232 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[1844. 



which we have alicady had occasion lo appreciate the biilhantViualificntions. 



The Devastation has kept all liiat was promised of her. We sec conse- 

 quently in 1813, lliis model reproduced anil occuiiying almost exclusively the 

 slips of the English dockyards, with the ofliuial ratin;; of first class steamers. 



The construction of engines has followed the same progress, and it » ill not 

 be uninteresting to reproduce here from an official document,* the statement 

 of the contracts made by the government with difl'erent makers from 1839 to 

 1813 ; for in England all the engines are required from the manufacturers, 

 and the dockyards have only repairing establishments. 

 In 1839 the contracts were l.')6.5 h. p. 



1840 „ ., 2100 



1841 „ „ 1626 



1842 „ „ 5445 



However they did not stop at the ncvastation ; the steam navy has not fixed 

 there the limits of its aggrandizement and its progress ; after having suc- 

 cessively created the three classes which we now see figure, and after having 

 gone through the three periods marked for their introduction by tlie appear- 

 ance of the Medea, Cyclops, and Demstation, new experiments are now being 

 made. 



In fact without speaking of the isolated experiment of the Penelope of 700 

 h.p.,t which may be considered as out of the regular course of aggrandize- 

 ment, we see figure on the list vessels building of 800 h. p , the IVatt and the 

 Terrible. It may be open to doubt whether such giant masses Hill succeed, 

 and to dispute the principle of their construction, so long as science while 

 reducing the motive power has not been able to shelter it in the submerged 

 portion of the vessel. But science has not said her last word, and if this 

 problem is not yet solved, we cannot at present foretell that it is insoluble. 

 In the meanwhile, the Lords of the Admiralty will take care — the evidence 

 of the past is a guarantee for this — that not to put on the slips other vessels 

 like the Watt and the Terrible before it has been determined by trials duly 

 carried on, what is the value of the new plan. 



It is with that wise prudence, hut also with that rational continuousness 

 that they proceed in England. It is true it has not always been so, and 

 there as elsewhere, there have been bitter and costly deceptions,! but at least 

 the remembrance of them has been stored up, ami this lesson from tlie past 

 will not be lost for the present. 



Why have we not to witness ainongst ourselves the same prudent and 

 measured course? Why on the contrary must we blame a precipitation 

 which makes us proceed by tens in experiments at least uncertain, as if in 

 naval architecture, we had the right of believing in our infallibility ? 



If this precipitation has created for the future a seriou.s situation, Heaven 

 forbid that our thought shuuld be to throw the responsibility of it on a body 

 as learned as elevated, and which is justly envied in us ! ■" No the respon- 

 sibility belongs to the country at large. When we want a navy, a sailing 

 navy or steam navy, it is not only at the mi ment w hen the want is felt that 

 we must wish it ; wc must long wish it, we must always wish it, because in a 

 navy nothing can be done ofl'-hand, cither with regard to vessels or men. 



This truth lias been outlawed from having been so often repeated, and yet 

 why be weary of telling it, when we are not weary of forming such concep- 

 tions? 



In 1840, we suddenly wished a steam navy ; we voted millions [of francs]. 

 Why cotdd we as easily vote tried vessels! To reply to this impatience, 

 which would not most surely have accommodated itself to the wise delays of 

 prudence, which would perhaps have condemned them, we have been obliged 

 to hurry on and put on the slips vessels of 450 and 540 h. p., and cover the 

 slips of our dockyards with new and unknown constructions. 



God will that this impatience, which has had to be obeyed at any cost, 

 that this precipitancy, thus forced on by circumstances, as it always will 

 be, every time we allow ourselves to be surprised, be not dearly paid, and we 

 find ourselves as England once was with our Forty Thieves ! 



APPENDIX B. 



If it be true that in commerce, sailing navigation is more economical than 

 steam navigation, it is not so with regard to the military navy. 



In a military navy, the services of steamers compared to those of sailing 

 vessels are much less expensive than is generally believed. 



This assertion shall be supported by the authority of figures. 



The expense of maintenance of a steamer on service is composed ; of pay, 

 provisions and fuel. 



It may be assumed, that in a steamer on active service, the steam is up one 

 day in five. This estimate is above the average of the returns of the African 



* Return to an order of the Hon. the House of Commons. Dated 15th March, 1843. 



I The " Peuelope" is a regular frigate, which has heen fitted with a engine, 700 h. p. 

 after having been lengthened 40 feet. She has made experimental trips without much 

 success, and is now part of the squadron on the west coast of Africa. 



X During the last war 40 vessels put on the Blips at once were found so bad that they 

 were named the Forty Thieves. 



