THE EOYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
427 
Captain Coles has most satisfactorily shown that this failure in no way 
affects his plan, for the American turrets are entirely above the level of the 
deck, with a pilot house on the roof, both working round a spindle, which 
passes through the deck, the whole of this arrangement being manifestly 
weak, on account of the great leverage the turret would exert in a sea way, 
the liability to injury of the spindle, and also the liability of the turret to 
jam from the exposure of the machinery; and strong evidence exists of the 
value of monitors, even of the American type.* 
Captain Coles* plan has none of these weak points, and although nothing short 
of actual experiment can prove whether his system is free from some of the 
defects urged against it, it must be borne in mind that the “Trusty” experi¬ 
ments (when cupolas were fired at) were considered decidedly successful, but 
of course in that experiment only light gunsf (comparatively speaking) were 
used. 
There seems no longer to be any dispute of the value of turret ships for 
harbour and coast defence, for the controller of the navy states, “ I consider 
a modified turret ship superior to all others for harbour and coast defence/* 
The difference of opinion is now narrowed to the relative value of turret and 
broadside ships as sea-going vessels. 
I have thought it desirable to make this short digression, in order not 
to omit, altogether, reference to two classes of armour-clad ships, which, 
although without representatives in the long list of Shoeburyness targets, are 
amongst the experimental ships in our navy. 
“ Pilot Souse .—One and a quarter inch indentation from conical shot, four feet three inches from 
base ; outside, one rivet-head knocked off and two started; inside, one rivet-head knocked off and 
two started. 
“Armour .—Struck by glancing shot on starboard quarter, a few feet forward of propeller and ten 
inches below the deck ; separated armour-plates slightly for five feet ; a shot passed through both 
quarters of one boat, and through the gunwale of the other; one ventilator-stay was shot away; 
ventilator dented by a fragment of shell ; a shot passed through boiler-iron around rim of turret ; 
the carriage of port fifteen-inch gun was disabled by the recoil, carrying away six bolt-heads, seeming 
composition plates. 
Commander Stevens , JJ.S. Monitor “ Winnebago ” :— 
“ .At fifteen minutes past seven opened fire on the fort, the enemy firing rapidly. 
u .At ten minutes past nine the after-turret broke down. 
“.The ‘Winnebago’ was struck nineteen times, three of the shot having penetrated the deck 
near the after turret, I have to report no casualties.” 
Extract from Report of Lieut. Simpson, U.S. Iron-clad “ Passaic,” April 21st, 1864. 
“ This was very difficult to do,” (to keep her in an effective condition) “ in consequence of her turret 
having been jammed on the night of the 6th of September, which had caused the spindle and pilot¬ 
house to take up motion with the turret, thus disabling the steering gear. Ingenious expedients 
were adopted (of all of which Rear-Admiral Dahlgren has reports,) and the vessel was carried 
successfully into action notwithstanding her disabled condition.” 
* See Appendix C, p. 446. 
110 ^\ difficulty whatever having been experienced in working the machinery of the 
40-pr *) r ided. J cupola after a very heavy battering. 
[VOL. IV.] 
56 
