possessing all the requirements OF O cruiser,
cght 10 be construci cd OF iron, and have but one
iTIet armed with not less than twenty. inch guns,
40 independent prOpellers, and the usual proper
ion sail"
Captain Fox writes private letter to a friend in
the depaI tment, IN which he says that officers and
men concur in the opinion that the monitor Is one
OF the plea antest of vessels cross the ocean
He SPEAKS of her action in every respect ad.
mi