342 
ARMOURED DEFENCES. 
each gun there is a part of it which is removable, to admit of its being 
got in and out, and a part is made of open bars to allow a current of 
air to clear off any smoke that may enter the turret. The gun ports 
admit of 7° of elevation, and 2° of depression ; the turret is capable of 
all round fire. The glacis outside the turret is supported by a ring of 
armour plates on edge, 5 ins. and 3 ins. thick, on a strong circle of 2-in. 
plating. The muzzles of the guns are brought inside the turret and de¬ 
pressed to an angle of 14°, for loading, which will be done under the glacis 
by steam gear, but into the arrangements for that I shall not here enter. 
The turret is turned by a pinion, the vertical shaft shown working 
into a large ring with steel trundles, secured to the framework, the 
power being given by a set of main engines capable of working up to 
300 h.p., and auxiliary engines of 45 or 50 h.p. For the working and 
loading of the guns there will be another engine of about 30 h.p. 
All the engines and the boilers are in the lower part of the battery 
some 30 ft. below the guns. The magazines are at nearly the same 
level as the engines, and the shell stores at a higher level. 
There will be a system of communication, by signal and speaking, from 
the gun chamber to the engine room, and throughout the battery. 
Concluding remarks. 
The period during which the works, which are here described, have 
been carried on has been one of continual transition and change—I 
might say of revolution—in the affairs of artillery, more sweeping, I 
suppose, than anything that has taken place since the days in which 
gunpowder was first invented; and to my mind, there is nothing in the 
present aspect of affairs to justify us in fancying that this unsettled 
period is near its end. 
It is easy to conceive that this at any rate has not lessened the 
difficulties of those who have had to deal with these works. Some¬ 
times forts have been designed, and more than half-built, when an entire 
change of armament and of the character of defence has been decided 
upon. Works intended for one class of gun have had to be adapted to 
one of three and four times its power, and all other conditions have 
frequently been affected in a corresponding degree. 
At almost every step hitherto taken those who have been engaged 
in designing and carrying out these great works have received the 
valuable advice and assistance of many of the most able officers of the 
Royal Artillery, and I must also especially refer to the great advan¬ 
tages that we have had in being closely associated, for experimental 
purposes and for the testing of armour, with the officers of the 
experimental staff of the School of Gunnery at Shoeburyness, under 
successive Commandants. 
As regards coast defence both at home and abroad, I believe there is 
a great field yet before us, and I am certain that the more intimately the 
Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers are associated in these matters, 
the higher will be the standard of efficiency attained, and the greater 
will be the success. 
