The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-29

aterward or lcred TO be fitted on. tor foreign
staten and the o'lplnal weights restored: Dnt
the loreinast having been shifted aud iorccastle
bnilt NJ on her, there remained only room enough
for two pivot guns. Therefore these were
"G SongH satteyu weight or Broadsfde
Two ll.inch. $4,000 Us. ..2l2 lbs tsh"n
Two g. nch. 5000 lbs.......... y lbs. lsne,,l
One 0-pounder, 5,4O0 lbs. 20 los SHELLY
Four "a ounder,
lOwitZers...
Toro,s .s5,4oo lbs 404 lbs.
The Wachusett was particularly the exponent or
the cooper around the cask" idea.a swi T. handy,
LIGHT draugft powerfully armed craft, which
should be able TO Keep the sea In all weather under
canvas. The armament assigned was:-Flrst bat
terv two lt-incn, onr 3l-pounders, ot u cwt one
30.poupder, rine; one 2G-pounder. rife. O0mmo-
dore Wilkes, wAo taG his nag on board when she
was first fitted out, proposed an alteration OF the
battery 20 Second battery one 1O0-pounder, 200
lhs ten s-incD, o. 90 cwi., or II $685. OF l3 cwt-
6l,d00 or 577e2 one ao-pounder rlne $500 lbs He
ana n distribution OF their weight in broadside
would tend very much 70 prevent lne vessel rom
pivot guns, 1t Is entirely out OF the question
sea- way.
There ia not an officer under my command but IL
satisfied with the nadeuuacy oil tho armament Of
these vessels ana the useessness Of having such
large ana heavy clureo And lie recommen led u
brOadsde battery Or all small stem now In
COMMISSION. This SUBJECT OF oroads,de ana PIVOT
guns VIII be discussed lurtner on: Dut my own
experience Is that the llnch can ne cast loose
and handled in seaway when 1t would be diff
cult and dangerous with the DI0aGsiQe guns. The
vessels OF the Wachuseit class were not INTENDED
to perform tue functions o. q Oadside vessel ike
tile old reatcs and corveItes as ~ Is evident they
would be very feeble In th,s respect, the weight
thrown from their broadEide not exceeding 800
pounds. BUT tnev were intended to have hlgh
speed, so as TO Overtake leave bro Inside armed
vessels and harass tn IN 10y deliberate practice
with q lew heavy shells at ranges where the guns
OF broadsides could NOT reach. Their light dranght
NOT accessible 10 heavy vessels. Ii the vcsscl was
deficient In the primary conoinon, speed, The pro-
In huftA atV..,
remedy.
AS regards
that belongs to ali propeliers. and increasing the
weights snOuid moderate the movement, but It
dues not appear that this he carried to ~ Oat-
able extent from wan OF capacity, nor Is there
SUFFICIENT room tor g-inch guns.
However, ner armament has been increased to
q third battery OF
GUS: wetgM Of Broadstde.
Two l-inch. 900 lbs. .z72 lbs.
Four 9-nch.. SO 800 los...... .140 lbs.
Three @-pounder uines) 5000 bs.......... 40 lbs.
Totals. 72,7Oo lbs. 452 los
were designeu to carry the lo-incb Pa rott rihe
(30Ipounder) OF $1,000 los. but such guns were
never PROVIDE, and these vesse were, the5aj.re.
the Kansas carried one il-incn, two sinch ana one
30 FOUNDER ride.
NlpSc carried one u-inch and one 30-pounder
rife.
Nyack carried one 1oOpounder, two s.inch and
one 30pounuer rite.
SnaWmut carried one l00p0under, TWO 9-inCh
ana one 3U.pOunuer rifle.
iant.c. Carried ,our 9.inch and one 30.pounder
ride.
Saco carried 60-pounder, six a2.pounders
and one 3O-pOunder rife.
Pe4uot carried oae jl-pound, n, six 32-pounders,
one 20-pounder rifle and Two 24-pounder nowitzcrs
WI lie the oattery Originally assigned to these
ships was one 3o0-pOunder rifle ana two 2+pounder
huWitzera.
Suriclent has been stated to show the principle
on which { re armament IL Dased
FIRST The aggregate assigned to ordnance by
Naval in dist rihut' Woir
SecOaG-Ihe weight OF battery wnlch ex er-
ence shows Can be safely and conveniently car
that allowed on the gwen displacement
1nira-rne smallest number and heaviest pieces
which can be conveniently handled having due
regard TO speed and tonnage.
It Is TO be observed that since the introduction
OF iui power into steamers tue space below has to
be carefully apportloned. and that the addition
OF even single gun crowds the magazine, shell
ana store ruulS.
Having. then, determined the total weight OF bat
terry ior u gwen tonnage, next in importance ia It's
distribution, with aue regard to the accuracy,
power and range OF the guns.
The POWER OF A SNiP-OI-wAR
may always be in proportion 70 ner capacity, and
tne iareest sill ps can always DO made the most
rOwct vi III offence as well AS dc ence. The smaller
SHIPS, ON me contrary. can never be made more
enecnvc ihan the larger, unless the means oil the
to he uln Is the ABILITY to handle ne prs
jecte IN tbs confined quarters OF a ship. subject
to violent mOiions OF rolling and pitching. For
obvious reasons only one man can conveniently
handle the shot II broads,de gun and out TWO
that OF pivot gun, ana experiment prov g that
the 9-lu n and l1uch are the largest slelis which
can he so naudled nltn ease There are, Gow ever,
many persons o. the opinion that some smaller
cailurc, 3l-pOlnd or 6-incn substituted IN broad.
side Tor g-ncn, may by ceierttv Oh nre and beng
more numerous Or the same weight OF battery
more than compensate for diminished accurA Cy aud
power. THIS Is entirely IallacvuS, and mas Deen
completely reuted by Admiral Dahlgren IN shell
and rifle guns.
LIT we wlll here repeat the :srsument:- :.
'Ihe reasoning In favor OF the S-tnch against the
9.inch Is, that with The same weight one caa have
more cannon and fire iasLer; the weight OF metal
thrown Is nucn increased. This argument Is not
new; 1t was onered IN 1872 by the English Tor pre-
ierrng tn Is Uuidcr to the 24-pOunder. and has
no better foundation now than IT had then.n
Tue S.IIch weighs $500 lbs, the 9.nch eco lbs.
the rat JeIng 0392, or nearly northumberland 49,
three S-inch cannon weigh as heavy TWO OF
0-nch.
Inc s-inch throws three shells OF 81 lbs, 1888 lbs.
the 9-luch two OF ~ ib3., LA lis.
Ia actual trial ~ tie pattefy here the 9-inch gun
has been fired five rounds at an average Oi fifty
three seconds per round.
Isl likely that an S-lnch gun can be fred more
rapidly
ON board the Plymouth, commanded by myself,
and then G using as the ordnance snip, trial was
made RAPID nrlns, with tne following result
UNITED STATES SHIP PLYMOUTH,
OFF CAPE CAToCHE sept. 10, 1858. I
Guns manned Dy the regular crews; II to g.
inch ana IL To S-lnch; guns ron IN and AL ready
Ntne-InCh. EiOht.issch.
NJ s. NJ 8.