The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-09

time without fear Of being captured No ships-of.
war could catch them. These vessels could safely
20 into the British Channel. and In twenty -four
hours could do incaculable mischief by burning
sinking and destroying the merchant marine OF the
English and ct the same time supply themselves
with coal from the collieries. They could also
destroy many OF the vessels OF tho British trade
passing through the Straits OF Malacca and
OF Surinam, ana lie in wait for the
.homeward and outward bound Australians,
and. as everything would be destroyed, they could
help themselves to coal and provisions before
destroying. OF course many English ships would
be conveyed by vessels OF war, but
THE srRAGGLERs WOULD BE PICKED UP.
and three or four vessels, acting In concert could
get In among convoy In a dark night and do great
damage before being discovered. All this class of
vessels could be made powerful torpedo ships, car
ryng eight or ten torpedoes, co be rugged out from
each broadside on plans now projected In our navy
ana, having great force, they could at night close
with the heaviest irOn-clad and destroy
her. Our naval ships are not all t for use for the
most OF them are very slow and they would have
to be laid up. War would break up all the lines of
British steamers running to this country. the
profits OF which to England are now more than
seventy-fve millions year. Our fast privateers
would break up all the lines on the west coast Of
America; for passenger ships could not depend
Ing on conveys. But In short time we would
have all the neutral ports OF the world closed
against us, with the exception OF Russia. Prussia
and Denmark, for England would not ike to 60 to
war with these, and they would give us coal. In
short time we could
INPRovIsE RAMS AND IRON-CLADs
to carry heavy guns, out OF tue largest European
steamers These could be used to warn the enemy
from q clO hlOckada N
succeed in entering our principal harbors or ports
and anchor. o feet OF North River steamers. well
managed, would run them all down while at anchor
by attacking at night. No English irOn-clad can
stand our twenty Inch guns nor our twelve-lnch
rifles. but Will resist the ffteeninch with ordinary
charge What we ought to do is 10 appropriate
money sufficient to buy or construct torpedoes for
all our harbors, as the making Of them requires
time, and to construct large number Of electric
batteries. We should plan system for obstructing
harbors with river sloops filed with light timber so
that they would not sink and could be used for
holding up chains. Large chains, heavily plated.
could be got ready IN short time to be used as
channel defences, or they could be covered with
railroad iron. The names OF the best tugboats
should be procured and the vessels examined with
reference to their capacity Tor torpedo boats. Some
OF our best monitors on the stocks should be fitted
for rams and torpedo boats. All the hus OF vessels
with live oak timber should be repaired and
TURNED INTO SEMI-IRoN-CLADS-
that is, ironed below the warer's edge and fitted
with torpedoes We should at once purchase large
supplies Of satpetre for making powder, ana fortfy
some of the points IN our bay where an enemy
would take refuge in bad weather. Gowanus Bay
would be safe anchorage for tlem also Delaware
Breakwater. The government should contract at
once for machinery for making eight-inch plating,
and we should 60 to work casting heavy rlfied ord
nance, in which we are very deficient We should
without delay convert some OF our heaviest
smooth bores into rifled guns on the Parsons sys-
TEN. The English are adopting this system In pref
erence TO the Armstrong and Frazer guns Power
full guns can soon be produced on this system by
converting the smooth bore fifteen inch into tnir.
teen or twelve inch rifle with steel Innings, THIS
could be done with large quantity OF army and
naval ordnance and our ships and forts would be
able to pierce John Bulbs heaviest armor. We have
our advantages. Our people have just come out OF
war with their wits frightened ana full Of
Yankee ingenuity, and as the war showed them
ready for any service, war with England would
not be one-fourth harasslng one with the South
England understands the results that would follow,
and will not indulge IN war. But to show that we
mean work it is our purpose to repair everything
that we have that worth repairing 1t Is proposed
to nave plans OF numberleas small cruisers prepared
SO that we 90 to building at once II the attitude
OF England Is hostile.