486 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
SYSTEM OF 
IRON-PLATING A CRUISING SHIP. 
BY 
CAPTAIN M. TWEEDIE, R.A. 
Vessels of war in the present day, owing to the peculiar services 
required of them, may advantageously be classed as “ ships of the fleet ' 99 
(iron-clad), “ cruising ships for the protection of onr commerce and 
colonies ” (more especially in times of peace), and “ harbour and coast 
defence ships” (virtually movable batteries). 
It is with regard to the second class of ship—the cruising ship—that 
I venture to treat. 
The requirements of a ship of this class are: that she must be a first- 
class sea boat, comfortable, and fit for the accommodation of a crew 
during a long commission, probably in a great diversity of climates, 
capable of repair in foreign parts, and in the event of a sudden out¬ 
break of hostilities, neither liable to become an easy prey to any 
iron-clad nor liable to be sent to the bottom by the first shot fired at 
her. 
Now, I think it will be at once admitted that neither the iron-clad 
nor the wooden ship fulfil these conditions—the iron-clad on account 
of the injurious action of the salt water upon her iron plating exposed 
to it, the difficulty of repair in foreign parts, and doubtful qualities as 
a sea boat; the wooden ship on account of her being an easy prey 
to any iron-clad enemy on a sudden outbreak of hostilities, and her 
liability to be sent to the bottom by the first shot fired at her. 
It appears to me, with regard to iron-clad ships, that seeing we 
have got almost if not quite to the limit of thickness of iron plating 
that can be put on the outside of a ship, and yet can make a gun to 
penetrate it, we must now look for additional strength not from extra 
thickness, but by (if possible) altering the position of the armour on 
the ship. 
It is this principle that I venture to recommend as applicable to 
cruising ships, and am inclined to believe that iron armour may be 
