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MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1864. 

 The Yeey Eey. Chaeles Grates, D. D., President, in the Chair. 

 G. C. Gabuett, M. A., read the following paper : — 

 On Aemotje- plated Shlps oe "Wae. 



The first ships of war that were plated with iron were designed and 

 constructed in America. Mr. Stephens, the designer and builder of some 

 of the fleetest and most beautiful ships and steamers in the American 

 marine, made, in 1845, a series of experiments at the expense of the 

 American Government, to ascertain the resistance of iron plates to shot 

 and shell. The result then arrived at was, that plates less than an inch 

 in thickness would resist the impact of any shell then known ; and that a 

 thickness of six inches of iron was impenetrable to every projectile that was 

 brought against it, no matter how great the velocity, or how short the dis- 

 tance at which it was fired. These results were duly communicated to 

 the learned societies in both London and Paris. Here indeed they fell, 

 as Sir Howard Douglas observes, on stony ground. In France, how- 

 ever, the result was different; for the powerful and energetic mind of the 

 Emperor Napoleon was not long in perceiving the immense advantage of 

 these results. Accordingly the French Government proposed, at the 

 commencement of the Crimean war, that a class of vessels should be 

 jointly constructed by the two governments : of these six were built in 

 France, and six in England. These were of the class known as floating 

 batteries. Ours, indeed, were not ready until the Russian war was con- 

 cluded, and have never seen service, if we except the " Trusty," against 

 whose sides we are daily trying the force of spherical and conical pro- 

 jectiles, and as yet without having obtained any settled result. They 

 are, however, a class of vessels little suited for their intended purpose, 

 being wall-sided, and presenting at both bow. and stern a flat surface for 

 shell and shot, but, as far as the English batteries are concerned, must 

 for sea going purposes be deemed a failure. 



" La Gloire" is built of wood, and is much stronger than is usual 

 in our corvettes, or even in our frigates, being built, as Scott Russell^ 

 Esq., E. R. S., observes, on the model of the French line of battle ships, 

 "Algesiras" and "Napoleon," each of 90 guns, whereas "La Gloire" 

 only carries 40 ; her tonnage registers 3000 tons, and her actual displace- 

 ment is 5000 or 6000 ; the dimensions are as follows : — Length, 250 feet; 

 beam, 55 ; her maximum speed is 13*375 knots ; and she is coated from 

 three feet below the water line with 4 J- inch good hammered iron. But 

 perhaps the most curious circumstance connected with "La Gloire" is, 

 that when she was building it was predicted that she would never be able 

 to carry in a seaway her armour plating, much less her heavy ordnance. 



