1863.] Iron-Glad Ships and Heavy Ordnance. 85

IRON-CLAD SHIPS AND HEAVY ORDNANCE.

THE new system of naval warfare inated armor, (several thicknesses of which characterizes the age was pro- thin plates,) harder and stronger iron posed by John Stevens of Hoboken dur- offers greater resistance to shot, and ing the War of 1812, recommended by steel crumbles less than when it is thick- Paixhans in 1821, made the subject of er. The value of hard surfaces on in- official and private experiment here and clined armor will be alluded to. in Europe during the last ten years Solid and Laminated A rmor compared. especially, subjected to practical test at Backing. European experimenters set Kinburn in 1855, recognized then by out upon the principle that the resist- France and England in the commence- ance of plates is nearly as the square ment of iron-clad fleets, first practised of their thickness, — for example, that by the United States Government in two 2-inch plates are but half as strong the capture of Fort Henry, and at last as one 4-inch plate; and the English, at established and inaugurated not only in least, have never subjected it to more fact, but in the principle and direction than one valuable test. During the of progress, by the memorable action last year, a 6-inch target, composed of the ninth of March, 1862, in the de- of J-inch boiler-plates, with a 1^-inch struction of the wooden sailing-frigates plate in front, and held together by al- Cumberland and Congress by the steam- ternate rivets and screws 8 inches apart, ram Merrimack, and the final discomfit- was completely punched; and a 10-inch ure of that powerful and heavily armed target, similarly constructed, was great- victor by the turreted, iron, two-gun ly bulged and broken at the back by Monitor. the 68-pounder (8 inch) smooth-bore The consideration of iron-clad vessels especially, and the 100-pounder rifle at involves that of armor, ordnance, pro- 200 yards, — guns that do not greatly jectiles, and naval architecture. injure the best solid 4j-inch plates at the same range. On the contrary, a 124-pounder (10 inch) round-shot, hav- ARMOR. ing about the same penetrating power, Material. In 1861, the British iron- as calculated by the ordinary rule, fired plate committee fired with 68-pound- by Mr. Stevens in 1854, but slightly in- ers at many varieties of iron, cast-steel dented, and did not break at the back, and puddled-steel plates, and combina- a 6§-inch target similarly composed. tions of hard and soft metals. The All the experiments of Mr. Stevens go steel was too brittle, and crumbled, and to show the superiority of laminated the targets were injured in proportion armor. Within a few months, official to their hardness. An obvious con- American experiments have confirmed clusion from all subsequent firing at this theory, although the practice in the thick iron plates was, that, to avoid construction of ships is divided. The cracking on the one hand, and punch- Roanoke's plates are solid; those of ing on the other, wrought-iron armor the Monitor class are laminated. Solid should resemble copper more than steel, plates, generally 4j inches thick and except that it should be elastic, although backed by 18 inches of teak, are exclu- not, necessarily of the highest tensile sively used in Europe. Now the resist- * strength. Copper, however, proved much ance of plates to punching in a machine too soft. The experiments of Mr. E. A. is directly as the sheared area, that is Stevens of Hoboken, with thick plates, to say, as the depth and the diameter confirm this conclusion. But for lam- of the hole. But, the argument is, in

