272 
POPULAR SCIENCE EE VIEW. 
carried. In other words, in the proportion of propelling power 
to the fighting power of the vessel propelled. With this we 
readily agree. Let us now examine Mr. Reed’s figures, as given 
in the report of his lecture. He first took weight of guns and 
armour of the Novgorod , and the Warrior, and the Defence , 
which he selected as types of ordinary ironclads, and with this 
weight he compared the indicated horse-power at full speed. 
We give his tabulated results, merely adding to them the speed 
obtained : — 
Novgorod Warrior Defence 
Weight of armour and guns protected . 806 tons 1,100 tns. 700 tns. 
Indicated horse-power at full speed . 2,270 5,470 2,500 
Proportion of power to weight driven . 2-8 to 1 4 9 to 1 3*5 to 1 
Speed obtained «... 8£ knots 14’35 knots ll’G knots 
A little later on he made a similar comparison with the Prince 
Consort , the figures being : — 
Novgorod Prince Consort 
Weight of armour and guns protected , 806 tons 1,080 tons 
Indicated horse-power at full speed . 2,270 4,234 
Proportion of power to weight driven , 2-8 to 1 3 9 to 1 
Speed obtained 8£ knots 13 knots 
Here there is no real comparison. Mr. Reed should have 
taken, not the indicated horse-power of the Warrior , Defence , 
and Prince Consort , at full speed (that is, at from 12 to 14 
knots), but their indicated horse-power at 8^ knots, the speed 
of the Novgorod. As everyone at all conversant with the sub- 
ject knows, and as Mr. Reed himself has shown very clearly in 
his work on “ Our Ironclad Ships,” the indicated horse-power 
developed in obtaining the full speed of a ship is out of all pro-^ 
portion to that developed for a speed of even two knots lower, 
the indicated horse-power at 14 knots being often double that 
at 1 2 knots ; a still greater difference would be apparent if we 
were to compare the indicated horse-power at rates of speed so 
different as 8^ and 14 or even 12 knots. Bearing this prin- 
ciple in mind, it is evident, even from Mr. Reed’s figures, that the- 
Popoffkas have been provided with engines relatively far more 
powerful than those of our fleet ; and the ships Mr. Reed has 
chosen for comparison are some of the oldest of our ironclads, 
for the Warrior was launched in 1860, the Defence in 1861, 
and the Prince Consort in 1862. Why not select for this pur- 
pose some more modern vessel, with improved engines and a 
really heavy armament ? We shall do this here with one of 
Mr. Reed’s own ironclads, and following his method of investi- 
gation, but taking not only the full speed, but a lower speed 
also of the English ship ; and we select for this purpose the 
Hercules , a ship designed by Mr. Reed, on the central battery 
