Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-09-18
IRoNcLAD FLEETS OF AUSTRIA
AND ITALY.

the affair by the Italian authorities has
now been drawn up and circulated. This
is important, as being an account Of the
first naval engagement with considerable
ironclad fleets on each side. We have
had trials Of ironclads alone, and Of iron
fleets attacking forts and single vessels,
bu. in this case, there were twenty-three
vessels, eleven Of which were ironclads,
on the Italian side, against twenty.three
vessels, OF which seven were ironclads, IN
the Austrian. It seems that although the
Italian commander, Admiral Persano, ex-
pected an engagement with the Austrian
feet, he u~naccountably wasted his strength
IN an attack upon the island Of LISA, till
the enemy were down upon him, when he
had already lost l6 killed and 95 wound
ed, and one Of his best ironclads, the
frigate Formidable, had been put hors du
combat. They had, it is true, effected a
landing and silenced some forts, but the
Aus,rians caught them half ashore and
half aboard, and although the ironclads
covered the re.embarcation Of their men,
yet all was in confusion. The Admiral
quilted his w ship, the Re d'ltalia, and
hois,ed his flag on board the Afondatore,
where he was not in line, but was in one
| of the swiftest ironclads Of his feet. This
proved fortunate for him, as the Re dlta-
ia. from which he moved, was attacked
BY four Austrian vessels, and finally sunk
with all on board. The Afondatore was
a little more fortunate, but she effected
nothing Of consequence. except running
into the Kaiser when that vessel was al
ready surrounded by several other iron.
clads, but even then did her enemy but
little harm.
Here we have. however, a fair naval
battle. in which i. seems the ships on each
side formed intui,ively in two lines. an
outer line of ironclad vessels and another
in the rear Of wooden ones. The two
aeets move against each other in the same
order, ironclads in front, wooden vessels in
the rear. Three Italian vessels dashed
through the Austrian iron-clads and at
tackled the wooden feet of the Austrians
in the rear. But these Italian ships did
not keep well in order, and three Of those
which did not cut through had to bear the
whole bruut of the Austrian iron-clads on
| themselves alone. The Palestro was set
on FIRE BY hand. ~grenades Of the enemy.
and blew up; and the Re d'1talia, after
having had her rudder smashed BY a first
shot, was rendered helpless, surrounded
and sunk by four iron-clads OF the Aus
trans. The Italians then collected their
feet, much damaged every way, but re-
manned in sight till night, as the Aus,rians
admit. while the Italians claim to have
remained on waters where the battle was
fought. The Austrian feet was in no sit
uation to pursue their advantages, but
contend that they did follow up and offer
battle a second time, when the Italians
bore way to the westward, without COM
ing to an engagement.
Il is difficult to avoid the conviction
,ha, both parties had enough Of the fray,
and that the battle came to an unsatisfac-
tory end by mutual consent. The Aus
TRAN squadron, having got a signal ad-
vantage, was afraid of not being equally
successful in a further encounter, and was
therefore quite glad to be secure with the
damage inflicted on the enemy and the
honors won. Their admiral says he for
babe pursui, because it would have been
useless.
From all this, it is clear that when large
navies of iron-clads meet, the plan Of con-
centrating upon one or two vessels and
running them down will very soon drive
all the broadside iron-clads out Of exist
ence, while monitor vessels will not be
anything like so liable to be thus destroy
ed, from having their guns and chief
weight IN the centre, and nos on the sides.
They will also have much less danger
from FIRE, especially Of having hand-gren.
AIDES poured into their PORTFOLIOS. In
fact, il is quite certain that u prevailing
style Of iron ship Of war is thus far the
best.