BY G. A. MORELL, ESQ., C.E. 261 



Y. 



More than ten years ago, in 1855, during the Russian war, 

 three French floating batteries " Devastation," " Tonnante," and 

 " Lave," covered with 4| in. armour plates received the fire of the 

 Russian smooth bore guns at Fort Kinburn without injury at the 

 ranges of 600 and 700 yards. This success and also the favorable 

 results of experiments on 4f inch armour plates at Portsmouth 

 and at Vincennes the year before, in 1854, led to the construction 

 of heavier and more powerful guns. 



Plated vessels to resist this new ordnance were begun in 

 France and every naval power followed her example. Thus 

 within the last six years the building of wooden ships of war may 

 be said to have been discontinued and only iron-clads built. 



In 1862 the " JSTormandie " an iron-clad of 36 100-pounder 

 rifled guns, and 5800 tons burden, carrying 840 tons of armour 

 plates on her sides, crossed the ocean, going from France to Mexico. 

 We have since heard of the cruise of the French iron -clad squadron, 

 in 1863, and of the Russian iron-clad squadron in 1864, and more 

 recently of the contemplated cruise of the combined squadron of 

 English and French armour-plated vessels. 



It is a well-known fact that the proportion of the American 

 iron-clads to British is as 6 to 1 in regard to number, and that 

 their new Monitors and turretted ships were designed with the 

 view of being rendered sea-worthy by raising their sides with 

 ordinary plates, so as to fit them for crossing the ocean. [It is 

 not probable, however, that these vessels would come to Australia.] 



The necessity of having good sea going armour plated vessels 

 with small draught of water, has long been felt, and new vessels 

 are specially designed for this object, such as the " Lord Warden" 

 and "Lord Clyde" in England, and the "Valeureuse" and 

 " Magicienne" in France, which carry a sufficient thickness of 

 armour plate to enable them to resist the penetration of the 

 heaviest shots at ordinary ranges. 



Improvements in plating vessels of war may soon enable 

 them to put on their armour at will, and to store it away partly 

 for distant voyages. Thus, within a few years, a squadron visiting 

 this port may apparently consist of wooden ships, yet turn out 

 afterwards to be sufficiently plated to resist the penetration of 

 shell, even at short ranges. 



