The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-26 00:00:00

psioxrtbsraoraedstiodbeeguanassmoanilhearsupthpoesre-05f6 in
guns on her main deck, with two immense pivot
the
aglul.ns,Hanerd
Warrior—that is to say, 3ft. bin. high and only
20in. wide, so as to reduce the chances of a shot or
shell entering to as low a point as is consistent with
working broadside guns at all. She is also to have
an iron tower on her upper deck, 18ft. long by 13ft.
wide, coated with 41in. iron, and pierced for rifle-
men in case of an enemy boarding. Her engines are
already in course of construction by Messrs. Penn
and Sons, and will be of no less than 1,250 horse
power nominal. Her bunkers will hold about 1,400
tons of coal, or enough for ten days' constant steam-
ing, and her mean draught of water when fully
equipped will be only 24ft., or nearly 2ft. less than
the old wooden line-of-battle ships. At this immer-
sion her portsills will be nearly 10ft. from the water
or a little more than 4ft. higher than those of the
once famous La Gloire. The calculations of her de-
signers and engineers give her a speed at fall power
of 14 knots, or more than 116 miles an hour. One
great improvement which these new Warriors will
inaugurate is a total change in their rig. When ,
the ironclads which are now afloat were building,
the Admiralty would not hear of any departure from
the traditional three masts, and those to be wooden
oils. Three masts, and three masts only, were ac-
cordingly put into vessels which are twice as long
as any line-of-battle ship afloat, and it was not until
experience proved that our ironclads were, under
sail, the most unhandy vessels in the service that
their lordships consented to give the new ones their
proper quota of spars. The Northumberland and
her sister, therefore, are to have five masts each,
three to be square-rigged, two with fore and aft
sail, and all to be of iron. The immense importance
of the latter change must be evident to all who can
consider what must be the position of the Warrior
in action with a wooden mast shot away and
floating alongside till its mass of cordage fouled
her screw, and left her a helpless wreck. An iron
mast is twice as difficult to shoot away tis a wooden
one, and if it does fall it goes down alongside like
a deep sea lead, tears itself free, and sinks. Per-
haps, as these improvements are being introduced,
it may not be out of place to mention another which
would be equally gratifying both to officers and
men—we mean the number of the crews of
these vessels. A ship like the Warrior, though
an overmatch for a wooden Channel Fleet, is
only classed as a frigate, and, though twice as
difficult to handle, and more than twice the size of
any line-of-battle ship, has only a frigate's crew.
As regards the mere question of labour in scrubbing
decks, &c., this deficiency is by no means unimpor-
tant, from the intense dislike with which such
large under-handed vessels come to be regarded by
sailors. But in the more important matter of
handling the ship in a seaway, and perhaps having
to handle the ship as well as fight it, the adherence
to routine, in considering these formidable vessels as
ordinary frigates, is little less than absurd, and may
at any unexpected moment lead to most serious con-
sequences. The crew of the Warrior is only 550
men, when she ought to have 800. If these new and
larger Warriors have less than 850 men, both offi-
cers and crews will find ample work in merely keep-
ing them clean. We believe that in all the new
vessels an endeavour will be made to introduce a
steering apparatus to overcome the serious diffi-
culty which is now experienced in getting these
iron-clads to turn with tolerable quickness.
The Northumberland is to be plated with the
rolled plates of the Millwall Company,
to
which recently, both at Vincennes and St.
Petersburg, underwent with success such a severe
trial from both the Freneh and Russian rifled
guns. At St. Petersburg the plates were fired at
twice with Mr. Krupp's 300 pounder steel gun,
loaded with 401 b. and then 501 b. of powder, and
each time firing a 2841 b. steel shot at 250 yards
range. Both these latter shots, of course, went
clear through the plate, leaving a clean round hole,
without cracking or splintering the metal in any
way. This steel gun of Krupp's, about which so
much has lately been said, has burst since these
trials. The life of all large guns appears to be
lamentably short everywhere.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

The Warrior, 40, iron frigate, Captain A. A. Cochrane, '
C. 8., will be undocked at Portsmouth to-morrow, and receive
her crew at harbour moorings, preparatory to joining the
flagship of the admiral commanding the Channel Fleet at
Spithead anchorage. Since the Warrior has been in dock
her bottom has been again coated with the compositions
prepared by the chemical-askistant of the dockyard, and
has also had an additional 100 of Brown's patent
sheathing plates put on her port side, under the superin-
tendence of Mr. B. L. Thomson, of London, one of the pro-
prietors
of the patent. These plates are much more expen-
sive, arid, consequently, more perfect in their enamel than
those put on the same side of the ship when she was last
in dock, and which remain on for further trial. They are
of the same quality as the plates now being used for the
Royal Sovereign, Royal Oak, and Ocean, and are affixed
to the ship's bottom with cement prepared under the direc-
tion of the patentees. The Royal Sovereign has a sft.
