The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-14 00:00:00

LAUNCH OF THE MINOTAUR.

Another magnificent addition to our ironclad fleet
was made on Saturday last by the launch of the
famous Minotaur from the yard of -, e Thames
Ironworks, at Blackwell. It was, 1 c; t;ltaie, a great
fete and holiday in the neighbourhood of the works,
and really the care and attention which the Thames
Company bestow upon the perfect aarangement of
their launches justify the pleasure with which all
look forward to them. Lofty and ample stands were
erected on both sides of the huge vessel, for the ac.
commodation of visitors, of whom an-immense
number were present, a special stand at the bows of
the ship being set apart for the Duke of Somerset
and a large party of distinguished guests. In ad-
dition to these privileged visitors, every part of the
vast yard was thronged, and the banks of the river
and the vessels at their moorings near the spot Were
equally crowded with spectators.
Not more than a week has elapsed since in our
account of the iron frigate Northumberland, a sister
w
vessel to the Minotaur, we gave a long and most
detailed account of the principles of construction
which render these ships by far the strongest
wrought iron fabrics that have ever been rivetted
te,gether since wrought iron was first used by man.
It is unnecessary, therefore, on this occasion, to re-
capitulate all their technical detail of ribs and
girders, the manner in which the Minotaur is welded
into one piece from end to end, She is the first
launched of the new class of Warriors, and a class
which, as it, now turns out, can scarcely be called
an improvement on the formidable ships which pre-
ceded them. The Warrior class are 4i inches of
iron and 18 inches of teak ; the Minotaur and
Northumberland class are 6; inches of iron and
nine inches of teak. The reduction of the timber
and increase of the iron were et the time
rather hastily made, and against the advice
of many Competent to give a judgment on such
matters. Since then, however, it has been shown
that the thickness of the backing to the armour-
plates is to the full as important as the thickness
of the armour-plates themselves, and the Minotaur
target recently tried at Shoeburyness failed, to say
the least, to realise the expectation which were
formed of its powers of resistance. Opposed to a
vessel of the Minotaur class, " Big Will," it is now
evident, would have no difficulty in sinking it with
a couple of shots. In size and estimated speed,
however, the new class are an improvement on the
old. They are 20 feet longer than the Warrior, and
will have engines of 100 nominal horse power
greater. There are at present, exclusive of the
wooden ironclads, three pairs of iron-plated ships
afloat. The Warrior and Black Prince are each of
6,170 tons, with engines of 1,260 horse power; the
Defence and Resistance are each of 3,720 tons and
600 horse-power; the Hector and the Valiant are of
4,668 tons and 800 horse power; of the largest ships
there is the Minotaur, 6,812 tons and 1,350 horse
power, and the two sister ships now in course of
building—the Agincourt and Northumberland—the

former at Birkenhead and the latter at Millwall.
The six ships first mentioned are only partially pro-
tected by armour-plates ; two of them, the Hector
and the Valiant, have armour carried right fore and
aft, covering all the guns ; but for about 60 feet at
each end they are unprotected on the water line.
The three last-mentioned are protected from stem to
stern on the battery as well as the load line.

The Minotaur was intended when contracted for

to be launched in May last, and is therefore now
six or seven months behind her time. The cause of
delay, however, has all arisen from the various
changes and improvements which the Admiralty
have from time to time introduced into the method
of her construction. Still, as it is, she is likely to
precede her sisters on the water by nearly a twelve-
month. She is launched, too, in a very forward
state, all her internal fittings being quite complete,
the teak backing finished, and a great p,:rt of the
armour-plates already on her sides. Regarding only
her size and the quantity and 4uality of her work,
she has been more qzickly built than any other of
the iron fleet. The Achilles, building at Chatham,
though not nearly so large, nor carrying much more
than half the weight of armour-plates of the Mino-
taur, was yet begun nearly ten months earlier and
will not be afloat yet for another fortnight.
The launching on Saturday was, as is usual at the
Thames Works, managed to perfection. The last
supports were knocked away and the first effort of
the hydraulic ram moved her. Then, and not till
then, Mrs. Romaine dashed the bottle against the
iron bows, and the huge vessel, even then weigh-
ing more than (3,000 tons, glided at once slowly,
but most majestically, into the river, amid the
cheers of thousands. When afloat she seemed low
in the water and rather down by the head, which
of course took off something from the fine effect
of her beautiful lines. When finished and
ready for sea she will, of course, be many feet
lower still, and can be brought many feet lower
even than that again by the arrangements made for
admitting water into her compartments below, so
as to steady her to the utmost in rough weather.
Still, at her very lowest trim, her portsills will
never be less than nine feet clear from the water,
more than three feet higher oat than the vessels of
La Gloire class.
The work of fitting the Minotaur with her five
iron masts, and generally completing her for sea,
will be effected in the Victoria Docks. It will be
quite next autumn, however, before she is ready for
her first cruise in search of bad weather.