502 SEC. 12. APPLIED MECHANICS. 



by the late Mr. Large and other officers induced the English Government to 

 entrust Mr. Laird with the designing and building of the iron paddle-wheel 

 frigate " Birkenhead," 1,400 tons, one of the first iron wardships in the 

 English navy ; this ship was launched in 1845. 



2178u. Models of the " Parana " and " Uruguay," 



1873. Length 152 ft.,- breadth 25 ft., depth 12 ft. 6 ins. 455 

 tons. 80 horse-power. Laird Brothers. 



Iron screw gunboats of modern type, built for the Government of the 

 Argentine Confederation, armed with two 100-pr. Vavasseur pivot guns. 

 Rigged as barques and fitted with Bevis' patent feathering screw propeller. 



2178v. Models of the "Fu-Shng and Chien- 

 Sheng," 1875. Length 87 ft., breadth 26 ft., depth 8 ft. 8 ins. 

 256 tons. 40 horse-power. Laird Brothers. 



Iron screw gunboats for coast and river defence, armed with one 18-ton 

 Vavasseur gun, 450-pr., fitted with twin screws. 



These vessels steamed out to China through the Suez Canal. 



2178w. Models of the " El Plata and "Los Andes," 

 1875, Length 180 ft., breadth 44 ft., depth 11 ft. 9 ins. 1,588 

 tons. 750 indicated horse-power. Laird Brothers. 



Armour-plated twin screw turret vessels, built for the Government of the 

 Argentine Confederation. Protected with armour 6 inches on the hull and 

 8 inches on the turret, and carry each two 12^-ton 300-pr. rifled guns. 



They steam 9 knots on a load draught of water of 9 ft. 6 ins., and steamed 

 from the Mersey to Buenos Ayres in about 50 days, including all stoppages. 



SERIES OF IKON PADDLE-WHEEL VESSELS FOR COMMERCIAL 

 PURPOSES, DESIGNED AND BUILT BY THE LATE JOHN 

 LAIED, M.P., AND PRESENT FIRM. 



2178x. Model of the " John Randolph," 1834. 



Length 110 ft., breadth 22 ft., depth 7 ft. 6 ins. 249 tons. 60 

 horse-power. Laird Brothers. 



The first iron steamer ever seen on American waters, built at Birkenhead, 

 taken to pieces, shipped at Liverpool, rivetted together on the Savannah 

 river, where for many years after she did service as a tug boat. 



2178y. Model of the " Garryowen," 1834. Length 

 130 ft., breadth 21 ft. 6 ins., depth 9 ft. 3 ins. 263 tons. 90 

 horse-power. Laird Brothers. 



Paddle steamer built for the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, for 

 the navigation of the lower Shannon, and the largest iron vessel built at this 

 time. After 30 years' service in Ireland the machinery was taken out of her 

 and she was made into a sailing ship. 



' About the year 1841, at Mr. Laird's suggestion, this vessel was placed at 

 the disposal of the Admiralty to enable them to institute a series of experi- 

 ments on the variation of the compass in iron vessels, which were conducted 

 by Capt. Johnson, B.K, and subsequently elaborated by the experiments 

 carried out by Professor Airy on General Steam Navigation Company's 

 steamer " Rainbow," built by Mr. Laird in 1837. 



