New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-25
DIR NAVAL DEFENsEs.'
THE SPANISH IRoN-CLADs TOO HEAVY TO ENTER ORR
HARBoRs-CAPACITY OF OUR WOODEN VESSELS
TO RESIST THOSE OF SPAIN.

lGENBRAL PRESS DlsPATCH.I
WASHINGTON, Nov. A.-The war feeling IN
Washington seems to be upon the decline although
naval preparations arc as active ever and large num-
bers of officers are detailed for duty daily Three iron
clads will be ready for in ten days,
and four or five more viii be ready ID
six weeks. Much has been said about the for
midable Spanish irOn-clads entering our ports In
case of a war with Spain; bait old and experienced
officers here express the opinion that no one OF the
Spanish ironclads any armOrcd ship OF the foreign
powers could NcwYork harbor except in case OF
an extraordinary tide and then great care would nave
TO be exercised. Even il they should come in they
would be like stranded whale. and fall an easy prey
The great draft Of these vessels, none OF them
drawing less than &c feet readers them OF no
Use except in very deep water. About the
ouly port coast which they could enter without
trouble would be Newport, r. l. 1t has been argued
that in of with spain the policy OF the span
ards would be attack ports along the coast; Dut
this not believed by naval officers. tThey express
the opinion that the Spanish navy would concentrate
about Cuba. with view to prevent an attack
by the American force that island. Should
they attempt 10 come on coast they would
be defeated very The spaniards would
no doubt make every attempt to break up our commerce
on the high seas But wooden vessels would not be
entirely useless many suppose would be the case
Armed as many of them are with II and l5inch guns
they would be efficient great extent In protecting
our commerce against Spanish vessels OF similar con
strucon which would he used 10 prey upon American
commerce.
It must he borne in nd too that several OF the best
ron-cads which Spain had now in the hands OF the
Intnnscente at Cartagena, and before they could De
used against us some arrangement would have TO be
made by the Spanish Government 10 reconcile this dis
orderly element at home and regain possession OF the
vessels which is not ut all probable Every Spanish
ship captured or disabled by Of our vessels would
be out of the way entirely, as their
places could not be supplied, the spanish
Republic being very poor ana heaVV III
debt Hence il is believed their navy would soon be
DESTROYED vessels they now have were built
in either England or France and the means for fur
nishlng iron alone suitable for ships armOr are very
limited in SPAIN they could not carry the building OF
vesselsofwar TO any extent while we could easily send
out new and powerful frequently. The wooden
frgates OF SPAN inferior to ours and would NOT DC
able successful night with American vessels OF
this class
THE NEw-YORK HARBoR THIS CITY AMPLY PRO-
TECTED-TuE ADVANTAGES OF THE NEW TOR
PEDo sYsIENI--GEN wRIGHI's EXPLANATIONS.
The issuing of orders at Washington for
the STRENGTHENING and repairing Of The forts and de-
fenses along the coast in view OF threatening compca
tons with Spain far the only indications OF any
part to be taken by military the hostile prepare
tons At Gen. Hancocks headquarters orders rela-
tive 10 such preparations have been received as yet and
it's generally understood there that preparations refer
mainly to the manufacture Of ordnance the business TO
be carried on lies chiefly between the War Department
and the arsenas As far as the forts defending this city
concerned, the officers stationed In this Department.
consisting of Gems Wright, Tower, Gilmore and New
ton, have been strengthening and repairing them
throughout the Summer, until they believed TO
be as near mpre enable and impossible engineering
skin OF the present day make them The force has
not been increased recently TAe ordnance officers at
Gen. Uancock's headquarters have received no orders
10 provide the forts in the har5Or with heavy ordnance
Gen Wright, in conversation with a TRIBUNE reporter,
said that NewioIk was defensibc at two important
points against attack 10y enemys ships. At ThrOggs
Neck on the River the Sound stands Fort schuy
ler and opposite, the fort at Wetts Point, both well
adapted Tor the heaviest guns uch smooth pore or u
inch rife, and commanding between them the narrowest
neck Of the Sound. Fort Columbus on Governors
Island and its bateresaro also capable Of holding heavy
Is inch smooth bore 12uchrae cannon Fort Hani-
ton and its batteries have been undergoing repairs and
improvements all Summer and the mortar battery has
been supplied with six trayerses, the en-
frances TO the magazines have been
finished, and sea-wall to the lower
battery has carried up two courses and is ready
for coping The defenses here have been mace Of
earth IL being yet mooed question what material s
best for Notifications. Fort Tompkns just opposite. is
the most important work in the harbor. covering the
nil on staten Island nj high elevation and just in the
rear of a most imposing array OF ealthWorKs ana de-
e habor and are thought 70 be proof against any iron
or steel feet of gunOOats could fnd opportunity to
Aine against them The guns in use are the heaviest
in the service On the te Of Old Fort lafayette
tbe engineers have plans made for casemated bat
terry for heavy ordnance, which being 80 near
the channel Of the Narrows Will be able to do incacu
liable damage 10 hostile noet attempting the passage
The batteries at Sandy Hook not 20 be depended
mon for very heavy work, but the channel runs near
nern and they command tue anchorage ground in the
lower bay. and woud consequently prevent all enemy's
ACT from, living inside and thus sailing up the Narrows
peyond the Hook there is no anchorage, and fleet
conld mot have the advantage on Gil occasions OF
sn,ooth sea for an attack, which II could have
inside IL is impossible 10 obstruet the ehahnel
al sandy Hook because of the depth OF water ana
the strong tide but torpedoes could be laid there WIZ
good effect and the engineers are ready Tor laying them
in case of necessity. The torpedo, continued Gen.
Wright will prove of the most effective deienses IN
our harbor IN all future exgencies We have new In
ventoa ,n that line which so far We have managed 10
secret It's such that by contact OF
n vessers keel with a "tell-tale" concealed buoy
lust under the waters surface koy touched AZ inc
operatorts hand, and he can then explode the tof-
pedo or not he chooses The advantage
of this is obvious. Heretofore we could explode
torDedoes with accuracy chiefly by watching ana
euespg when the ships are them. BY the present
contrvance we know that the ship is directly over the
torpedo and one touch Of the finger blows her to atoms
Another advantage is that can lay the torped0es
many DAYS previous 10 the lime when hostile Meet
10 arrive, and vessels may safely rlde over the
We have arrangements made TO sink not one put o"
torpedoes the Earrows, occasion requires ana the
greatest part Of the time 10 be consumed ia SINKING 'ha'
humber will DO In the process OF conveying theh u!
barge from the ordnance ofce TO the NarrowS' pro
Dorhona;e number will also he sunk at the pass between
Eor Qcbu vlo and