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED Iron-Clad Ships and Heavy Ordnance. [January, this case, and in the case of laminated inch plates backed with wood and set armor, the hole is cylindrical, while in at 38° from the horizon was injured the case of a thick armor-plate it is about one-half as much by round 68- conical, — about the size of the shot, in pounder shot as vertical plates of the front, and very much larger in the rear, same thickness would have been. In — so that the sheared or fractured area 1861, a 3j plate at 45° was more injur- is much greater. Again, forged plates, ed by elongated 100-pounder shot than although made with innumerable welda a 4£ vertical plate, both plates having from scrap which cannot be homogene- the same backing and the weights of ous, are, as compared with rolled plates iron being equal for the same vertical made with few welds from equally good height. When set at practicable an- material, notoriously stronger, because gles, inclined armor does not glance flat- the laminse composing the latter are fronted projectiles. Its greater cost, and not thoroughly welded to each other, especially the waste of room it occasions and they are therefore a series of thin in a ship, are practically considered in plates. On the whole, the facts are not England to be fatal objections. The complete enough to warrant a conclu- result of Mr. Stevens's experiments is, sion. It is probable that the heavy Eng- substantially, that a given thickness of lish machinery produces better-worked iron, measured on the line of fire, offers thick plates than have been tested in about equal resistance to shot, whether America, and that American iron, which it is vertical or inclined. Flat-fronted is well worked in the thin plate used for or punch shot will be glanced by armor laminated armor, is better than English set at about 12° from the horizon. A iron; while the comparatively high ve- hard surface on the armor increases locities of shot used in England are more this effect; and to this end, experi- trying to thin plates, and the compara- ments with Franklinite are in progress. tively heavy shot in America prove most The inconvenience of inclined armor, destructive to solid plates. So that there especially in sea-going vessels, although is as yet no common ground of compari- its weight is better situated than that son. The cost of laminated armor is less of vertical armor, is likely to limit its than half that of solid plates. Thin use generally. plates, breaking joints, and bolted to Fastening Armor. A series of thin or through the backing, form a continu- plates not only strengthen the whole ous girder and add vastly to the strength vessel, but fasten each other. All meth- of a vessel, while solid blocks add no ods of giving continuity to thick plates, such strength, but are a source of strain such as tonguing and grooving, besides and weakness. In the experiments men- being very costly, have proved too weak tioned, there was no wooden backing be- to stand shot, and are generally aban- hind the armor. It is hardly possible, doned. The fastenings must therefore — in fact, it is nowhere urged, — that be stronger, as each plate depends solely elastic wooden backing prevents injury on its own; and the resistance of plates to the armor in any considerable degree. must be decreased, either by more or Indeed, the English experiments of 1861 larger bolt-holes. The working of the prove that a rigid backing of masonry— thick plates of the European vessels in other words, more armor—increas- Warrior and La Gloire, in a sea-way, is es the endurance of the plates struck. an acknowledged defect. There are va- Elastic backing, however, deadens the rious practicable plans of fastening bolts blow upon the structure behind it, and to the backs of plates, and of holding catches the iron splinters ; it is, there- plates between angle-irons, to avoid bor- fore, indispensable in ships. ing them through. It is believed that Vertical and Inclined A rmor. In Eng- plates will ultimately be welded. Boil- land, in 1860, a target composed of 4J- er-joints have been welded rapidly and

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 1863.] Iron-Glad Ships and Heavy Ordnance. 87 uniformly by means of light furnaces shot which merely penetrate. This is moving along the joint, blowing a jet of not yet sufficiently tested. The late flame upon it, and closely followed by remarkable experiments in England — hammers to close it up. The surfaces do firing 130- and 150-pound Whitworth not oxidize when enveloped in flame, steel shells, holding 3 to 5 pounds of pow- and the weld is likely to be as strong der, from a 7-inch Armstrong gun, with as the solid plate. Large plates prove 23 to 27 pounds of powder, through the stronger than small plates of equally Warrior target, and bursting them in good material. English 4j-inch armor- and beyond the backing — certainly plates are generally 3J- feet wide and show that large calibres are not indis- 12 to 24 feet long. American 4|-inch pensable in fighting iron-clads. A de- plates are from 2 to 3 feet wide and structive blow requires a heavy charge rarely exceed 12 feet in length. Ar- of powder ; which brings us to mor composed of light bars, like that of The Strain and Structure of Guns, the Galena, is very defective, as each and Cartridges. The problem is, 1st, bar, deriving little strength from those to construct a gun which will stand adjacent, offers only the resistance of the heaviest charge; 2d, to reduce the its own small section. The cheapness strain on the gun without reducing the of such armor, however, and the facili- velocity of the shot. It is probable ty with which it can be attached, may that powder-gas, from the excessive compensate for the greater amount re- suddenness of its generation, exerts a quired, when weight is not objection- percussive as well as a statical press- able. The 14-inch and 10-inch targets, ure, thus requiring great elasticity and constructed, without backing, on this a certain degree of hardness in the gun- principle, and tested in England in metal, as well as high tensile strength. 1859 and I860, were little damaged by Cast-iron and bronze are obviously in- 68- and 100-pounders. adequate. Solid wrought-iron forgings The necessary thickness of armor is are not all that could be desired in re- simply a question of powder, and will spect of elasticity and hardness, but be further referred to under the heads their chief defect is want of homogenei- of Ordnance and Naval Architecture. ty, due to the crude process of puddling, and to their numerous and indispensa- ble welds. Low cast-steel, besides be- ORDNANCE AND PROJECTILES. ing elastic, hard, tenacious, and homo- Condition of Greatest Effect. It is a geneous, has the crowning advantage well-settled rule, that the penetration of being produced in large masses with- of projectiles is proportionate directly out flaw or weld. Krupp, of Prussia, to their weight and diameter, and to casts ingots of above 20 tons' weight, the square of their velocity. For ex- and has forged a cast-steel cannon of ample, the lOJ-inch Armstrong 150- 9 inches bore. One of these ingots, in pound shot, thrown by 50 pounds of the Great Exhibition, measured 44 inch- powder at 1,770 feet per second, has es in diameter, and was uniform and nearly twice the destructive effect up- fine-grained throughout. His great suc- on striking, and four times as much up- cess is chiefly due to the use of manga- on passing its whole diameter through nesian iron, (which, however, is inferior armor, as the 15-inch 425-pound shot to the Franklinite of New Jersey, be- driven by the same powder at 800 feet. cause it contains no zinc,) and to skill The American theory is, that very heavy in heating the metal, and to the use of shot, at necessarily low velocities, with a heavy hammers. His heaviest hammer given strain on the gun, will do more weighs 40 tons, falls 12 feet, and strikes damage by racking and straining the a blow which does not draw the surface whole structure than lighter and faster like a light hammer, but compresses the

