1862.] on the Iron Walls of England, 507 



other. Explosion in a shell also takes time, and what happens with the 

 shell striking the armour is that it gets shattered to pieces and the pow- 

 der scattered about before it has time to explode ; and this not only 

 with four-inch iron, but with plates a great deal thinner/' This power 

 of annihilating shell is one of the advantages which iron bestows on a 

 ship, and for which wood is powerless ; and upon this very fortunate 

 fact the new principle of naval construction is based, for whatever 

 armour will do against shot, it will infallibly keep out the shell. What 

 kind of armour is best against shell and what against shot is still a sub- 

 ject of discussion. The most important results were being worked out 

 by the committee on iron plates as to the best adaptation of armour for 

 the purposes we want. 



To the speaker's mind, the best kind of armour and the best kind 

 of ship was that combined in the ' Warrior.' There was one gun-deck, 

 in which a battery of guns of the heaviest calibre was placed, and that 

 battery was entirely covered with iron plates, backed with eighteen 

 inches of wood lying between them and the iron skin of the ship. A 

 great effort was now being made to get rid of this wooden backing, 

 which was liable to rot and contributed no strength to the vessel. 

 When an effective iron backing was constructed, the last improvement 

 would be got that was looked for in the construction of an armour- 

 plated ship. He then explained what were the great difficulties to con- 

 tend with in the construction of the new fleet. There was no difficulty 

 in the armour ; we know we can keep out the shell and the shot ; for 

 if Sir William Armstrong pushes us too hard, we know how much 

 more iron will keep him out. What we have to do that is difficult, is 

 to build a ship that will not merely keep out shell and resist shot, but 

 also possess speed with good sea-going qualities — a monstrous difficulty. 

 The problem was purely one of naval architecture. The difficulty 

 arose in this way : the iron armour placed a very great weight in a 

 very bad place ; it tended to make the ship top-heavy, and "crank." 

 Now such a vessel rolls, and a very heavy roll might roll her upside 

 under— an event to be avoided as long as possible. The puzzle was, 

 therefore, to make a stable ship that should stand under this great 

 top-weight of armour, and be a good sea-going vessel. The first iron 

 batteries were totally devoid of this quality. They were not " ship- 

 shape," but " sea-chest " shape. I'hose we sent out to the Black Sea — 

 and one was under a very good captain — never got there, or, if they 

 did, they never did anything but comeback again. He referred to them 

 because they were a class of ships that were now being agitated for. 

 The question was now being entertained, in the highest quarters, as to 

 whether our new fleet of vessels should be fit for long voyages and able 

 to encounter heavy seas, such as were necessary for the protection of 

 our colonies and commerce ; or whether they should be made unsea- 

 worthy slow vessels, incapable of following the enemy if he ran away, 

 still less of catching him. They were only adapted for staying at 

 home ; and, in order to hurt the enemy, the enemy must come to them 

 to be hurt. 



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