MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 71 



iron work, strengthened back to the armor-plates with no less than eight 

 wrought-iron decks, an inch thick, and crossed and recrossed in till ways 

 and methods with diagonal bracings and supports. In the design sent into 

 the Admiralty by the Thames Shipbuilding Company, the shape of the bows 

 was made exactly after the outline of the neck and breast of a swan when 

 swimming. Thus the point that would strike an enemy's vessel was the 

 breast, which was placed under the water-line. 



In the Admiralty model, according to which the " ram" is to be built, the 

 bows form an obtuse angle, the point of which is just level with the water, 

 receding back at a rather sharp slope, both above and below it. This pecu- 

 liar shape, however, will be concealed under the usual figure-head and for- 

 ward gear, with a light artificial cut-water of wood; so that, apparently, the 

 vessel will be an ordinary frigate of the largest size. The Admiralty, no 

 doubt, intend by these devices to disguise her real character; but we need 

 hardly point out how utterly futile such an attempt would be. The very idea 

 of attempting to conceal the real purpose of a vessel so remarkable, and the 

 only one of its kind afloat, seems absurd. Coming up into action with other 

 first-rates in line of battle, no doubt she would pass muster unobserved; but 

 under such circumstances, even if as well known to the enemy as to the 

 English, the knowledge would avail nothing to the former. Once a general 

 engagement was commenced, the "ram" would be able to pursue her mis- 

 sion of destruction by running into the sterns of the enemy's vessels almost 

 without hinderance. When such is avowedly her purpose, it seems, to say 

 the least, unwise to cumber her with the masts and rigging of a line-of-battle 

 ship. The shock of striking the first vessel would bring down all her masts 

 by the board like reeds, and leave the ram's decks so encumbered with 

 wreck as might even render her almost useless for further efforts. The mode 

 in which she attacks will be to run straight at the enemy, taking him in the 

 stern or quarter, all the men retiring to the stern to avoid injury from falling 

 spars. When about half the vessel's length from the enemy, the engines are 

 to be stopped, and the engineers stand by to reverse the engines, in order to 

 clear her from the wreck of her antagonist, before the latter goes down. It 

 is calculated that, striking a line-of-battle ship in the stern, the ram would 

 sink her within three minutes. The bowsprit will, we believe, be telescopic, 

 in order to be housed on board, with the anchors, before striking the enemy, 

 that there may be no chance of becoming entangled with the wreck of the 

 sinking vessel. It has, however, yet to be explained how she is to get rid of 

 her own masts and spars, and, above all, what precautions will be adopted 

 to prevent the rigging fouling her screw. The cost of the hull will be about 

 200,000, and her engines about 75,000, and her fittings for sea about 

 4-3,000 more, or 320,000 in all. 



VULNERABILITY OF IKON PLATES. 



A series of experimental trials have been recently earned on at Portsmouth, 

 England, with a view of ascertaining the amount of resistance offered by 

 iron and steel plates, when opposed to heavy ordnance at a short range. The 

 practice was made both from a 32-pounder and a 9-3-cwt. gun, the latter 

 throwing a solid 68-pound shot, with sixteen pounds charge of powder, - 

 the distance of range 200 yards. At this distance, the results of the ex- 

 periments have demonstrated, in the clearest possible manner, that no iron, 

 or steel plate that has yet been manufactured, can withstand the solid shot 



