2.20 REPORT— 1870. 



ciple they are double pendulums, the swing of whicli is absolute in two direc- 

 tions at right angles to each other. The centre of gravity is vertically over or 

 coincident with tlie centre of the mass. The oscillation is reduced to a minimum ; 

 the draught of water is light. In turret-ships tlie longitudinal o.-cillation limits 

 the sites of the turrets to two points at such distances from the middle of the vessel 

 as -within Avhicli the motion is not too extensive to permit of the training of the guns. 

 In the four-rayed forts guns can be mounted all round the circumference of a 

 circle dra\^ai continuously at the same distance from the central point of least or no 

 motion. Thus the pnxctical arming of the floating fort, as compared to that of a 

 ship, could he as 8 to 4. The fort is flat -bottomed and buoyant throughout ; sta- 

 bility and steadiness are essential qualities. If sunk it would not heel over, and 

 when grounded it would remain n]3right, and in the shoal water of Liverpool 

 Bay would still keep its port-cills above water, so that the guns in its batteries 

 could be worked effectively. A model ves.sel of this form, 40 feet across, has 

 been built, and sailed with tlio gi-eatest success and under circumstances proving 

 the value and the safety of the invention, details and illustrations of which were 

 given. The class of Moody floating forts proposed would be not less than 200 feet 

 from ray to ray, plated over the central battery with 9-inch armour backed by 

 hollow stringers of not less than 10 inches in depth, and infilled with teak. The 

 guns should be protected by a low vertical parapet with 14 or 15-inch plating. 

 The main battery .should contain at least eight GOO-pounders, and it might be 

 well to have a turret above this containing four .3.5-ton guns or TOO-pounders to 

 ensure gun-power above water if the battery should be submerged, even at the top 

 of .spring-tides. The height of the port-cills of the ' Hercules,' which are very 

 lofty, is 11 feet above the water. The height of the port-cills of the proposed 

 battery, when afloat, would be 12 feet, whilst the height of the tui-ret-guns would 

 be 26 feet ; so that tliose guns would sweep and Arc dovrn upon the decks of the 

 finest turret-ships and iron-clads. 



Against ramming, these forts would be absolutely .secure, the strength of their 

 stracture being enormous ; and as all the beams and girders radiate from the 

 centre, they give direct resistance in every direction to the blow. From the splay 

 over of the horizontal rim of the battery it would not be possible for any attack- 

 ing ship to get upon a ray to upset the fort, as has been most absurdly suggested; 

 the real tendencj' of the battery- when struck would be to gyrate out of the way. 

 Taking the proposed fort as fighting against a .ship of the ' Hercules ' cla.ss, wo 

 .should Imve for it a superiority of armour, and this superiority further increased 

 by the angle at which the armour is inclined — an angle calculated to deflect tlie 

 shot and not to permit its penetration ; a superiority in guns ; in stability and 

 steadiness of platform ; with no difficulty of opening ports and firing in any" wea- 

 ther: and, finally, the advantage of being able to fight as a fixed fort after being- 

 sunk. The ship in action would be encumbered wdth fallen masts and spars an(l 

 ropes entangling her screws, whilst the fort, moved by hydraulic power, would 

 be completely free from those most serious troubles. Moreover, such deep-draught 

 vessels as the '.Hercules' and our iron-clads generally could not follow an 

 enemy's gun-boats over the shoals ; but the batter}', if necessary, could, whilst, 

 on the other hand, if itself pressed haid, it could retire into shoal water. 



The best means of protecting Livei-pool and .securing the immunity of its 

 wealth are the placing of one of these powerful floating forts on or nearTaylor's 

 bank to command tlie junction of the Crosby and Formby channels loading into 

 the long deep pool the Mersey makes at low water in Liverpool Bay; and another 

 floating battery on or near the extremity of the East Iloyle Bank, to command 

 the entrance to the Horse channel. By this disposition of the floating batteries 

 the fight with an hostile fleet would be forced on at nine miles away from the 

 town and docks, or, in other words, Liverpool and Birkenhead with their ware- 

 houses and .shipping would be preserved from the reach of the heaviest guns. 

 The waterways of the Victoria and Queen's and Old and New Formby chan- 

 nels could be planted with torpedoes, which would be protected by the "guns of 

 the floating forts ; and the like could be done with the long pool of the Mersey 

 meandering through the shoals in the bay, as also along the Horse and Rock 

 channels imder similar protection. Some few swift little steamers with Com- 



