The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-19 00:00:00

Launch of the Russian Battery, the
Pervenetz.

Since the Warrior first left the dockyard of her
builders at Black wall there has not been so much
interest excited in the launch of any vessel as that
displayed yesterday in the case of the formidable
Russian battery. Every available piece of ground
from which a view could be obtained of the iron
monster—the scaffolding and staging which rise up
like forests of timber over the many acres occupied
by the Thames Iron Works and Shipbuilding Com-
pany, and the unfinished hulls of vessels destined
for almost every navy in the world—swarmed with
and a grand stand erected at
eager eight-seers ;
the bows of the battery was crowded with mem-
bers of the House of Parliament, Russian,
Spanish, and Turkish naval officers, eminent ship-
owners in the mercantile marine of our own coun-
try, and a number of others interested in the ship-
ping and mercantile interests of the country. The
battery which was yesterday launched has already
been described, but we may recapitulate the prin-
cipal features of this remarkable vessel. Her length
between perpendiculars is 220 ft. ; breadth, 63ft.;
depth of hold, 26ift. She is pierced for 28 68-
pounders on the main deck, and will carry two large
pivot guns on the upper deck. The armour-plating
is 4fin., upon a teak backing of 9in., and they ex-
tend from stem to stern, giving protection to all
parts of the vessel. The engines are to be of 300-
horse power, and constructed upon the three cylin-
der principle, with superheating and surface-con-
densing arrangements. She will carry her port
sills Eft. 6in. above water, her draught when fully
equipped being 14ft. The sides are inclined at an
angle of 27 degrees, and both stem and stern project
considerably under water, giving to the battery as
it lay upon the slip a most uncouth and unsightly
appearance. The screw and rudder are completely
protected by plating, and the stem is strongly
fortified with vertical and horizontal bulkheads, so
as to admit of her being used as a " ram." The
battery is not of course intended to be a fast ship,
and the speed will probably not exceed seven or
eight knots, so that there will not be great scope for
employment as a ram, unless it be among a fleet at
anchor, or old sailing-ships becalmed. The launch-
ing took place with all that precision which we are
accustomed to see in the yard of these famous ship-
builders. The be! tle of wine flung by the hand of
Miss Hume, the sister-in law of the Russian captain
who has charge of the battery, had no sooner broken
on the iron bows than the huge hulk was in motion.
At first it moved so gently that it seemed as though
the young lady who was its sponsor might have
held it back with a silken thread; gradually it
acquired speed and momentum, and then dash-
ing into the water, the huge hempen cable unable
to hold it, snapped asunder, and as they fell dashed
the water in foam high on the track of the float-
ing battery. When at length brought up and
taken in tow by the attendant tug steamers,
the Pervenets looked less ugly, though still a most
formidable looking craft. The protruding snouts,
modelled apparently after the head of a rhinoceros,
disappeared under water, and the sloping sides with
their array of defiant portholes alone loomed heavily
on the Thames, most truly answering to its descrip_
tion of a floating battery. There were loud and
long continued cheers; and the strains of the Rus-
sian national anthem went forth from an excellent
band as the first of the Muscovite ironclad fleet
passed into the water. The name of the battery is
the Pervenetz, and in the Russian language means
the " first.born "—a name apposite enough to the
first ironclad ship in the navy of the Czar. That
this " first-born " of the Russian navy should have
issued from the Thames Shipbuilding Works is a
matter of no small pride to a firm which has already
produced a " first-born "—the Warrior—for the
British navy, and is now engaged in supplying
similar novelties for the Spanish, the Turkish, the
Danish, and the Brazilian navies. The largest of
these vessels now in hand is the Viclone, 4,860 tons,
for the Spanish Government ; and a frigate of 4,300
tons for the Sultan. The Minotaur and the Valiant
are also in hand for our own Government,. There
are also on the slips a large screw and a large pad-
dle steamer for the Peninsular and Oriental Com-
pany, and the moment the Russian battery had left
its berth, the Peninsular and Oriental flag was
hoisted, to denote that that company had possession
of tho:vacan t spot, upon which a third large steamer,
sister to the Poonah and the Golconda, was to be
commenced. The French tricolour also floats from
a portion of the dockyards, and marks the spot
where a paddle steamer of 4,000 tons has just been
laid down for the French mail and transport service
to the West Indies and Mexico. An inspection of
the numerous forges, steam hammers, lathes, punch-
ing, slotting, and other machines was made with
much interest by the company present, among whom
was a large number or ladies. The whole process of
manufacturing the armour-plates, from the sorting
and cleaning of the scrap iron, through all its
various stages of hammering and yielding to
the final crushing blows of the steam hammer, that
made the ground tremble beneath the feet, were
shown, and the visitors afterwards proceeded to a.
welcome luncheon supplied by Messrs. Ring and
Brvmer, of Cornhill. A series of complimentary
toasts, including " Success to the Pervenetz," and
the health of Miss Hume, were proposed and drank
with much cheering. Among those who were pre-
sent and took part in the proceedings of the day
were—the Earl of Caithness, Lord and Lady Wen.
lock, Lord de Ros,Lord R. Grosvenor, Mr. Lindsay,
M.P., Mr. George, M.P., Mr. Ayrton, M.P., Admi-
ral Izquierdo, and Capt. Blanco, of the Spanish
navy ; Captain Said, of the Turkish navy, Admiral
Boutakoff, Capt. Lesonsky, superintendent of Cron-
stadt, Mr. Peter Rolt, Capt. Ford, and others.