Foreign Gleanings: Iron War Ships (Letter by Mr. Donald McKay, 1863)

Sources: The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu: April 16 1863. Page 4, col. 2.
               The Polynesian. Honolulu: March 7, 1863.

Donald McKay, in a recent letter from Paris on the subject of the French navy, throws out the following hints in reference to the contemplated construction of iron vessels-of-war by the United States:

I regret very much to see, from the late accounts received from the United States, that our Government intends to construct a number of iron cased ships (cursers) of 7,300 tons each. How such a plan could be adopted with the English experience of such large iron ships before our eyes, is more than I can understand. The comparatively small draft of water which these ships only can have, on account of the depth of our harbors, prevents a possibility of giving any great speed to such immense structures, and their necessarily immense length will render them less manageable yet than their mercy of a much smaller opponent, whose superior steering powers allows a choice in position.

The contraction of such vessels would be as great an exaggeration as was the construction of a whole fleet of Monitors, which, I know, all be acknowledged are only fit for harbor defense, and which leave our navy of sea going ships just as it was before we commenced the construction of iron-cased ships.

In comparison with the power of the navies of France or England, I must confess ours is not worthy the name of a navy. In conclusion I may be allowed to say, in order that we may be respected by all the European naval powers, we ought to commence without delay the construction of at least 12 iron cased frigates of from 36 to 52 guns, each of not more than 25 feet mean draft of water. these will form the nucleus of our real fighting ships at sea. 

We ought further to have an equal number of corvettes of high speed, and of about 14 to 16 guns each, and of about 20 or 30 to 50 gun frigates, and an equal number of screw steam sloops-of-war of about 20 guns each, both latter classes of the highest speed obtainable, so as to allow them to evade their iron-cased opponents. The latter vessels will always prove of excellent use in case of a foreign war, in harassing the enemy's commerce. 

All these ships ought to be built of timber, and on the most substantial manner. Not until this increase has been accomplished shall we commend respect as a nation.

Iron ships ought not to be adopted in our sea-going fleet, for the following reasons:

1. The fouling of their bottoms (against which no remedy has thus been found yet), and consequent loss of speed.

2. The weakness of their bottoms and consequent liability of soon breaking up whenever they touch.

3. The impossibility to give them a good ventilation, all the artificial means having failed to produce a good ventilation on account of the many water-tight bulkheads necessarily used in their construction.

4. Their great unhealthiness, as proved already by the few cruises made by the Warrior and Defense.

                                                                Yours truly,

                                                                        DONALD MCKAY