The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-10 00:00:00

Twin Screw Turret-ships.

Messrs. Laird Brothers, of Birkenhead, have just
about ready for launching a vessel which, we be-
lieve, is the largest twin screw ironclad yet built.
Her completion will be looked forward to with some
interest, as illustrating the advantages to be derived
from the application of twin screws to vessels of war,
among which are supposed to be great additional
power of turning and manoeuvring, and greater speed
where the draught of water is limited. She is to be
called the Prins llendrik, and has been built for the
Dutch Government. She has been designed to carry
the same weight of guns as the Scorpion and \Vivern
but, being larger in tonnage, has more roomy and
complete accommodation for officers and crew, and
carries her upper deck 3ft. or 4ft. higher out of the
water, in order to make her better suited for cruising
at sea than those vessels which were originally de-
signed for coast defence, although their performance
when under the command of Capts. Commerill and
Burgoyne on the trials off Portland last autumn, and
the further trials of the Wivern during the spring
and summer, and now with the Channel Fleet, has
proved them to be well adapted for occasional sea-
going. 'There is little doubt that when the altera-
tions recommended by these officers in the arrange-
ment of hatchways and hurricane deck are carried
out, as we understand they are now being done in
the Scorpion, these vessels will be able to keep their
position with any fleet in cruising. The Prins lien-
drik is a vessel of 2,100 tons and 400 horse power,
with a speed of more than 12 knots an hour, on a
draught of water of 18ft., throwing a broadside of
1,2001 b. from her two turrets. The dimensions are
about 240 ft. extreme length, 44ft. breadth, 28ft. deep,
and '2,100 tons measurement. The hull is built of
iron, and is divided internally by bulkheads into
watertight compartments, so as to enclose her tur-
rets, magazines, engines, and boilers in separate
compartments. In addition to this provision for
the ship's security, there is a double bottom under
the engines, boilers, turrets, and magazines extend-
ing up to the lower deck. The armour-plating is
4ihl• thick, and rests on a teak backing 10in.
thick. It is arranged on the belt system, and for
that portion of the ship within which the turrets
and machinery are placed, which may be called the
fighting part of the ship, it is carried to the upper
deck, which is 9ft. above the load water line, and
at the extreme ends up to the lower deck. By this
arrangement, without sacrificing the proper protec-
tion of the vital part of the ship, it has been pos-
sible to get an upper deck well out of the water,
and superior accommodation for the officers and
crew, ventilated by large side scuttles, fitted in
that part of the side above the armour-plating at
the fore and after ends. There is free communica-
tion from one end of the ship to the other by iron
sliding doors on all the watertight bulkheads, and
the spaces in the storeroom and magazines are ample
for the stowage of six months' provision. The tur-
rets are cylindrical in shape, covered with armour-
plates sfin. thick, and are placed one before and
the other abaft the engineroom, and are fitted with
slides and carriages for two 12f-ton 300-pounder
guns on the system of Capt. Cowper Coles, R.N.
The rig is that of a bark, the fore and main masts
being fitted as tripods on Captain Coles's patent, to
give greater range of training to the guns in the
turrets. There are two separate pairs of engines,
each of 200-horse power nominal, having cylinders
56in. diameter, and 2ft. 3in, stroke, driving two
screw propellers each 15ft. diameter. The cylinders
have steam jackets and improved expansion
valves, and are fitted with surface conden-
sers and other approved appliances for economis-
ing fuel; and have been designed and con-
structed at Messrs. Laird's establishment. The
Euphrates is one of five ships now being built
by Messrs. Laird and other builders to carry on the
improved India Relief Troop Service, by way of
Alexandria and Suez, which will effect a great sav-

ing of time as compared with the present system of
sending the reliefs by the Cape of Good Hope, and
add very much to the health and comfort of the
troops. It is intended that two of these vessels
shall do the service between England and Alexan-
dria, two between Suez and the Indian ports, and
the fifth shall be 'held in reserve for any particular
use that may be required. These five ships have
been designed by the Admiralty to carry out the
requirements of the Transport Board, under the
direction of Capt. Mends, R.N., and have been
most carefully adapted fur the intended service, in
order that they may have the greatest possible space,
and best sanitary arrangements for soldiers and
passengers, together with the highest rate of speed
compatible with the necessary stowage for military
stores and coals on a draught of water not exceed-
ing 21ft.. They are to be exactly alike in all re-
spects, and fitted tocarryl 450 persons, of which
number 1,250 are
military,
;lid 200 the ship's offi-
cers and crew. The
accommodation
well ventilated, and the wholeofthe i s
arrangements
.ton-
nage, of the most perfect description.
The
s are—length, 355 feet; width, 49 feet
3,263 tons. The work is in au advanced
state, state, the decks being laid, and the • cabins