New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-09-17

tials in equal degree. The Sevastopol gun boats
possessed tho quality of defensiveness more CON-
pletely than any which have succeeded them, for
their Of proof efectualy protected them from
the weight of metal that was then thrown by the
ordnance in use; which is than can be said Of
many ships since built, 30 rapid have been the i'm
provements of Armstrong, Whitworth, Krupp Dahl
gren, Parrott, Wizard, and other ordnance makers.
When the Crimean war ended Russia had bare
remnant of navy left. Most Of her ships lay at the
bottom of SevastOpol Harbor, some others were
disabled in engagements, and Others had been
rendered practically worthless by age. Contracts,
however, had been made for powerful ships
which could only be delivered after the cessation Of
hostilities among them the General Admiral, which
was built by Mr.. Webb of New-York. This ship had
fine lines and good form, in fact almost identical
with the Franklin, and served as a model for the
Russian constructors, who not slow in adopting
and applying the ideas she suggested. Steam
frgates of the first class had their origin just pre-
vious TO this date IN the building of the six steam
fgates for the United States navy in the early part
of Perce's Administration. These ships will be re-
ferred to in their proper place when come TO speak
of the American navy but l call attention to them
now. the General Admiral 80 closely resembles the
Franklin as to seem az if she were cast in the
same mold, except that she is rather longer.
RUSSIA AFTER THE WAR.
As soon as possible the Russian Government
gagged Capt. Gowan of Boston to raise the fleet in
Sevastopol Harbor, and in due course of time he got
no less than 20 of them afoat Russian naval archi-
tecs and engineers sent out in all directions to
gather information. Every foreign dock yard and
arsenal was explored none more thoroughly than
those of the United States where the authorities cheer
fully furnished oil the facilities required, and the
facts obtained have been judicouslv used in building
up navy that in the size and number of its guns is
match for any navy in the world, and which before
long, if the progress is maintained, will give
Russia the command of the ocean. The ships re-
Gently built are very fine specimens of naval archi
teoture, and none are absolute failures which is
more than can be said for any other Government
No wild scheme has been tried no.mOney nor time
have been spent III trying to do what Others have
found impossible; nothing has been at hap-hazard,
and the consequence is that to-day Russia has better
means at her command to defend her sea-coast
than any other nation, her forts have more
powerful ordnance in position, and her
ships carry more heavy guns in proportion
to her tunnage. They draw little water, and carry
guns weighing in many cases twenty-five TINS each!
In comparison, what should be said of the boosted
navy Of France, which at this very moment cannot
enter German hsrbors to destroy the German Reet,
although it could utterly wipe it's antagonist out of
existence in stand up fghtl OF the Russian ships
thirteen draw less than IL feet inches, and some of
these carry 3O0pounders and 1Sinch guns. One, the
Admiral Lazarew is plated with 6l-inch iron, and
carries battery Of six l5inch guns on draught Of
l6. feet All these ships of iron and built in the
toughest manner possible. The navy list of Russia
now bears the names Of pa ships, among which are
dispatch boats, transports and tenders, but her real
strength is comprised in "a ships and II monitors
n Il nof.r Iha.p
displacement is from $500 TO 6,2N tuns EACH
Their armor plating is from A to
inches thick, and their average speed
1913 knots per hour Their armament
is from the s-inch TO the 15-inch calber, which
would give Russia in battle terribly destructive
power. fort may be battered down, its guns dis
mounted and its magazines blown up, but it cannot
be sunk while ship is liable TO all these casual
tiss.
THE DEFECTS OF IRON SHIPS
II is questionable whether Russia could not DO
better than TO build many ships of war of iron, the
durability of which in point of strength has not been
fully tested 1t VIII not rot 10 be sure, but Its
strength is impaired by corrosion, and it rusts IN
evenly as well as rapidly. Lord Palmerston said
that 1.-THE Warrior fOued so fast that she lost knot
an hour in speed every six weeks she was aHoat"
have seen instances, during my explorations in the
great dock-yards in which -wOrk-bsom-irons,
hoops withes &c.-made of the best and toughest
IRON was found after long exposure TO one atmos-
phere, OF TO confined air, to be the same as cast
IRON the sli ghtest jar breaking it into pieces.
Iron in salt water very soon fouls, making
it necessary TO dock ship often TO clean her bot
TOM and il is impossible to do this without sraining
her somewhat. In Chief Naval Constructor Reeds
work Oh ship-building he gives instance page III
of a ship which had to be dOcked and redocked no
less than three times the rivets breaking and
over again in the operation. j saw not long since
an iron steamer taken in hand TO remove the ma
chinery and rig her for sailing. When the cement,
used on the bottom and ends TO preserve the bolt
heads was taken ont the lower ends of the stern
post and stem, and much of the plating, was found
10 be little better than brown paper, and broke up
into scales of small sizes. The vessel had been IN
use only 16 years. Many wooden ships built of un-
seasoned timber have been found sound at that
Little effort has been made until recently TO pre-
serve shiptmber from decay and the attacks of the
borer lteredO nacdlis but Judge that this highly
important question will be thoroughly looked into
during the next four years. There certain cases
where wooden-ships are cheaper and better than
iron A fair test of iron-ships IN battle has
not been made, but Russia is
drawn into this many facts OF great importance
will be learned. If iron ships are found unable to
stand frequent docking and unlocking their riyets
breaking from the want of more substantial bulk
heads OF even starting in the operation, then the
conclusion will be warranted that the building OF
iron ships is too nice an operation for war purposes,
and must be abandoned The iron ships built for the
Russian Navy are rather heavier than those OF the
same class built elsewhere the general sizes oil the
maIeriaks being a little larger.
RUSSIAN PORTABLE MONITORS. -
The small monitors or gunboas that Russia has an
naked i'm sections raicars, ready for Transports
ION IN the Black Sea at q days notice, are made