38 
MINUTES OE PBOCEEDINGS OE 
in the teak. The plate was buckled considerably, several bolts were started, 
two ribs cracked, and the skin much bulged in: four bolts were broken and 
a number of rivets. 
The second 150 lb. cast shot struck the Sheffield plate, made a hole 13 in. 
by 12 inches in the armour, and sent pieces of armour plate, shot, and teak, 
through a large irregular hole in the skin: the armour plate was buckled, 
three bolts broken, and other damage done. 
The third 150 lb. cast shot struck Messrs Beale's plate and did similar 
injury, making a hole through everything; the diameter of the hole in the 
armour being about 13 in., and in the skin about 1 ft. 4 in. by 2 ft. 6 in. 
The 162 lb. wrought-iron shot stuck in the Thames Company's plate, buck¬ 
ling it and shaking the whole target very much indeed; two ribs were broken 
and the backing of the target very much displaced and injured. At this 
round the 12 ton gun burst, the breech being blown out some 30 yds. to the 
rear, and, but for this, no doubt, the target would have suffered even more 
severely. 
The 71 lb. wrought-iron shot made an indent about Jin. deep, but neither 
it nor the 68 lb. cast-iron shot did much other damage: about 750 lbs. weight 
of shot struck this target. 
From this experiment it has been learnt that the powers of resistance of 
the “ Minotaur " are very inferior to those of the “ Warrior." 
Armour plates protected by a faxing of vjood and iron. July 31, 1862. 
This experiment was made with 681b. solid service shot, and 1101b. 
Armstrong live shell with a bursting charge of 8| lbs. of powder, at 200 yds. 
The facing consisted of an inch plate with a backing of 12 in. of oak. The 
indentation on the armour made by the solid shot was about one-third of 
what it would have been without the protection of the facing, but the 
effect of the live shell in blowing away the facing was so destructive as to 
render this construction worse than useless, unless considerably modified. 
About this time some experiments were made to test the value of com¬ 
pressed millboard as a backing to armour plates in comparison with teak, 
and the result went to show that, weight for weight, the millboard offers a 
greater resistance to penetration than teak. 
Compressed millboard weighs. 54 lbs. per cubic foot 
Teak . 46 lbs. to 50 lbs. „ 
After this, some compound targets, consisting of iron, cork, and india- 
rubber, and iron, wood, and layers of wire, were tested in comparison with 
solid wrought-iron plates of equal weight per foot superficial, and failed in 
establishing any superiority in their resisting powers. 
It must be admitted that these experiments were on a very small scale, but 
the results were too marked to admit of any doubt as to the result in trials 
on a larger scale. 
Horsfall 1'3-in. gun versus “ Warrior.” Sept. 16 and 25, 1862. 
The target used for this experiment was of the “ Warrior" construction 
(10 ft. by 12 ft.) and consisted of three plates, made at the Parkhead forge, 
all 41 in. thick, and varying from 12 ft. by 3 ft. to 12 ft. by 3 ft. 4 in. 