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 88 Iron-Clad Skips and Heavy Ordnance. [January, whole mass to the core. Krupp is now difficulty; for, if the inner tube is exces- introducing the Bessemer process for sively heated, it can elongate and slip producing ingots of any size at about a little within those surrounding it, the cost of wrought-iron. These and without disturbing them. In fact, the other makes of low-steel have endured inner tube of the Armstrong gun is extraordinary tests in the form of small sometimes turned within the others by guns and _other structures subject to the inertia of the rifled projectile. On concussion and strain; and both the the whole, then, hooping an inner steel theory and all the evidence that we tube with successively tighter steel have promise its superiority for gun- rings, or, what is better, tubes, is the metal. But another element of resist- probable direction of improvement in ance is required in guns with thick walls. heavy ordnance. An inner tube of The explosion of the powder is so in- iron, cast hollow on Rodman's plan, so stantaneous that the exterior parts of as to avoid an inherent rupturing strain, the metal do not have time to act be- and hooped with low-steel without welds, fore the inner parts are strained beyond would be cheaper and very strong. An endurance. In order to bring all parts obvious conclusion is, that perfect elasti- of a great mass of metal into simulta- city in the metal would successfully meet neous tension, Blakely and others have all the foregoing causes of rupture. hooped an inner tube with rings hav- In America, where guns made en- ing a successively higher initial tension. tirely of cast-iron, and undoubtedly the The inner tube is therefore under com- best in the world for horizontal shell- pression, and the outer ring under a firing, are persisted in, though hardly considerable tension, when the gun is adequate to the heavy charges demand- at rest, but all parts are strained simul- ed by iron-clad warfare, the necessity taneously and alike when the gun is of decreasing the strain on the gun under pressure. The Parrott and Whit- without greatly reducing the velocity worth cannon are constructed on this of the shot has become imperative. It principle, and there has been some prac- would be impossible even to recapitulate tice in winding tubes with square steel the conflicting arguments of the experts wire to secure the most uniform grada- on this subject, within the limits of this tion of tension at the least cost. There paper. It does appear from recent ex- is some difficulty as yet in fastening the periments, however, that this result can wire and giving the gun proper longi- be accomplished by compressing the tudinal strength. Mr. Wiard, of New powder, so that, we will suppose, it York, makes an ingenious argument to burns slowly and overcomes the iner- show that large cannon burst from the tia of the shot before the whole mass is expansion of the inner part of the gun ignited; and also by leaving an air- by the heat of frequent successive ex- space around the cartridge, into which plosions. In this he is sustained to some the gases probably expand while the extent by Mr. Mallet, of Dublin. The inertia of the shot is being overcome, greater the enlargement of the inner thus avoiding the excessive blow upon layer of metal, the less valuable is the the walls of the gun during the first in- above principle of initial tension. In stant of the explosion. Whatever the fact, placing the inner part of the gun cause may be, the result is of the high- in initial tension and the outer part in est importance, not only as to cast-iron compression would better resist the ef- guns, but as to all ordnance, and war- fect of internal heat. But Mr. Wiard rants the most earnest and thorough believes that the longitudinal expansion investigation. The principles of the of the inner stratum of the gun is the Armstrong gun differ in some degree principal source of strain. A gun made from all those mentioned, and will be of annular tubes meets this part of the better referred to under the head of

