The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-03 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The experimental from Captain Cowper P.
Cole's cupola was resumed at Portsmouth on Satur-
day, under the direction of Captain R. S. Hewlet.t,l
.8., commanding H.M.S. Excellent, and was agon
attended with highly
i satisfactory results. Every-
thing was carried as n action, even to the hanging
of the fighting lanterns, lit up, in their places in-
side the cupola. The target was placed at 3,600
yards' distance, and the practice made was exceed-
ingly good, the second shot fired passing through
it. The two 100 pounders were fired singly and
together, and in quick firing six rounds were fired
in as many minutes. The concussion from the dis-
charge of the gun was but trifling, and was, in fact,
found to be greater outside the shield than within
it. The smoke cleared off as effectually as on the
last day's experiments, and the guns, with their
carriages, worked with the greatest facility. The
shield ship which it is proposed to build on this
plan will have no masts, and when afloat will show
to the view above her deck merely her funnel and
the tops if her shields. Cleared for action, the ship's
bulwfArks are thrown down all round her level with
the upper deck, along the centre of which are
ranged her cupola shields, resembling gigantic in-
verted tea saucers, each containing twoloo-pounder
Armstrongs of 88 cwt. These shields rest upon
towers, which are sunk through the upper deck,
and are fixed on a turn table on the deck below,
which revolves, with the guns, shield, and men, as
may be required. The height of the shield from
the upper deck will be about sft, which will be but
a small object for an enemy to fire at ; shot can
only strike it an angle of 45 deg. The muzzle of
the guns will be 9ft. bin. from the water. The sides
of the vessel will be covered with armour plating,
the form and arrangement of which may most pro-
bably be a subject for future consideration, as the
experiments that will be commenced at Shoebury-
ness to-morrow, and others that will be carried
out both at Portsmouth and Shoeburyness, with
cellular and other plates, will be certain to
effect a great change in our present mode of at-
taeaing the armour plates to our iron ships. The
alield ship will be 2,500 tons measurement, and
her estimated cost is, as far as can be ascertained at
present, £lBO,OOO. Her draught of water is to be
only 20ft., and her speed 121 knots. The Defence,
selecting her by way of comparison, is 3,668 tons,
draws 25ft. 4in. of water, has made a speed of
11.357 knots (she will probably add another half
knot on her next trial, which is arranged to take
place within a few days), and her cost has been
nearly twice that estimated for the shield ship.
Many other important advantages will also be pos-
sessed by the shield ship over the Defence class. On
a broadside the latter can only fight seven guns,
protected by her iron plates, whereas the shield
ship can bring her whole 12 to bear at one time
upon any point desired, with virtually no limit to
their training, whereas the Defence is confined with
her seven guns to some 29 deg. of training. In clos-
ing, the shield ship, by taking a slightly oblique
course, can bring the whole of her guns to bear
upon the enemy, while the latter can only reply
with two or three guns from the bow or stern, as
the case may be. It is evident that, in any contest
'with another vessel, should the shield ship be the
faster of the two, she would be enabled to keep this
position as long as she chose, and destroy the ves-
sel opposed to her at leisure, and with almost abso-
lute impunity. Capt. Coles has arranged sets of
tables applicable to the cupolas at each end of the
ship for ascertaining the exact distance of an ob-
ject. This is done, on the order "prove distance" be-
ing given, by taking the degrees of training given
to the cupola in directing it upon the object, and
referring to the table of angles. The distance is
thus ascertained in the time merely required to train
the cupola and without the use of any instrument,
and if the object fired at be a moving one the distance
can be corrected and word passed along to the other
cupola each time the guns are fired. It may be ne-
cessary to state here that the top of the shield itself
is sighted like a rifle, independently of the gun it
contains, and it is the cupola, therefore, which is di-
rected upon the object, the guns revolving with the
tower. The guns are placed parallel to each other,
and the sights are immediately over them. The
duty of directing the shield is given to one man,
who is termed the " director," and who occupies
an elevated position in rear of the two guns, from
which he can look over the edge of the shield when
bringing its guns to bear upon the object to be
fired at. To protect his head while in this posi-
tion, the front upper edge of the shield is fitted
with two stout iron mantlets, with sufficient space
for a line of sight between them. We trust that the
midship sections of our finished iron ships will not
be repeated in the construction of the shield ship.
The Sidon, paddle frigate, Capt. R. B. Crawford,
was paid out of commission at Portsmouth on Sa-
turday, and afterwards placed in the third class
steam reserve.
The Black Prince, 40, iron frigate, in dock at
Portsmouth, is having the lower portion of her
rudder considerably enlarged, for experimental
purposes. Another ship at Portsmouth has been
selected to test a proposed method of steering with
the power applied below the water line.
MAdmiralty instructions have been received at
Chatham directing that in future all fourth-rate
ships—comprising all frigates of which the comple-
ments are 600 and not less than 410 men—are in
future to bear a commander and four lieutenants
when commissioned. The necessary cabin accommo-
dation is accordingly to be provided in the above
class of sea-going ships by the dockyard officials.
Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, Superintendent
of Devonport Dockyard, paid off the gunnery ship
Cambridge, Capt. Arthur Jerningham, in Hamoaze
on Friday, when medals were given, with a suitable
address by Mrs. Jerningham, to John Brown and
William Vixen, chief gunner's mates ; R. Michell,
boatswain's mate ; W. Fox, master-at-arms ; W.
Ferris, armeurer ; and James Gardener, ship's
steward, for merit and long service. The four first
named received also £l5 gratuity each, the last two
£lO. In order to complete his time for the flag,
Capt. Jerningham retains command until the Ist of
April, when he will be succeeded by Capt. L. G.
Heath, C.B.
Commander the Hon. W. J. Ward has been ap-
to the Styx.
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—C. H. Hayes, Sub.-Lieut.,
to the Styx ; E. H. H. Stephen and W. F. A. H.
Russell, midshipmen, to the Styx ; Henry T. Paulin,
midshipman, to the Defence ; Charles P. Turner,
chief engineer, to the Styx ; James Duffield, first
class assist.-engineer, to the Shannon, vice Webber;
IVh W. Webber, first class assist.-engineer, to the
ia. as supernumerary, for hospital treatment;
Frederick T. Pendleton and James Scott, first class
B"L'engineers, to the Styx ; William Lawson,
second class assist.- engineer, to the Styx; the Rev."
J, W. Banifield, chaplain, to the Cambridge ;
John T.
Bremner surg., to the Britannia; Thomas
Seccornbe,
Elnd H. F. b to the Cambridge ; Will. H. Clarke
Nathan, assist.-sures., to the Cambridge ;
Geo. J. Tomlin,
master, 'to the Grappler;
David F. Clow, pay second
:17,11:ter, to the Cambridge ; H.
F. Alldrich, assist, -paymaster, master to the Dauntless •
IL H. Burniston
' assist.-pa master to the Cam-
bridge ; Robert Bone, assist, ayinaster, to the
Cambridge; W. A. R. Hall, :eaters' assistant, to
the Styx;
Marshall Little and Richard R. B. Ho
ley, masters' assistant', to the Nile, as
supernume-
raries.