36 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
and remained there several weeks, but was at last got off very little injured, 
owing to the protection afforded by the wood and copper, and is now 
said to be all right; the other was wrecked in the Java seas in 1859, 
but up to that time seems to have given the utmost satisfaction, so much 
so that the owner has expressed his intention never to have iron ships built 
in any other manner. A model of this plan, full size, may be seen at the 
Boyal United Service Institution, Whitehall. 
The other method of coppering ships is proposed by Mr Daft, who 
insulates the copper sheathing by a layer of india-rubber, the copper being 
fastened by small ebonite pins. A great objection to this plan is the 
necessity for perforating the plates to receive these small pins; the holes, 
although small, must weaken the bottom of the ship,—a grave objection in 
iron ships whose weak point is their liability to break up if they ground. 
Both these methods have been recommended for trial on a small scale, 
to determine their relative values; the absolute necessity however for 
some remedy for fouling may be gathered from an opinion expressed 
by Mr Watson, the managing director of the Holyhead mail packets:— 
“ In one month after being cleaned they (the mail packets) lost speed, 
and in two months the loss amounted to from 10 to 15 minutes in 
the run, or about one mile an hour; this is caused by the weeds which 
collect on the ship's bottom." It may easily be imagined, if such a loss of 
speed is occasioned by fouling in vessels constantly in use between Holyhead 
and Kingston, what amount of speed would be lost by a ship lying at anchor 
for several months, in some port in the tropics as a guard ship. 
Reports of Experiments carried on at Shoeburyness, on the 9 th May, 1861, 
and on subsequent dates , by the Special Committee on Iron , 
MASONRY PROTECTED BY IRON. 
The object of the experiment was to ascertain what protection would be 
afforded to masonry by iron plates, 2, 2|, 3, and 3^ inches in thickness. 
The experiment was commenced by firing a 12-pr. Armstrong cast-iron 
solid shot at a range of 600 yards. The projectile did not penetrate any of 
the plates nor cause any damage to the brickwork. 
The 25-pr. land service Armstrong gun was next used, with cast-iron 
solid shot, at the same range. The projectile from the gun penetrated the 
2-inch plates, but caused little damage to the other plates, and none to the 
masonry behind. 
The 40-pr. Armstrong was next used, with cast-iron solid shot. The 
projectile penetrated all the plates, with the exception of the 31-inch plate, 
on which it had hardly any effect at all; even when it penetrated the plates 
it did but very little damage to the masonry behind. 
A 68-pr. 95 cwt gun was next used, with a charge of 16 lbs. and cast 
iron solid shot, at a range of 500 yards. The shot penetrated all the plates 
and damaged them a great deal; still the plates were not displaced, neither 
were the bolts started; it was remarkable that the bolts stood exceedingly 
well and prevented the plates buckling; the bolt holes were evidently a cause 
of weakness, as cracks almost invariably commenced there. 