band of these plates extending round her at the water-line,
and cutting off the connexion which would otherwise exist
between the armour-plating and the Muntz metal sheath-
ing of the ship's bottom. In the last notice of the Warrior
in the Naval Intelligence column of The Sun, reference
was made to the condition of her bottom and to the strong
suspicion entertained that the counter sunk rivet heads
which secure the bottom plates were being eaten into
r and destroyed, so far as their holding powers are concerned,
but the action of the copper in the unfolding compositions
with which the ship's bottom has been coated. It was
generally believed that some steps would have been taken
to ascertain whether this suspicion was well founded.
Nothing of this kind has, however, been done, and as all
visibly sound and unsound parts have been covered over
and filled up by fresh coating of the same description of
composition, it must be assumed that the suspicions referred
to are to some extent unfounded, and that the Admiralty
are satisfied. On the next occasion of the ship being placed
in dock there will very possibly be a more searching ex-
amination made to ascertain the exact truth, for the matter
is of too great importance to rest as it now does.
The Edgar screw line of battle ship, Capt. Geoffrey T.
P. llornby, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral of the Red
Sydney Colpoys Dacres, C. 8., Commander-in-chief of the
Channel Fleet, steamed out of Portsmouth Harbour yes-
terday, and anchored at Spithead, on the completion of her
refit for further service.
By the receipt of private letters from Halifax, dated the
10th inst., we learn that on the previous day farewell ad-
dresses were presented by the mayor and city council, and
by the merchants and citizens, to Vice-Admiral Sir Alex-
ander Milne, K.C.B , Commander-in-Chief of her Majesty's
ships on the North American and West Indian seas, on the
near approach of the time of expiry of the
gallant Admiral s
command, and of his late official visit to Halifax. The ad'
dress from the merchants and citizens was signed by up-
wards of 1,200 names.
According to existing arrangements yesterday at Por.te7
mouth, the Channel Fleet, under the command of its ofhomf
Rear-Admiral Sydney Cyclops Dacres, C.D., will sail from
Spithead about Tuesday next, for Copenhagen,
to do honour
on the
to his Majesty Christian IX., King of Denmark'
occasion of his coronation. tszaouth yester-
The Pigmy steam tender sailed from P°l.
day for Sheerness with Excellent gunnery a
and supernumeraries for the Conqueror screw winen on board,
line-of-battle
ship, fitting out to convey Royal Marine Artillery and
Light Infantry to Japan.
Department transports Marlborough
Yesterday the War Departm
and Bomarsund went alongside the Ordnance Wharf at
Chatham and landed upwards of 30 of the 68-pounder and
32-pounder smooth bore cast ;iron guns belonging to the
line-of-battle screw-steamer Conqueror„ _ 8 500-horse
power, at the Nore, which is ordered to be fitted for the
purpose of conveying a battalion of Royal Marines to Japan.
The Conqueror is beinfittedwith all possible despatch for
t
the service on which sheis to be employed. She will have
the whole of her guns removed, with the exception of some
few of the small Pieces, and her ports closed. Portions of
her main and lower decks are to be fitted up with berths and
cabins for the accommodation of the officers and marines she
is to embark.
The Salamander, 6, 220 horse power, paddlewheel
' steamer, attached to the first division of the steam reserve
in the Medway, has undergone a thorough overhaul and
repair, preparatory to being immediately commissioned for
surveying service in Torres Straits. Since she has been in
Idock she has been fitted with a poop, in order to afford
accommodation for her officers.
Orders have been received at Chatham for the Fawn, 17,