New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-07-11
NAVAL. SCIENCE ABROAD.
WHAT THE MoSITOR gPREsEsTs-IMPoRTASr NAVAL
QUESTIONS STARTED BIZ HER CONSTRUCTION
WHO ARE RIGHT AMERICAN sHIPBUnDEas O
BRITISH

WHO ARE RIGHT i-AMERIcAS sHIPBUTLDERs On
BRITISH
From The Times June r.
A strange vessel with "a strange figure and stu
stranger name anchored Spithesc IL was oncs
actually mentioned official difficulty IN an admiralty re-
port could be conveniently discovered or oux
new ships of war but the Americans have multiplied then
gaes fyiol without mourning any such
They call their ships after the rivers OF tHer county
given by the earliest settlers the American cruisers
ore christened in the language OF toe RED inotsnH
What the Mant0uomAh may actuy signify IN that tonsus
shall not proceed TO inqarei whaI SUI
very Importance indeed she Is rear genuias
Monitor true specimen Of that singular fee: on wi&ch the
Americans rely FOR their position the AS these 'es
sells resemble other floating things rfoows Utmost insv
itabiy thai II the American shpDrders are gnt oes
be wrong and it is imperative duty TO Investigate ne
subject without prejudice or dely .
An American Monitor involves TWO principles OF construe'
ton necessarily connected The first which was the ors
principle Mr. Ercsson design consists In withdrswise
CONSTITUTES the broadsde The original Monitor which has
gyen generic name all ships built her model had
mere raft But this conhgaon hardly admitted OF q
armament the idea OF conceived, in which
SrGs Of the de.isa It should be understood
however. that the turret principle had Originally 70
It's object simply 10 provide for toe carriage 0 gum
which could not be carried otherwise or esewher Inc ns
AID leading idea protect the vessel by submesion snd
then the invented as necessary platform or ne
guns Between these two ideas there Is no essential eonneo
ton IL IS quite possible o. build turet ship as high OCT -
the old wooden gste for TIE turet prncies
in itself represents nothing ont az improved method oil carry
iron would show the system Of armament
Scarcely however lad the Monitors been produced whom
new and UNEXPECTED advantage found % attach 10 them
brought into Of caioer aud weght IN
known before and yea no canon were TOO heavy 70 o =
till they produced fpound guns for sea service sn1
as they built Monitors with tarros instead 81
one single vessel could carry the Mantononah does four
these enormous In fact twas IN this particular oapa
t that the new taret ships acquired their reputation Theirs
natural presumption other things being equal In favor
the biggest gun and the biggest guns beyond al douoI wefs
to be found IN turret ships ms Drought 'ul,et sP IL
luf
sonabe the mg'ogs entertained OF their success a.
all the American turei ships did as matter o. Ae. eoas
the comparative sabmersOn OF their hu with the tares
system OF armament Il doubted whether such vessels
could live at be made hsbitsh. for Their crew
Nor were such doubts confined this country or 20
Europe The Secretary of the American Navy stated.
IN official report, that the monitors eoad hos
or four Of them actually fouRdered while was thoughs
advisable in the Of others on active service 20 chsSs
their crews three days More recently now
ever probably account OF improvement introduced -
Americans have Vehtlte6 70 snu Si ~ rs sna ,,.ds
very good weather the Mantonomah has crossed sne Az
lantio to our shores and n IS sa wou a AZ!
and the vessels the newest specimens OF 'ne eias
our on me present occasion Il should first be sscertansA
whether vessel lying low IN The voter as the Manonoman
possibly such vessels emergencies but OF shas
hey NAV De 10 do always or in the regular roans
fsrvice Tbs We NAV saw ia the most important inquiry
81 all We have already observed that snip oi shy
vanages the would be lost The strength for In.
stance of the consists not only In her oans
guns but in the offers mark except her tares
the guns of She not actually quite 80 nav On
water be- but her submerson Is 50 s'e
that she appears TO have no broadside at al .
Another point OF interest supplied by the peculiar areS
carried In the Mantonomshs turre Her guns are 40
ers but they bear resemblance TO what British gun w9as
he Of that cabre They shaped Ike saltwater bottles
and thew are made throw their enormous shot al ow
velocity with comparatively small charges Of powder fes
instance ordinary service charge OF these guns ony
35b-though said 6Ob charge might De used
the charge sof the Bellerophons $50 FOUNDERS taD ~
would very interesting TO ascertain the rear mefl Vi
the Dahgren principle As compared with the S'om
arterists We have hitherto been LETT In the
darn about the power OF the American guns nor csa
we tell now whether l2tun gun may not be as effect
nal against armor plating heavier different prs.
chile Other conditions being equal the weight OF the shs
and the magnitude Of the charge would determine the
tage bat the other conditions equal The Dsn
gren gun different nom cannon as the hiantono
Is nom ironcads and may possibly learn some""s
nom neighOors IN artillery well ship building
Ia conclusion let hope that the represenatif OF me
American navy may find cordsl and hospitaDle Veo.o N
couary Such visitors should be received WIZ
than the curiosity which their ships nanray esse
have only American shpsotwar IN oar potW
the Assistant Secretary q the American Nary VITA "a
also Tie opportunity excellent one Tor showing how ma
and cordial the anity between the Two naons oug
BE- and w ugst may lot b. allowed pea anppasse-