The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-01 00:00:00

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Trial of H.lllL's Turret Ram S

On Tuesday the first of the celebrated r a
built by Messrs Laird Brothers, of BirkenheadAiadoLL
a preliminary, or engineers', trial trip. Since the
vessel has been handed over by Government to
Messrs. Laird, all that has been done has been to
put the vessel in the graving dock, scrape her bot-
tom, and clean down the paint-work and machi-
nery, which had become much deteriorated by ten
mouths' exposure to the weather in the river. Be-
sides the builders, there wero en board Mr Dimwit,
Admiralty inspector of machinery ; Mr -Hobbs, in-
spector shipwright, who is superintending the con-
struction of the ironclad frigate Agincourt, by
Messrs. Laird; and a few other gumtlertien,
amongst them one or two naval officers. The yes.
sei, which was originally christened El Tousnia,
has had her name changed to the Scorpion since
her addition to the Royal Ni;vy list. The Scorpion
is 224 ft in length on w6ter line, including the
s!'t ram, 423-ft ham, and tuft deep, measurement
1,890 tons. Hi::: sides are plated with 41-An. iron
Ottee, bucked with 10in. of teak, ut.d behaid this
the ordinary iron skin. The bcotpion has engines
of nomineliy 350 horse power, the cylinders being
laid horiz3ntaliy, and fitted with double pis:on-
roads. The diameter of the cylinders is 56in. each,
with 3ft length of stroke. The Scorpion is rigged
as a three master schooner, and will carry a large.
spread of canvas, being fit to cruise anywhere.
In the trial on Tuesday there were about 200 tee as
of coal on board, and the vessel drew 13ft forwiArd
and 14ft 9in aft. In consequence of the newya„,
of the machinery and danger of dirt having got into
the bearings while the vessel was lying unfinished
the Scorpion steamed easy down the river against
the flood tide. The Rock Lighthouse was :passed
at 10,30 a.m„ and, going down the Queen's Chan.
nel, the north-west light ship was reached at 11.45,
a distance of 14 nautical miles, in an hour and a.
quarter. Atterwards the engines were put to tt.
higher speed, and with 201 b pressure of steam, an a
the engines making 69 revolutions per minute, ala
run between the Victoria Channel, Fairway buoy,
and the Queen's Channel Bell buoy, a meastr:cd
distance slightly short of one nautical mile, was
run in 4 min.4o sec, or nearly equal to 12.237 knots
an hour, a speed much beyond what was expected
when the vessels were designed. Two subsequent
runs were made when the ebb tide got stronger.
The first occupied 5 mins. 25 sec., the second 4
mins. 58 sec., mean time 5 min. 111 sec., or 11
6-10th knots per hour. The machinery worked with
great smoothness, and not the ordinary vibration
from the screw,which is 14ft diameter, with 3 blades .
The vessel cruised about outside the banki for some
time, and the facility with which she answered her
helm was remarkable, the half circle being made at
full speed in a little over two minutes. With six
men at the wheel, the vessel going at full speed,
the complete circle to port was made in 4 min. 104
secs., to starboard in 4 mins. 45 sees., the vessel,
turning in apparently twice her own length. Th e
vessel is steered with a wheel aft, and in actin n
with a wheel placed between decks amidships, wad
protected by the plated sides of the vessel, There
are two turrets, 24ft. in outer diameter, coy axed
with 511,in. plates, and 14in. teak. Each turret will
carry two 12 ton guns, or 300-pounders, t::ained
alongside of each other, and served by the m(na from
outside the lower part of the turrets between decks.
Within the turrets there will only be three mca to
each gun. The turrets revolve on wheels, the ma-
chinery being worked by four winches acting on a
toothed rim. The facility with which the turrets
were turned in either direction was admired by all
who witnessed the operation. There is a difference
in Capt. Coles's principle of revolving these turreta
and that adopted on the American monitors, be
lieved to be greatly in favour of the former, th,e
revolving machinery being all in the under part of
the turret, and protected from an enemy's fire.
'ith armament and stores on board the Scorpion
will probably draw nearly a foot more water. than
on Tuesday, but as tho screw will be more 'immersed
the speed will scarcely be effected. The ratnamont
of the Scorpion; it is expected, will bo t lent down
to Birkenhead to he fitted on bor;rd, after -which an
trid. trip will talle.pli:ce, end the c a pabilities
of the vessel to stand fire satisfectorily evoiblit,hed.
In a month or six weeks the second. ram, the
Wyvern will be ready for trial.
It is satisfactory to know that the Ettzs.lish navy
atone possesses such a closs of vessel as ti is—fit or
either harbour work or ocean cruising, at d having
such a rate of speed at a cmnpr.zrative, al.-1;c11 expai-
penditure of Ti3e, famous American moni.
tore are not so fo.st severe: knots, ar:ct they ere
I only coast vessels.—jianehester Courier.