. "' y^ '"'* ""' ^"are that England envies this blessing, for weWo not know what por- 

 tion of the naval administration it can be. 



service, the most active department. It appears from these returns that the 

 mean of the days ste.iming varies from 1 in 5 to 1 in 6. 



Let it then be 1 in 5, which will give 73 days per year as llie number ol 

 ilays steaming. 



It may be again assumed that the mean consumption of fuel is 9 lb. (8 

 kilogo) per h. p. per hcur. This estimate is certainly enough, since under 

 circumstances when wind is favourable or in calmer weather, cutting olV the 

 steam at part of the stroke will make a considerable saving. 



Further documents have been referred lo which have just been (juoted, 

 and it is not giving theoretical data, but purely practical results from official 

 statistics. 



As to the price of fuel, according lo the contract price it is 

 At Cherbourg . 24 franc 50c. per ton 

 Algiers . 31 90 



Toulon . 32 44 



Brest . 23 80 



The mean is . 29 40 



In round numbers .30 . = 24s. 



On this basis, and by referring for pay and provisions, to the data given by 

 the budget of 1843, the Table No. 1 has been drawn up. 



From this table it appears that the cost of a steam frigate of 450 h. p. (pay, 

 provisions and fuel) costs less than that of a sailing frigate of the second 

 cl.iss (pay and provisions)- With the expense of a second rate would be 

 maintained 2 fiigales of 4.50 h. p. or 3 of 320, and with that of a first rate, 

 we should have nearly 6 steamers of 220 h. p. capable of quickly and safely 

 carrying 3,000 men. 



We have at Toulon a squadron of 8 liners, which reckons besides a frigate, 

 1 steamer of 450 h. p., and 1 of 220 h. p. This is the gross expense. Is it 

 required to be known what steam power we shall have at the same price, not 

 in a slate of immobility, but w orking one day in five, that is to say employed 

 in a service as active as that of Africa ? By means of that table, the estimate 

 may be easily made. 



First we have . . . 1 of 450 li. p. 



And .... 1 of 220 „ 



which are attached to the fleet. 



For 1 first rate . . . 5 of 220 „ 



And .... 1 of 160 „ 



For 2 second rates . . . 4 of 450 ,, 



For 3 third rates . . . 14 of 220 „ 



And lastly for 2 fourth rates . . 10 of 160 „ 



The frigate may be reckoned as 2 of 220 „ 



That is to say for the same outlay may be kept in active service. 



5 steam frigates of 450 h. p. with 1000 men each . 5,000 



22 steam corvettes of 220 h. p. with 500 men each . 11,000 



11 steamers of 160 h. p. with 300 men . . . 3,300 



38 19,300 men. 



In all 38 vessels capable of carrying nearly 20,000 men. 



This is what might be had at the same price. 



An easy objection may be foreseen to this ; it will be said that the duty of 

 a military navy is not confined lo the transport of troops. Doubtless not ; 

 but when steam appeared with the mission of favouring evasive war, it is 

 just and national, to bear in mind, in face of the continental force of France, 

 this important function of the steam navy. 



Is this saying that in time of war the duty of this navy will be limited to 

 the work of the transport service, or lo carrying'bardens ? 



Again we say no. 



Let the most incredulous, let those who from conviction or interest, persist 

 in denying the military force of a steam navy, be pleased to tell us what 

 would be the issue of a contest between a second rate and tw o 430 h. p. 

 steamers, or even between the same vessel and three 320 h. p. steamers, which 

 offer an equivalent for the same expense of maintenance ; let them oppose sii 

 220 h. p. steamers to a first rate. 



Are the chances so unetiual, that '.here must be inevitably success on one 

 side and defeat on another? It is not thought so. It is thought that chances 

 will be at least balanced. 



The development of this opinion, which now reckons numerous partisans 

 is beyond the limits here laid down. It is suflieient tosay here in ageneral 

 manner, and it is to be hoped it « ill be understood by every body, that even 

 sailers and steamers power is not to be reckoned by the number of guns; 

 that other elements have to be taken into account ; if the sailer have the 

 greater number of guns on its side, the steamer has advantages of Its own. 

 It is alumifs at liberty to accept or refuse an engagement, whilst in almost all 

 eases it can compel its opponent to either ; having the command of its means 

 of motion, it can choose its point of attack and distance, and whilst the mass 

 of its adversary presents a wide mark, to the well pointed aim of an artillery 

 powerful in calibre and ellect, the steamer escapes by the special mode of at- 

 tack suilable to it, from most of its adversary's shot. 



Whatever may be the solution to be given to this question, it is in these 



