CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 261, 7 November 1870, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Nelson Evening Mail. Sir — Would you kiudly permit me to correct a slight error that inadvertently occurs in the news of " The Week " in Saturday's issue of the Mail. In alluding to the order for the battery for Doran's Reef Company, the words "This will be the first battery made iv Nelson ?J occur. This is incorrect, as I have already turned out a battery, consisting of five head of stampers, for Parsons and party of Charleston, which has been in work for the last fifteen months putting through forty tons of cement daily. I may state also that Mr. Tatton saw the battery at work, during his visit there a few weeks ago, and then the proprietors expressed to him iv the most favorable terms their satisfaction with its working. ; I agree most heartily, sir, with the last portion of your remarks in "the weeks'' column, and trust that those interested may iv future endeavor to encourage our local industries more than hitherto. lam confident our present depression here is considerably aggravated by the draining of large sums of money from the community generally, aud expending them elsewhere. Any endeavors you may make to remedy this state of matters will be appreciated by the greater bulk of the population of this province, and I hope you will lose no opportunity of giving them publicity. I am, &c, J. C. MOUTRAT. Nelson Iron Works, Bridge-street, 7th Nov., 1870.

Russia and the War. — The Goloss, of St. Petersburg, says that the war between France and Prussia cannot be regarded as a matter of indifference to Russia, liut that the latter Power "is not sufficiently interested in it at once to take part with one of the belligerents." Whether France or Prussia should conquer, thinks the Goloss, the result must be very advantageous to Russia ; for in either case the struggle will have exhausted both the combatants, and by diminishing " their financial superiority," make it t( much easier for Russia to compete with them." " Our situation towards France," the Goloss continues, " would be very little changed if that Power took possession of the Rhenish provinces ; but Prussia, if successful, might become a very dangeronr enemy to us. It would therefore be better for us if France were victorious ; but as we cannot assist her without making war on Prussia, it is our duty to help neither of these Powers, and leave them full liberty to weaken each other. Even if Austria or Italy were to take part in the war, we should not be compelled to follow their example. The more Powers there are engaged in it, the greater will be the advantages of our neutrality. As a proof of this, we may recall the enormous benefits derived by Prussia from her neutrality during the Crimean war." All efforts to make hay by gaslight have failed ; but it is discovered that wild oats can be sown under its benign and cheer/nl rays.

j A Modern Destroyer. — The following is from the Broad Arrow'. — With reference to the announcement in our last week's impression of a new method of attack invented by Captain Ericsson, of the United States, we hear that a far more powerful system of attack, the invention of an Engineer officer of the lioya* Navy, is now under the consideration of the English War Office authorities. Without entering into detail, it may be briefly stated that this system of attack consists iv the use of an elongated shellshaped self-propejiing torpedo, containing a bursting charge of from 400 to 10,000 pounds of gunpowder, gun-cotton, or other explosive. It travels on, or 20 feet below, the surface of the water, as may be required, with a velocity of 140 to 500 or more feet per second, and will range in aqua from 700 to ISOO yards; and, paradoxical as it may appear, the striking velocity at extreme range may be double the iuitial velocity. Thus, this " destroyer" may bs so constructed as to have an initial of, say, 300 feet per second, the speed may then fall to 100 or 200 feet per second, at which it may remain uniform for 10 or 20 seconds ; it may then iucrease in velocity to 500 or more feet per second, should such increase be found to be desirable. The great advantage of this invention is that it can be as effectively used by the slowest as by the fastest vessels, or even by fixed forts and batteries facing the sea. The method, of manufacture and mode of construction are for the present kept secret. The great objection to this invention is that it is absolutely and irresistibly destructive, as the combined fleets of the whole world could be destroyed in an hour by Mr. Reed's ship Devastation, now buildiug at Portsmouth, if armed on the proposed system.