Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-01-28
KAuEs.


Magasine for February II is fitting, and
to the present writer II ia agreeable, to
take early note of a matter which has per.
haps never before been fully acknow-
lodged, viz, the indebtedness of Great
Britain and OF Europe to the United States
for some Invaluable lessons in naval war
fare which were derived from the heroic
efforts of their great civil war. The
writer is in q position 10 speak with full
knowledge on this point, as his service at
the Admiralty, in charge Of its naval con-
struction, commenced daring the American
conflict, and continued for some years
after It's fortunate conclusion. There can
be no doubt whatever that from the
Monitor and her SUCCESSORS, European
constructors and naval officers derived
some extremely valuable suggestions. The
monitor system itself, pure and simple,
WAS never viewed with favor, and could
mover be adopted by England, except
under the severest restrictions, because
the work of ngland, hiss mainly to be
done upon the high seas and in distant
parts Of the world, and the extremely
small freeboard of tho Monitor, or, in
other words. the normal submersions of
80 very much of the entire ship, is highly
AnSbhhChAOhb hhlb hOb u Albblb
on sea service, as the fate of the Monitor
itself demonstrated. But for the work of
the Monitor was designed to do in inland
waters she was admirably conceived, and
her appearance in the field of naval war.
fare startled seaman and naval construc.
tors everywhere, and gave their thoughts
wholly novel direction. In saying this
am not unmindful that seven years pre-.
L. 4
propelled floating batteries, as they were
called, sheathed with iron and sent them
to operate against the defenoes of Russia.
But useful as these vessels were in many
respects, their construction presented nc
striking novelty of design, and their EN-.
ployment was unattended by any dramatic
Incidents to powerfully impress the naval
mind. The Monitor was both more move
and more fortunate, and opened her careei
CATER severe struggle for life at sea
with 30 notable display of her offensive
and defensive qualities that all eyes
turned to the scene of her exploits, and
scanned her with degree Ct interest
unknown to the then existing generation
of sailors and ship-builders. Her form
and character were in most respects singu
lar, her low deck and erect revolving
tower being altogether unexampled il
steamship construction. He must have
been a dull and conservative naval archi
teot indeed whose thoughts Ericsson't
wonderful little fighting ship did no
stimulate into unwonted activity. But
the service rendered to Europe was mo-
confined to the construction and exploits
of the Monitor ITSELF The coasting pas
sage, and later on. the sea-voyages, Of
other vessels of the monitor-type, but Of
larger size, were watched with intense
interest, and gave to the naval world in
structiye experiences which could in ne
other way have been acquired. Some Of
these experiences were purchased at the
cost of the lives of gallant men, and tina
fact enhanced their value.
It is not possible to dwell at length
upon the means by which the monitor
influence took effect in the navies o.
Europe, but it may be doubted whether
ships like the Thunderer, Devastation ant
Dreadnought, which naval officers declare
to be to-day the most formidable of al
British war ships, would have found thei
way so readily into existence if the moni
tors of America had not encouraged sucl
large departures from old world ideas
In this sense the Times correctly STATED
some years ago that the American moni
tors were certainly the progenitors of GU
Devastation type" The one ship in tn
British navy which comes nearest to tn
American monitor, in respect of tn
nearness of her deck TO the water, is tn
Citation, very exceptional vessel, an,
designed under very peculiar stress O
circumstances. But even in her case, q
in that of every other armored turret shi1
of the present writer's design, the base Q
the turret and the hatchways over tn
machinery and boilers were protected b
an armored breastwork standing higi
above this low deck, whereas in til
American monitors the turret rests upo
the deck, which is near the smooth sea-
surface.
We have here, in the features Just cor
trasted, the expression of q fundamentt
difference of view between the America
system, as applied to sea-going turrt
ships and the European system of -goin
ships introduced by the writer. II hi
never been possible, in our Judgment o
the British side of the Atlantic, to regar
even such monitors as the Puritan an
Dictator were designed to be, as sufi
GENTLY proof to sea perils. At the tim
when these lines are being penned, til
following paragraph is appearing
English newspapers: ''The Cunar
steamer Servia arrived at New York We
terday, being three days overdue. Durin
aheavy sea the boats, the bridge and IL
funnel were carried away and the saIoo
was flooded" Any one who ht
seen the Servia, and observed IL
great hight above the smoot
seas surface at which her boats, bride
and funnel are carried, will be at no loi
to infer why it is that we object to shiI
with upper decks within two or three fet
only of that surface. In short, it can |
demonstrated that ships of the latter tyr
are liable, in certain possible seas, to
completely engulfed even to the very tor
of their tunnels. In the case of ii
Citation, which had to be produced /
conformity to ideas some of which WEI
not those of the designer, one or tW
devices were resorted to expressly i
order to secure, in an indirect name
some increase of the assigned buoyanc,
and thus to raise the upper deck aboyei
prescribed hight. The officers wi
served in her, however, judiciously r
garded her, on account of her low dec
as fit only for harbor service or restricte
coast defence.
very dangerous combination, as Il
writer regards it, was once proposed f,
his adoption by the representative of
colonial government, but was successful
resisted. This was the association
"Coles" or English turret (which pen
trates and passes bodily through Il
weather deck) with low American mo-
itor deck. This was opposed on Il
ground that with such an arrangeme
there must of necessity be great dang
at sea of serious leakage around the ba
OF the turret as the waves swept over Il
lower deck. 1t would be extremely dit
cult TO give to the long circular apertu
around the turret any protection viii
would be certain, while allowing t
turret to reyolve freely, both to withstal
the fire of the guns and to resist the
tack of the sea.
1t will now be understood that VIII
the monitor system was from the fiji
highly appreciated in Europe, and me
especially in England, it never "
adopted in its American form in I
British navy. Russia, Holland and sol
other powers did adopt it, and the Dut
government had to pay the penalty in t
total disappearance of ship and or,
during short passage in the North S
hAom ohe none port TO hnotner. In
largely altered form, and with ma
notifications and additions due to Ell
lish ideas of sea service, it was, howev
substantially adopted in the three pow,
full ships already named, of which OIL
the Dreadnaught, now bears I
flag of the British admiral W
commands the Mediterranean file
II the opinion of officers who have sery
in these ships may be accepted
sufficiently conclusive, it was a great N