192 Naval War of 1812 



point, there is no question which crew was the best 

 trained and most skilful. 



LIST OF SHIPS BUILT IN 1815. 



Name. Rate. Where Built. Cost 



Washington 74 Portsmouth $235,861.00 



Independence 74 Boston 421.810.41 



Franklin 74 Philadelphia 438,149.40 



Guerriere 44 " 306,158.56 



fava 44 Baltimore 232,767.38 



Fulton y> New York 320,000.00 

 Torpedo " 



These ships first put to sea in this year. For 

 the first time in her history the United States pos 

 sessed line-of-battle ships; and for the first time in 

 all history, the steam frigate appeared on the navy 

 list of a nation. The Fulton, with her clumsy cen 

 tral wheel, concealed from shot by the double hull, 

 with such thick scantling that none but heavy guns 

 could harm her, and relying for offensive weapons 

 not on a broadside of thirty guns of small calibre 

 but on two pivotal loo-pounder columbiads, or, per 

 haps, if necessary, on blows from her hog snout, 

 the Fulton was the true prototype of the modern 

 steam ironclad, with its few heavy guns and ram. 

 Almost as significant is the presence of the Torpedo. 

 I have not chronicled the several efforts made by 

 the Americans to destroy British vessels with tor 

 pedoes; some very nearly succeeded, and although 

 they failed it must not be supposed that they did no 

 good. On the contrary, they made the British in 



