The New York herald., 1866-07-22
SAX vRAScysco.
OUR VALPARAISO CuHRssPQNpeyCE.


OUR VALPARAISO CORRESPONDENCE
Arrival of, the Huescur and Independcncia
at Observation-Disclosures of These FOrmid-
able Engines of Observation-Disclosures of
the Allied Squadron Excitement Among the
People. &c.
VALrARAIso June 16 1866
Nothing has yet been heard from the Spanish squad
ron, and everything relating to the Spanish
war remains here mystery. Vessels which have
rived from the Straits of Magellan report that nothing
has been Of Mendez Sunezs ships in the South Pa
cfc and still divided between opinions that
either Montevdeo the Philippine Islands his destlna
tion. Meanwhile the fertilization of Valparaiso pro-
crosses in anticipation OF tho return of the enemy's
feet, and the Chilcnos prepared to give it
warm reception.
ARRIVAL OF THE PERUVIAN RoS-cLADs
The Huescar and Independence, the two Peruvian
iron-cads arrived here to-day with the allied squadron
from Chloe They certainly very formidable ships
Either of them would prove more than match the
Numancia, and the feet s strong enough engage
the Spaniards with confidence in success have spent
the day board tho ships and confess little
prise at their strength and accommodations.
DESCRIPTION OF THE HuAsoAR
The Huescar Is one hundred and eighty feet long
thirty.hve feet beam, eleven hundred tons burden
draws sixteen feet Of water and her voyage made
thirteen knots with alone She has quarters for
thousand men, bat at present carries only three
hundred. Her cabin and ward room are spacious and
elegantly furnished, and the accommodations for her
crew are good as could be desired Her bulwarks
OF three -eighths iron, arranged be removed in
action leaving her deck only four feet above She
has two iron masts, with wire rigging, two propclcrs
magnificent engines ten feet below the water line and
bowsprt arranged to be hos,ed and give the
a clear way In cutting down a hostile ship. Her
foremast in addition to her wire rigging has heavy
extending from the sides Of the deck to the
foretop, but these intended to be removed in
gagement to be out Of the way Of the guns the
tueL The hull has ten inches OF teak and inches
OF iron plating The turret consists OF eleven inches
OF teak and eight and a.hnlf inches OF ron and six
feet high above the deck, although the floor the
than that outside aordng plenty OF room
for working the guns There two three hundred
FOUNDER Armstrong rined guns in the turre and two
forty FOUNDER guns of the manufacture open
tey deck The turre is worked by hand sixteen men
being required for that purpose the two
Founders divided by iron PARTITION and require
six each The only objections that present them
selves the forccase and poop deck which prevent
firing forward astern the heavy iron mass and the
complicated machinery used in working the guns The
latter entirely different from the American system
and is not only complex to bewilder any who
undertakes to understand it, but very liable to dis
arrangement in the excitement OF action. There is
complete labyrinth Of chains and cogvhec and cran
and shafts and ropes &c, the OF which nothing but
long practice can faminrize with Her officers
speak in heh terms OF her scagong qualities with the
exception that she ships great deal OF water and there
doubt that she could sink capture the Numanca
in a few minutes II properly handled Compared with
the Monadnock she inferior for the that she
has large surface OF hull exposcd her guns cannot
have sweep consequence Of her masts and FORE
castle her turrets heavy easily handled
and her red Armstrong;, was repeatedly proved dur
ing the rebellion have much effect than our smooth
borcs OF the caibrc, at short range IL de-
monstrated during our war that our eesen-nch shell
shot than the thrteen-nch red Armstrong Our fifteen
inch guns must Of course, be proportionaey de-
structve
The Independence is broadsidc ship OF 900 tons,
ans feet long a fcet inches beam. az feet inches
several watcrghi compartments and amidshps her hull
is double She carries twelve seventy FOUNDER rihed
Armstrong; and two hundred and fty FOUNDER Arm
strongs pivots the spar deck Her plating for the
protection Of her boilers and machinery and eight OF her
guns Is four and half inches thick, and extends from
four feet below the line the spar deck The re
mandcr OF her plating Is or the same thickness but
tends from four feet below water ~ four feet above Her
gun deck 10 about eight fee, above water this
spar deck with the pivot guns and above those
riss the buwarks her sides presenting surface Of at
lcast twenty-five feet In height She also has steel
ram, and carries steam launch with two rfed howit-
gers Her cabin and wardroom are very large. The
latter IL richly panclled with birds eye maple and has
accommodations tor sixteen officers The staierooms
are also very commodou and the quarters OF officers
are In every respect superior 10 any naval vessc
This ship has an for the Of her commander
n action and also has iron partitions forward and AFT OF
her machinery and boilers SO as 10 protect them from shot
received In her bows stern As her machinery IL
feet below the wafer line however there is not much
danger TO be apprehsnded for from rrciecties She
has made fourteen knots an hour and g undoubtedly
equal 70 any broadsde ship Of her sire With her
ment she should be able 70 overpower the Numancia,
which, though Of 1000 tons burden and similarly
structed. has nothing heavier than eight.inch guns
the FLEgr.
The corvettes Union and America are each OF 200
tons and carry twelve eight.inch guns apecehc two
vessels being exactly similar except thai the latter has
iron masts These ships were constructed In Nantes for
the Confcdsrasa Their hulls are models o. symmetry
and they attrncs but te less attention than the ron
clads The Unoa is flag ship Of the squadron, but Ad
mrai Banco will transfer his lag TO the ndcpendencia be-
fore leaving Valparaiso The Covadonga Esmcralda and
Msipu Ane gunboass and would do good work In an
engagement The Esmeraida was compeled by bad
weather 70 put in 70 Conception on her way up and
stin absent well - tho frisats Apurmac, These are
expected 70 arrive to-mouov.
me presence Of the squadron In the harbor has given
life to Valparaiso before exhibited Tho wharves
and mols have bean crowded with people All day, and
Thousands have gone on TO the ships In small boats
smes was almost impossible TO move about "a the YES
ssaJa coossapsncc Of The thrnns Of Yxt9fA aea "