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 During the war with the Secessionists, some fast corvettes were ordered for the United States Navy, the Confederate cruisers, though inferior in armament, having been found superior in speed to the ships of the United States Navy. In order to obtain higher speeds vessels of 3,200 tons were laid down. Of these, the 'Guerriere' steamed 12 knots, but the 'Odaho' was a failure, and the result in the case of the 'Wampanoag' must be hereafter described from American sources.

Meanwhile, the English Admiralty had become disquieted by the reports, which had been circulated relating to the new American corvettes, and in 1865 they proposed to build seven ships of the 'Inconstant' class. In France some vessels were proposed for a similar service, but of much more moderate dimensions. The 'Château Renard,' of 1,900 tons, and a speed of 14 knots, is an example of the type adopted.

The event proved that our naval administrators had been most unnecessarily alarmed by the reports they had received of the anticipated performances of the new American corvettes. It was stated in the report of the Board of Steam Machinery Afloat in 1869, that the cost of the 'Wampanoag' was 315,000 dollars; that she could carry only 750 tons of coal, of which 200 tons were stowed on the berth deck, and that this supply was barely enough for four days' steaming at full speed. Owing to the acute shape of these vessels not a single gun could be used on her gundeck in giving chase to an enemy ahead, and even the use of the stern guns was essentially ham-