242 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
a development of power is obviously alarming in more than one 
respect ; for not only are we compelled to devote enormous sums 
of money to the construction of such designs, but also the new 
vessels so rapidly dwarf and outmatch their predecessors in their 
means of attack and defence, that there must necessarily exist 
in the armament of each nation a few ships which are able to 
dispose of all comers except the individuals of about their 
own class, who might probably be a number that might be 
counted on our fingers. An uncomfortable element of uncer- 
tainty is thus brought into the question of naval warfare, for 
the same conditions obtain in the fleets of all formidable naval 
Powers. Suppose that England, in the Inflexible and Bread- 
nought , has vessels that are decidedly more powerful than any 
of her enemy’s fleet. Suppose even that the next class of ship, 
the Devastation and Thunderer , are sufficiently powerful to be 
expected to hold their own fairly against the most formidable 
antagonist, which we shall see hereafter is not the case. What 
guarantee have we that vessels, say such as the Monarch , may 
not be called upon to engage with that antagonist ? So that a 
ship which we look upon as rather a powerful ironclad may 
after all be placed in circumstances when she may be called 
upon to contend against an invulnerable antagonist whose 
guns, under favourable conditions, are capable of piercing her 
own armour with ease. This danger is seen to be the greater 
when the difficulty of identifying an antagonist is taken into 
account. One thing at all events is clear, and it is that which 
at present concerns us. Our vessels must be supplied with the 
most powerful guns we can make. Hence the importance of 
the 80-ton gun and its kindred. The particular desideratum 
demanded of the 80-ton gun was, that it was to be capable of 
penetrating 20 inches of iron, firmly backed, at 1,000 yards 
range. This there is reason to hope is likely to be realised, as 
we shall see hereafter, but we have first to deal with what has 
actually taken place. 
The gun itself ( vide PI. CXXXVII. fig. 1) is made on the 
Woolwich system as perfected by Mr. Fraser ; that is to say, 
the centre portion or u A tube ” is made of a block of cast steel 
supplied by Messrs. Firth. Bound this are “ built up ” five 
cylinders formed of coiled wrought iron, and a large mass 
termed the trunnion hoop, which are attached in succession in 
their proper places by means of heating them so as to ex- 
pand them and enable them to pass on, and then in cooling 
to grip the interior portion firmly. The breech end be- 
hind the base of the steel tube is closed by a block of wrought 
iron screwed into the posterior portion of the u breech-piece J 
coil. Those who are acquainted with the manufacture of the 
Woolwich guns will recognise that this amounts to saying that 
