Ocean Steam Navigation and the Ocean Post Part 15

"The foregoing vessels of the respective contracts are variously constructed as to materials, fastening, strength, and model.

"Question third: 'And if so, what alterations would be necessary to be made, and at what expense, to make them war steamers of the first cla.s.s:'

"Answer: If these vessels had been originally constructed comformably to the _spirit_ (though it was not called for by the letter) of the contracts, as they should have been, and all English mail steamers now are, _in antic.i.p.ation of their possible conversion, into war vessels_, the cost of converting them would be much less.

"Most of them were completed before I was ordered to their supervision; but I lost no time, after entering upon the duty, in calling the attention of the contractors to this important consideration, an observance of which would not have added more than one per cent upon the cost of construction.

"In altering these vessels so as to make them available for war purposes, the most simple, expeditious, and economical plan would be to razee them, or cut off their upper decks and cabins forward and abaft the wheel-houses; not by tearing them to pieces and defacing the costly ornamental work, which, though of no value to the Government, still need not be destroyed.

"The razeeing should be effected by sawing the top timbers, and cutting off by sections the whole of the upper dock, excepting the s.p.a.ce between the wheel-houses, thus leaving the greater part of the main deck exposed and for the accommodation of the armament, and enough of the sides above that deck to answer for bulwarks and side-ports.

"Below, it would only be necessary to remove the state-rooms not wanted for the accommodation of the officers, and convert the after-hold and fore and main orlops into magazines, store-rooms, shot and sh.e.l.l lockers, etc., etc.

"According to my calculation, the cost of the conversion of either of the before mentioned vessels, exclusive of armaments, repair of machinery and ordinary repair, would not, or certainly _ought_ not, exceed, for steamers of the first cla.s.s, $20,000, and for those of the second cla.s.s, $15,000; and it could be readily done for this at any of our navy yards, provided that _useless_ alterations were not made.

"It should be taken into view that those mail steamers, if called into service as war vessels, would be considered as forming an auxiliary force to the regularly constructed ships, and hence the impolicy of expending much money on them. The requisites of sound hulls and powerful engines, with efficient armaments, should alone be considered, leaving superfluous ornament out of the question.

"The armaments of the respective vessels would, of course, be a separate cost; and to arrange the guns on the upper deck, it would only be required to close up three or four of the hatches or sky-lights; to strengthen the deck by additional beams and stanchions; to cut ports, and construct the pivot and other carriages; probably it might be desirable to shift the capstan and cables.

"With respect to the description and weight of the respective armaments, I am clearly of opinion that the first-cla.s.s steamers already named could easily carry each _four_ 10-inch Paixhan guns on pivots, two forward and two aft, of the weight of those in the Mississippi; _ten_ 8-inch Paixhans, as side-guns, ditto.

"The _second-cla.s.s_ steamers could with equal ease carry each _two_ 8-inch Paixhans on pivots, one forward and one aft, and _six_ 6-inch ditto, as side-guns.

"With the additional strengthening recommended, I am perfectly satisfied that the armaments suggested would not, in the least, incommode the vessels. Indeed, the weight of armament would be actually less than that which would be taken away by the removal of the upper decks and cabins, and the miscellaneous articles usually stowed on one or the other of two decks--such, for instance, as ice, of which not less than forty tons is generally packed in one ma.s.s; nor would the munitions and provisions required for the war vessel be of greater weight than the goods now carried as freight, saying nothing of the provisions and stores carried by the steamers for an average of 150 to 250 souls, including crew and pa.s.sengers.

"It may again be remarked, that steamers thus brought into service would be far inferior to regularly constructed and appointed war vessels; yet in the general operations of a maritime war, they would render good service, and especially would they be useful, from their great speed, as dispatch vessels, and for the transportation of troops, always being capable of attack and defense, and of overhauling or escaping from an enemy."

Captain Skiddy, the Special Naval Constructor appointed by the Government to superintend the building of all the mail packets, says in a letter to Com. Perry:

"In reply I will commence with the first-cla.s.s ships, which are the 'Atlantic,' 'Pacific,' 'Baltic,' and 'Arctic,' of Collins'

Liverpool line; the 'Franklin' and 'Humboldt' of Mortimer Livingston's Havre line.

"These ships, although equal in strength, probably, to any steamships afloat, are not suitable for _immediate_ war purposes, but can be made efficient in four or six weeks, capable of carrying the armament or battery of a first-cla.s.s frigate--say four ten-inch guns and twelve eight-inch guns. These alterations would consist of a removal of the deck-houses, spar or upper deck, forward and abaft the paddle-wheel boxes, fitting the after and forward bulwarks in sections, cutting port-holes, fitting hammock cloths or nettings, putting in extra beams and knees, and stanchions, moving the windla.s.s below, building magazines, sh.e.l.l-rooms, officers' rooms, etc., etc. The cost of all these alterations and fixtures would not exceed ($15,000 or $20,000) twenty thousand dollars each ship. These ships would then be relieved of about one hundred and fifty tons weight, or nearly double the weight of guns and carriages, with less resistance to water and wind, adding an increase to their already great speed."

In the case of all these steamers, that is, of the Havre and Bremen, the Collins, the Aspinwall, and the Pacific lines, Commodore Perry reported that they "_were capable of being easily converted into war steamers of the first cla.s.s_."