The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-26 00:00:00

Turret Ships of War.

Yesterday a Parliamentary blue book was pub-
lished, showing the nature and results of the inves-
tigations of the Admiralty into Captain Cowper
Coles' plan for constructing sea-going turret-ships
of war. Rear-Admiral Yelverton, Captain Cald-
well, Captain J. J. Kennedy, and Captain H. B.
Phillimore were selected in April of last year to
examine and report upon Captain Coles' plan. In
their report they regretted the severe illness of Cap-
tain Coles, which prevented him from attending the
committee and giving explanations in person, and
they also regret that he declined to name any per-
son to represent him. On the sth of June they.
furnished Captain Coles with a summary of the ob-
jections raised to his plan, without any expression
of opinions as to the weight of those objections.
Captain Coles ultimately declined answering the
objections indicated to him, or furnishing the in-
formation previously requested of him.
The report then states a series of advantages which
the committee considered the turret system possesses.
A list of the disadvantages follows, and then comes
the general opinion of the committee on the system,
as follows
We fully recognise the great advantages of the revolv-
ing turret system of armament as applied to floating bat-
teries, and harbour and coast defence ships; to which they
are in a great measure confined, as vessels on the Monitor
plan can be built so low as to render it most difficult to hit
them, and in which the unlimited training of the turrets
would not be interfered with by masts or other obstruc-
tions. A floating battery of this description, even with one
turret only, would be most formidable, for, if the turret
were:disabled, she could haul out of action under protection
of her consorts. But in a sea-going cruising ship these
great advantages would be materially curtailed, because all
sea-going ships of equal speed and tonnage, and carrying
the same weights, must be of the same height out of the
water to enable them to possess the same good sea-going
qualities, and to be equally dry ; and must necessarily have
masts and other fittings, which would materially limit the
amount of training of the guns. We have heard that ships
built on the Monitor system could cross the Atlantic with
comparative safety, but such vessels cannot, in our opinion,
be ever looked upon as sea-going cruising ships. It is
shown in evidence that the French, who, there is little
doubt, have carefully weighed the question of arming ships
with 'evolving turrets, have not adopted the system, nor
even thought it desirable to give it a trial in a sea-goingo P:
Again, it would appear that the Americans, vibe
various had
considerable experience with turret ships of
state-
scriptions, both in and out of action, do not ntvhsaiedsee r them
desirable as sea-going ships. Notwithstanding
disadvantages of the
ments, weighing the advantages and.
ios on the subject,
and naval officers who have
turret principle, and the divided
entertained by naval architects anest
jun
as it regards sea-
given careful attention to thesq
balesetbs-at a conclusive
going ship to
ec7pable of carrying two 12 ton
trialgoin gshsohui pHs'
be armed with two Tale. s,
if necessary, one 22 ton gun in
zgciovnesnidteorttiht o
sttuedmes fru
guns in each turr..ev,,eory
possible that such guns as these
each, as we think it
be required at sea ere long, and it is not
French, when considering the subject
probable thatamoyt, hdei d not contemplate the necessity of ca
of 22 t
timeon s
rry-
ships, the
.ships should be limited to two tur-
rets, seto-rglienrge are many disadvantages if more than two are
placed in a ship, and one turret only we think most objec-
tionable. If more guns than those in the two turrets be
considered desirable, the space between the turrets could
be profitably turned to account in a ship of sufficient dis-
placement by connecting the turrets with a battery of guns
worked on the central pivot system."
The report then refers to a number of minor mat-
ters in connection with thequestion, and in conclu-
sion the committee recommend that the system be

The Prussian Government has perceived that the expla-
nations contained in the despatch of the 7th have set aside
after the mutual assurance of the two sovereigns, all ideas
of aggression ; that consequently the reasons for military
preparations fall of themselves, and that any discussion on
the subject of the priority of the alleged armaments be-
comes superfluous. Nevertheless, the answer of Count
Bismarck continues to argue on that idea. The Emperor
of Austria does not believe that to be the true means of
arriving at an understanding so necessary to
.the situation,
and he has ordered me to submit the subjoined proposi-
tions to the Government of King William.
By the repeated and direct communications which I
have had with the Cabinet of Berlin, it has been informed
that there had been some partial movements of troops in
Austria, and that some corps had been sent towards her
north-west frontier. His Majesty now declares that he
is ready -to reverse, by an ordinance which should be
dated the 25th of April, those changes of troops which
whichcondition
the Cabinet of Berlin regards as military preparations
on directed against Prussia, as well as to take all the mea-
sureswtohualdt
the Prussian bethe necessaryaaia n Governmentresult of thatw illstep,
its side engage to order, on the same or the next day,
the reduction to a peace footing of the different corps
d'armee which since the 27th ult. have been reinforced
By this proposition the Austrian government believes that
it is doing all in its power to give a pacific solution to the
exchange of explanations which have taken place.
Your excellency is begged without delay to express
these sentiments to the President of the Council, and to
recommend, in leaving him a copy of this despatch, to the
most serious consideration of the Cabinet of Berlin the
proposition made above, which is anew and incontestable
proof of the desire of Austria to maintain
E ME peace.
SDORFF.

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