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 1863.] Iron-Clad Ships and Heavy Ordnance. 89 Heavy Ordnance Described. The are forged solid like steamboat-shafts, Armstrong gun is thus fabricated. A or hollow by laying up staves into the long bar of iron, say 3 by 4 inches in form of a barrel and welding layers section, is wound into a close coil about of curved plates upon them until the 2 feet long and of the required diame- whole mass is united. But few of ter,— say 18 inches. This is set upon these guns have been fabricated. The end at a welding heat under a steam- most remarkable of them are, 1st, the hammer and " upset" into a tube which Horsfall smooth-bore, of 13 inches bore, is then recessed in a lathe on the ends 44 inches maximum diameter, and 24 so as to fit into other tubes. Two tubes tons weight, — price, $12,500; 2d, the set end to end are heated to welding, "Alfred" rifle, in the recent Exhibi- squeezed together by a heavy screw tion, of 10 inches bore,—price, $5,000; passing through them, and then ham- 3d, the 12-inch smooth-bore in the mered lightly on the outside without a Brooklyn Navy-Yard, which, though mandrel. Other short tubes are simi- very light, has fired a double 224-pound larly added. Five tubes of different shot with 45 pounds of powder: if prop- lengths and diameters are turned and erly hooped, it would make the most bored and shrunk over one another, formidable gun in America. Blakely without successively increasing tension, has constructed for Kussia two 13-inch however, to form a gun. The breech- smooth-bore guns, 15 feet long and end of the second tube from the bore is 47 inches maximum diameter, of cast- forged solid so that its grain will run iron hooped with steel: price, $10,000 parallel with the bore and give the gun each. He has also fabricated many longitudinal strength. Both the wedge others of large calibre, on the principles and the screw breech-loading apparatus before mentioned. The 15-inch Rod- are employed on guns of 7 inches bore man smooth-bore cast-iron gun is of (110-pounders) and under. It will thus 48 inches maximum diameter, 15 feet be seen that the defects of large solid 10 inches long, and weighs 25 tons. forgings are avoided ; that the iron may The cost of such guns is about $6,000. be well worked before it is formed into a The Dahlgren 15-inch guns on the gun ; and that its greatest strength is in Monitors are about four feet shorter. the direction of the greatest strain ; and Results of Heavy Ordnance. The 10J- on the other hand, that the gun is weak inch Armstrong gun sent a round 150- longitudinally and excessively costly, pound shot, with 50 pounds of powder, (the 7-inch gun costs $4,000, and the through a 5J-inch solid plate and its 9- lOj-inch, $9,000,) and that the mate- inch teak backing and £-inch iron lining, rial, although strong and pretty trust- at 200 yards, and one out of four shots worthy in the shape of bars, has insuffi- with the same charge through the War- cient elasticity and hardness. Still, it rior target, namely, a 4J-inch solid plate, is a formidable gun, especially when re- 18-inch backing, and |-inch lining. The lieved of the weak and complex breech- Horsfall 13-inch gun sent a round 270- loading apparatus, and used with a bet- pound shot, with 74 pounds of powder, ter system of rifling and projectiles than entirely through the Warrior target Armstrong's. The 110-pounder Arm- at 200 yards, making an irregular hole strong rifle has 99J inches length and about 2 feet in diameter. The same 7 inches diameter of bore, 27 inches charge at 800 yards did not make a maximum diameter, and weighs 4j tons. clean breach. The Whitworth shell The " 300-pounder" smooth-bore has burst in the backing of the same target 11 feet length and 10J inches diameter has been referred to. Experiments on of bore, 38 inches maximum diameter, the effect of the 15-inch gun are now in and weighs 10 J tons. The Mersey Iron- progress. Its hollow 375-pound shot Works guna are of wrought-iron, and (3-inch walls) was broken without do-

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 90 Iron-Clad Ships and Heavy Ordnance. [January, ing serious damage to 10^-inch laminat- rifle-shot used in America, and the Arm- ed armor backed with 18 inches of oak. strong and some other European shot, The comparative test of solid and lami- are covered with soft metal, which in nated armor has already been mention- muzzle-loaders is expanded by the ex- ed. The best 4j-inch solid plates, well plosion so as to fill the grooves of the backed, are practically proof against gun, and in breech-loaders is planed by the guns of English iron-clads, namely, the lands of the gun to fit the rifling, 68-pounder smooth-bores and Arm- — all of which is wasteful of power. strong 110-pounder rifles, the service Whitworth employs a solid iron or steel charge of each being 16 pounds. projectile dressed by machinery before- Rifling and Projectiles. The spheri- hand to fitth e rifling. But as the bore cal shot, presenting a larger area to the of his gun is hexagonal^the greater part action of the powder, for a given weight, of the power employed to spin the shot than the elongated rifle-shot, has a high- tends directly to burst the gun. Cap- er initial velocity with a given charge ; tain Scott, R. N., employs a solid pro- and all the power applied to it is con- jectile dressed to fit by machinery ; but verted into velocity, while a part of the the surfaces of the lands upon which power applied to the rifle-shot is em- the shot presses are radial to the bore, ployed in spinning it on its axis. But, so that the rotation of the shot tends, as compared with the rifle-shot, at long not to split the gun, but simply to ro- ranges, it quickly loses, 1st, velocity, tate it in the opposite direction. because it presents a larger area to the Mounting Heavy Ordnance, so that it resisting air; 2d, penetration, because may be rapidly manceuvred on ship- it has to force a larger hole through the board and protected from the enemy's armor; and 3d, accuracy, because the shot, has been the subject of so much spinning of the rifle-shot constantly shifts ingenious experiment and invention, from side to side any inaccuracy of weight that in a brief paper it can only be al- it may have on either side of its centre, luded to in connection with the follow- so that it has no time to deviate in ei- ing subject:—- ther direction. Practically, however, iron-clad warfare must be at close quar- ters, because it is almost impossible to THE STRUCTURE OF WAR-VESSELS. aim any gun situated on a movable ship's Size. To attain high speed and car- deck so that it will hit a rapidly mov- ry heavy armor and armament, war- ing object at a distance. It is believed vessels must be of large dimensions. by some authorities that elongated shot By doubling all the lineal dimensions can be sufficiently well balanced to be of a vessel of given form, her capacity projected accurately from smooth-bores; is increased eight fold, that is to say, still, it is stated by Whitworth and oth- she can carry eight times as much weight ers that a spinning motion is necessary of engines, boilers, armor, and guns. to keep an elongated shot on end while Meanwhile her resistance is only quad- passing through armor. On the whole, rupled ; so that to propel each ton of so far as penetrating armor is concern- her weight requires but half the power ed, the theory and practice favor the necessary to propel each ton of the spherical shot. But a more destructive weight of a vessel of half the dimen- effect than mere penetration has been sions. High speed is probably quite alluded to, — the bursting of a shell as important as invulnerability. Light within the backing of an iron-clad ves- armor is a complete protection against sel. This can be accomplished only by the most destructive shells, and the old an elongated missile with a solid head wooden frigates could stand a long bat- for making the hole and a hollow rear tle with solid shot. But without su- for holding the bursting charge. The perior speed, the most invulnerable and

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 1863.] Iron-Clad Ships and Heavy Ordnance. 91 heavily armed vessel could neither keep narily constructed. Working the guns within effective range of her enemy, nor in small revolving turrets, as by Erics- run her down as a ram, nor retreat when son's or by Coles's plan, and loading overpowered. And a very fast vessel and cooling them by steam-power, and can almost certainly run past forts, as taking up their recoil by springs in a they are ordinarily situated, at some short space, as by Stevens's plan, are distance from the channel, without be- improvements in this direction. The ing hit. Indeed, the difficulty of hit- plan of elevating a gun above a shot- ting a moving object with heavy can- proof deck at the moment of aiming and non is so great that slow wooden ships firing, and dropping it for loading or do not hesitate to encounter forts and protection by means of hydraulic cyl- to reduce them, for a moving ship can inders, and the plan of placing a gun be so manoeuvred as to hit a stationary upon the top of the armor-clad portion fort. of the ship, covering it with a shot-proof The disadvantages of large ships are, hood, and loading it from below, and first, great draught. Although draught the plan of a rotating battery, in which need not be increased in the same degree one gun is in a position to fire while the as length, a stable and seaworthy model others attached to the same revolving cannot be very shallow or flat-bottom- frame are loading,—all these obviously ed. Hence the harbors in which very feasible plans have the advantages of large vessels can manoeuvre are few, and avoiding port-holes in the inhabited and there must be a light-draught class of vital parts of the vessel, of rendering vessels to encounter enemies of light the possible bursting of a gun compara- draught, although they cannot be ex- tively harmless to the crew and ship, pected to cope very successfully with and of rapid manoeuvring, as compared fast and heavy vessels. Second, a given with the turret system, besides all the sum expended exclusively in large ves- advantages of the turret as compared sels concentrates coast-defences upon with the casemate or old-fashioned a few points, while, if it is devoted to broadside system. The necessity of a greater number, consisting partly of fighting at close quarters has been re- small vessels, the line of defences is marked. At close quarters, musket- made more continuous and complete. balls, grape, and shells can be accu- System of Protection. But the effec- rately thrown into ordinary port-holes, tiveness of war-vessels need not depend which removes the necessity of smash- solely upon their size. First, twice or ing any other holes in the armor. thrice the power may be obtained, with Protection at, and extending several the same weight of boilers and machin- feet below the water-line, is obviously ery, and with considerable economy, by indispensable around the battery of a carrying very much higher steam, em- vessel. It is valuable at other points, ploying simple surface-condensers, and but not indispensable, provided the ves- maintaining a high rate of combustion sel has numerous horizontal and vertical and vaporization, in accordance with bulkheads to prevent too great a loss of the best commercial - marine practice. buoyancy when the vessel is seriously Second, the battery may be reduced in damaged between wind and water. Har- extent, and the armor thus increased bor-craft may be very low on the water, rather than diminished in thickness, so that only a little height of protection with a given buoyancy. At the same is required. But it is generally suppos- time, the fewer guns may be made avail- ed that sea-going vessels must be high able in all directions and more rapidly out of water. Mr. Ericsson's practice, worked, so that, on the whole, a small however, is to the contrary; and it may ship thus improved will be a match in turn out that a low vessel, over which every respect for a large ship as ordi- the sea makes a clean breach, can be

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 92 Iron-Clad Ships and Heavy Ordnance. [January, made sufficiently buoyant on his plan. backing, extending from the upper deck If high sides are necessary, the plan of down to 4 feet below water, with verti- Mr. Lungley, of London, may be adopt- cal bulkheads like the Warrior, making ed, — a streak of protection at the wa- a casemate 170 feet long, in which there ter-line, and another forming the side are sixteen 11-inch smooth-bores and of the battery at the top of the struct- two 200-pounder Parrott rifles. A streak ure, with an intermediate unprotected of armor, 4 feet below water and 3 feet space. A shot-proof deck at the water- above, runs from this forward and aft line, and the necessary shot-proof pas- entirely around the vessel. Her speed sages leading from the parts below wa- is 8 knots. The Stevens Battery, (Amer- ter to the battery, would of course be ican,) 6,000 tons, constructed of iron necessary. and nearly completed, is 420 feet long, Considering the many expedients for 53 feet wide, and 28 feet deep from the vastly increasing the thickness of armor, top of the casemate, and is iron-clad the idea, somewhat widely expressed, from end to end along the water-line. especially in England, that, in view of As proposed to the last Congress, the the exploits of Armstrong, Clay, and central casemate was to be about 120 Whitworth, iron-protection must be feet long on the top, its sides being in- abandoned, is at least premature. The clined 27J degrees from the horizon, manner in which the various principles and composed of 61 inches of iron, 14 of construction have thus far been car- inches of locust backing, and a half-inch ried out will be noticed in a brief iron lining. Upon the top of it, and to Description of Prominent Iron-Clad be loaded and manoeuvred from within Vessels. CLASS I. Classified with ref- it, were to be five 15-inch smooth-bores erence to the protection, the dimensions and two 10-inch rifled guns clad with of the English Warrior and Black Prince armor. The actual horse-power of this are, length 380 feet, beam 58 feet, depth ship being above 8,000, her speed would 33 feet, measurement 6,038 tons. Their be much higher than that of any other armor (previously described) extends war-vessel. Congress, declining to make from the upper deck down to 5 feet be- an appropriation to complete this vessel, low water, throughout 200 feet of the made it over to Mr. Stevens, who had length amidships. Vertical shot-proof already borne a considerable portion of bulkheads joining the side armor form its cost, and who intends to finish it at a box or casemate in the middle of the his own expense, and is now experiment- vessel, in which the 26 casemate-guns, ing to still further perfect his designs. mostly 68-pounder smooth-bores, are sit- The Achilles (English) now building uated and fired through port-holes in of iron, about the size of the Warrior, the ordinary manner. Their speed on and of 6,039 tons, with a casemate 200 trial is about 14 knots, — at sea, about feet long holding 26 guns, belongs to 12. The Defence and Resistance, of this class. The Enterprise, 180 feet 275 feet length and 3,668 tons, and car- length, 990 tons, 4 casemate-guns, and rying 14 casemate-guns, are similarly the Favorite, 220 feet length, 2,168 tons, constructed, though their speed is slow. 8 casemate-guns, are building in Eng- All these vessels are built entirely of land on the same plan. The Solferino iron. and Magenta, (French,) built of wood, CLASS IT. This differs from the and a little longer than the Royal Oak, first mentioned in having protection (see Class III.,) are iron-clad all round all around at the water-line. The New up to the main deck, and have two 13- Ironsides, (American,) of 3,250 tons, gun casemates above it. 240 feet length. 58J feet beam, 28J feet CLASS IH. The Minotaur, Agin- depth, and 15 feet draught, and built of court, and Northumberland, 6,621 tons, wood, has 4A-inch solid armor with 2 feet and 390 feet length, resembling, but

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 1863.] Iron-Glad Ships and Heavy Ordnance. 93 somewhat larger than the Warrior, in iron, two now building are to be sea- all their proportions, and now on the going and very fast, and are to act as stocka in England, are built of iron, rams, like several of the other vessels de- and are to have 5J-ineh armor and 9- scribed. One of these, the Puritan, is 340 inch backing extending through their feet long, 52 feet wide, and 22 feet deep, whole length from the upper deck to and will draw 20 feet. The armor of 5 feet below water, forming a case- her hull, 10J inches thick, composed mate from stem to stern, to hold 40 mostly of 1-inch plates and 3 feet of broadside-guns. Five vessels of the oak backing, projects beyond her sides Royal-Oak class, 4,055 tons, building by the amount of its thickness, and over- in England, 277 feet long and 58£ feet hangs, forming a solid ram 16 feet long wide, are of wood, being partially con- at the bow. The whole upper struct- structed frigates adapted to the new ser- ure also overhangs the stern, and pro- vice, and are iron-clad throughout their tects the screw and rudder. This ves- length and height to 5 feet below wa- sel will carry two turrets, 28 feet in di- ter. They are to carry thirty-two 68- ameter inside, 9 feet high, and 2 feet pounders. The Hector and Valiant, thick, composed of 1-inch plates. Each 4,063 tons, and 275 feet long, are Eng- turret contains two 15-inch guns. The lish iron vessels not yet finished. They other vessel, the Dictator, is similarly are completely protected, and carry 30 constructed, except that it has one tur- casemate-guns. All the above vessels ret, two guns, and 320 feet length. The are to carry two or more Armstrong upper (shot-proof) deck of these ves- swivel-guns fore and aft. Four ves- sels is 2 feet out of water. The 18 sels of La Gloire class, (French,) 255 smaller Ericsson vessels, several of which feet long and built of wood, resembling are ready for service, are 18 inches out the Royal Oak, carry 34 guns, and are of water, of light draught, and about 200 completely clad in 4j-inch solid ar- by 45 feet. Their side-armor, laminat- mor. Ten French vessels, of a little ed, is 5 inches thick, upon 3 feet of oak. larger dimensions, are similarly con- They have one turret, like those of the structed. The Galena (American) is Roanoke, and carry one 15-inch gun of this class as to extent of protection. and one 11-inch smooth-bore, or a 200- The quality of her armor has been re- pounder rifle. The original Monitor is ferred to. 174 by 44| feet, with 5-inch side-armor, CLASS IV. Ships with Revolving Tur- and a turret 8 inches thick, 20 feet in di- rets. The Roanoke, (American,) a ra- ameter inside, and armed with two 11- zeed wooden frigate of 4,500 tons, is inch guns. These vessels of Ericsson's 265 feet long, 52J feet wide, and 32 feet design are each in fact two vessels: a deep, and will draw about 21 feet, and lower iron hull containing boilers and have a speed of 8 to 9 knots. This and machinery, and an upper scow over- all the vessels to be referred to in this hanging the ends and sides, forming the class are iron-clad from end to end, and platform for the turret, and carrying the from the upper deck to 4 or 5 feet be- armor. The Onondaga, now construct- low the water-line. The Roanoke's ing, is an iron vessel of 222 feet length, plates (solid) are 4J inches thick, ex- 48 feet beam, and 13 feet depth, with cept at the ends, where they are 3J, and 4J-inch solid armor having no backing, are backed with 30 inches of oak. She and without the overhanging top-works has three turrets upon her main-deck, of the Monitors. She has two turrets, each 21 feet in diameter inside, 9 feet like those of the Roanoke, and four 15- high, and composed of 11 thicknesses of inch guns. Nearly all the vessels of Class 1-inch plates. Her armament is six 15- IV. are without spars, and have a pilot- inch guns, two in each turret. Of the house about 6 feet in diameter and 6 feet Monitors, which are all constructed of high on the top of one of the turrets.

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 94 Iron-Clad Ships and Heatiy Ordnance. [January, The English Koyal Sovereign, 3,765 ened by steel; binding an inner tube tons and 330 feet length, and the Prince with low-steel hoops having a succes- Albert, 2,529 tons and the same length, sively increasing initial tension; and are razeed wooden vessels. The for- the use of spherical shot at excessive mer carries 5, and the latter 6 of Cap- velocities by means of high charges of tain Coles's turrets with inclined sides, powder in bores of moderate diameters. each turret designed for two 110-pound- The rifling of some guns is important, er breech-loading Armstrong guns. The not so much to secure range or accu- class of iron vessels constructing to car- racy, as to fire elongated shells through ry two of Coles's turrets are 175 feet armor. long, having 42 feet beam, 24 feet depth, The direction of improvement in iron- 17 feet draught, and 990 tons displace- clad vessels appears to be the concen- ment. All these English vessels are tration of armor at a few points and much higher out of water than Erics- the protection of the remainder of the son's. vessel from the entrance of water by a Besides these classes, there is the va- streak of armor at the water-line and riety of iron-clad vessels called turtles, numerous bulkheads, etc., in distinction from their shape, — among them, the from necessarily thin and inefficient Keokuk (Whitney Battery) 159J feet plating over all; high speed without long, with two stationary 11-inch gun great increase of weight of the driving turrets, — and a class of Western river parts, by means of improved engines vessels of very light draught and some and boilers and high pressure ; the pro- peculiarities of construction. The lat- duction of tenacious iron in large, thick, ter resemble the Stevens Battery in the homogeneous masses; and the rapid shape and position of their armor, but manoeuvring of heavy ordnance by ma- carry their guns within their casemates. chinery. The Stevens Battery, the Ononda- Injustice to himself, the writer deems ga, and the Keokuk have independent it proper to state, that within the limits screw-propellers, which will enable them of a magazine-article it has been impos- to turn on their own centres and to ma- sible to enter into the details, or even noeuvre much more rapidly and effec- to give an outline, of all the facts which tively in action than vessels which, hav- have led him to the foregoing conclu- ing but one propeller, cannot change sions. In a more extended work about their direction without changing their to be published by Van Nostrand, of position, and are obliged to make a long New York, he has endeavored, by pre- circuit to change it at alt This subject senting a detailed account of English is beginning to receive in Europe the and American experiments, a descrip- attention which it merits. tion and numerous illustrations, derived mostly from personal observation, of all classes of ordnance and armor and their CONCLUSIONS. fabrication, and of iron-clad vessels and THE direction of immediate improve- their machinery, and a resume of the ment in ordnance for iron-clad warfare best professional opinions, to add some- appears to be the abandonment of cast- thing at least usefully suggestive to the iron, except as a barrel to be strength- general knowledge on this subject.

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 1863.] Andrew Rykman's Prayer. 95

ANDREW RYKMAN'S PRAYER.

ANDREW RYKMAN 'S dead and gone: You can see his leaning slate In the graveyard, and thereon Read his name and date.

" Trust is truer than our fears," Runs the legend through the moss, " Gain is not in added years, Nor in death is loss."

Still the feet that thither trod, All the friendly eyes are dim; Only Nature, now, and God Have a care for him.

There the dews of quiet fall, Singing birds and soft winds stray : Shall the tender Heart of All Be less kind than they ?

What he was and what he is They who ask may haply find, If they read this prayer of his Which he left behind.

Pardon, Lord, the lips that dare Shape in words a mortal's prayer! Prayer, that, when my day is done, And I see its setting sun, Shorn and beamless, cold and dim, Sink beneath the horizon's rim, — When this ball of rock and clay Crumbles from my feet away, And the solid shores of sense Melt into the vague immense, Father ! I may come to Thee Even with the beggar's plea, As the poorest of Thy poor, With my needs, and nothing more.

Not as one who seeks his home With a step assured I come ; Still behind the tread I hear Of my life-companion, Fear; Still a shadow deep and vast From my westering feet is cast, Wavering, doubtful, undefined, Never shapen nor outlined: •'

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