The New York herald., 1872-12-22
OUR NAVAL DEFICIENCIES.
Tho Unprotected Condition Of Our Great Sea-
board and Large sesports-How New
York Harbor Could Be Entered by
aHostile Iron-Clac Fleet.

IL Is but short time since I noticed you alluded
TO the report OF the United States Army Engineer
to the Secretary OF War upon harbor defences and
you congratulated the people that this most impor-
tant matter appeared to command their attention,
meaning, Doubtless the attention OF the officers OF
the army. Why, that has been the case for years,
and would 1t not be well Tor you to make it COM
mand the attention OF the legislators at Washing
ton, so that by our army and navy our great sea-
board cities at least may be protected from being
laid at the mercy OF an active energetic enemy
Supply the army with guns and carriages to mount
them on, and powder Of proper initial velocity to
drive the shot efectually to do its work upon the
enemy. Give the navy some ships to do their
work, repair the iron-clads at League Island that
can be repaired, have system of tOrpedOes for Of
fensive and defensive operation. l wish now to
state that the vast improvements In the modern
foreign navies give us no timely warning,
for they are all ready, and we shall awake
to the fact some day GOD grant it may be SOON
that we are far behind them in iron-clads, mon-
tors, harbor defences and the wonderful destruc
tive torpedo Already have we too long acted
upon the supposition that we are well prepared,
and may not a continuation Of this blind policy
cause some OF our beautiful seaboard cities to fall
an easy prey to their iron-clad fleets whenever
they may see fit to hurl them upon usr will I'M
agine and at this time 1t Is not at all an i'm
probable one.
Imagine war with England and their ron-clad
Channel feet combined with their iron clad Meai-
tcrranean feet. with their wooden war and trans
port fleet, ordered to proceed to and force an
entrance into the port OF New York. We will sup
pose we have thirty or sixty days. notice, which
would be q long notice. 1t may well be asked, How
will we meet thems Possibly some enthusiast may
answer, BY our ron-cad vessels; the local forts
tho
see what we have ready and can
get ready to meet this fleet Of the
English, consisting or seventeen ponderous
iron-clads, backed with thirty-six wooden war
steamers, mounting from twelve to eighty guns
each, with transport fleet of fifty steamers They
VIII al rcadiy steam across tne ocean rom the
| appear of the harbor OF New York. WE'LL we
duly notified and we send thousands of men to the
fort at Sandy Hook, which Is without gun; also
we send men to the works on Staten Island; we
work earnestly at Forts Hamilton and Lafayette.
We next place in commission our available iron
clads. Let us see what we have. The Roanoke Is
at New York with six guns; she is an old wooden
frigate plated with four inches of iron. We hurry
guns; we order up the Saugus from Philadel-
phia or Fortress Monroe, with her two ls-inch
rightly informed by the Secretary OF the Navy's
report, all the wooden iron.clads have de-
six OF the iron ones are considered nt
for repair by giving them iron beams and decks,
& ye1 10 9s ane ana WIN ke ns
ready. We now call in all our West India squad
ron and commission all the available wooden
steamers, and at the very most we get together q
squadron OF fifteen wooden vessels and four IRON
clads, three OF which are monitors. The army and
navy jointly plant the Lower Bay and Narrows with
all the torpedoes that can be made, and each and
every ship carries supply of torpedoes.
The English fcet comes along in SAY sixty
days; our forts have been placed IN the very best
OF condition the time will admit OF and the feet
as alluded to above are at anchor in the. Lower
render and refused and with usual Yankee pluck
the Dictator, Roanoke, Saugus and Puritan go out
side OF Sandy Hook ana M engage eng M the enemy's best
clad guns OF 1fteennch calibre must and will have
telling effect at first; an English iron-clad or two
would be disabled; but when the impinging
fire Of such guns they could bring to
bear upon the decks Of our vessels were
felt the monitors decks would be smashed in like
egg shells, and the monitor soon disabled. Again,
we will suppose the enemy, with their superior
speed OF ten to twelve knots to our five to seven
knots lay aboard Onr monitors. Here the destrAc-
the Dctsor 'Gs RoanoRe saagus and Puritan s0s go
down side by side with four OF the English iron.
clads.
SO much for our monitor defences OF New York.
The English Admiral orders an advance into the
twelve iron-clads in order; his wooden war steam
ers and transports are still uninjured; his wooden
steamers he will order to pass the Bar, and they
must take the chances OF the first planted tor
pedoes-indeed, he expects to lose say six OF them
Suppose they are permitted to pass unnjured ana
the torpedoes held for the iron-clads, that soon
follow. The wooden fleet engage the Yankee fleet
In the Lower Bay inside Sandy Heck, both lighting
with torped0es as well as their batteries. Soon
they are graphing ship for snip, and they
mutually sink and are destroyed say side by side.
Down they go together. The English iron-clad feet
has been advancing IN line to pass the bar at
Sandy Hook. They hardly pay any attention to the
unprepared fort there Their leading ship is sunk
by q torpedo, the same as our monitor was at Mo-
bile; but on go the others by the main ship
channel: perhaps with another iron,ciad sunk near
Sandy Hook Point or southwest Spit buoy, or dis
abled by lucky shot from some fifteen or twenty
inch gun, and they steam through the destroyed
wooden fleet in the Lower Bay, and up channel,
nine In ALL they go for the Narrows Here the IRON
clads tear naught from the forts save the chance
fifteen or twenty inch shot that can be fired. The
snOt from the other guns mounted there cannot
penetrate them. Torpedoes OF course, may sink
one or more, but on they 60 seven in all, up past
Again they take the chances OF torpedOes and the
occasional fifteen or twenty inch shot, but on they
CO. and rushing past, they turn into the North and
| beautiful New York.
| The attempt to enter the strongest front to
easier will it be come by the way OF Long Island
Sound, past Fort Schuyler and thence through the
Gate thus avoiding Sandy Hook fort, Staten
Island Fert Hamilton, Lafayette. Bedloe's Island,
Governors Island and Ellis Island)S have sup
posed no impossible result, prepared as we are
now and write in no spirit OF detraction, but
with the earnest wish that we may be awakened to
proper preparation anG not be without perfect
torpedo system Tor both army and navy. Good
substantial forts, properly armed with heavy guns;
good powder and naval vessels OF great speed
heavy guns and ready to operate with positive"
working torpedoes; our monitors all in good order
and least torpedo vessel for each great city.
Alone with the view OF urging the fatality OF eav-
ing our seaboard cities open to the successful
attack OF an active, prepared and brave enemy Is
this article written. Yours &C., DEFENCE.
SUPERINTENDENT MACGREaOR AND THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT.