New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-19
STRENGTH OF OUR NAVY.
EFFICIENCY OF OUR IRoS-CLADs FOR HARBoR DE-
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES; POINTS ABOUT THE MON
IToRs-NAyAL ORDNANCE.

EFFICIENCY OF OUR IRoS-CLADs FOR HARBoR DE-
FENsE-vULNERABLEs POINTS ABOUT THE MON
IToRs-NAvAL ORDNANCE.
GENERAL PRESS DISPATCH,
WASHINGTON Nov. 1S.-It was generally believed
the Cabinet session to-day would have additional
information of an official character from either Min
lister Sickles or COnsu-General Hall relative to the
recent outrages at Santiago de Cuba but there was
nothing to engage the attention of the meeting fur
Their than has already been made public.
A feature of the conversation to-day at
the session the existing activity in naval
matters. There is general satisfaction with the
promptitude of naval officers and IempOyes gener-
ally in responding to the orders of the department
to the end that the service shall soon be in state of
efficiency Naval officers have been approached rela-
tive TO the comparative strength Of the Spanish
and American navies While majority of them
know, from reports which for some years past have
been officially sent to the Department the foFmida
BILE character of the Spanish war ships generally they
have no fear from that fact. Even should war
result it would not be, excepting far as the Island
of Cuba is concerned a war OF invasion part,
and the naval warfare would not be ON the high
seas but confined to the Cuban coast and to parts
of the United States which many prominent officials
here think would he thoroughly protected by iron
clad monitors and torpedo distractions. Old naval
clads, even before these were brought to the
present state Of efficiency, declare, without
hesitation that one of our monitors
could sink Spanish man-of-war in a
;close contest in few minutes. Our monitors hay
ng but little hull visbe-Only Is inches above the
water-li ne-are practically invulnerabe; and even
the part exposed could be still further protected, If
deemed necessary, by means Of tenders A Spaniard
conld of course decline a fight by running away
from the monitor, and the latter not being con-
structed for speed, could not make q successful
pursuit But after the action should be begun, and
the two vessels he in close quarters, monitor
would soon disable it's opponent. The Spanish
war steamers which represented to be of such q
formidable character plated with iron to the
extent of four inches thick but within 900 yards
of monitor this would be considered Of little i'm
portance in the face Of of our powerful 15inch
guns in which are used from ~ to 1OQ, pounds of
powder at single discharge. The Spanish iron
clads being constructed after the model of ordinary
vessels present large hull above the water line,
affording fine marks for our gunners.
The most vulnerable point about a monitor is the
turret, which may be prevented from revolving by
an enemys shot; but great care has been exercised
10 perfect them in this respect. Even should the
turret be disabled, the guns could be directed by
means of the helm. Though this latter course would
occasion some Inconvenience, il would not destroy
the efficiency of the monitor. Again. it has been
said that American ships deficient in heavy
ried ordnance and that every foreign fighting ship
is armed with guns Of that class; but officers of
experience express the opinion that the en-
ploy1nent of riHed ordnance on armed ships
in preference to smooth bores, is anomaly II not
a grave error. vessel of war should be constructed
to resist shot and shell at the shortest distance and
they argue that dfed piece is inferior to smooth
bore at very short range, say 800 1900 yards.
Generally the smOoth-bore 10 inst effective at dis
Sec FkIkPaGs.