The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-26 00:00:00

Military al

Ltellii,-ence.

Notwithstanding the comparatively brief period
which has elapsed since the commencement of the
ironclad frigate Hercules, 12, 1,200-horse power,
building at Chatham dockyard, considerable pro-
gress has been made in her construction, the rate of
progress with which she is being built being alto-
gether without a precedent at either of the Royal
dockyards. Although the first piece of iron for the
keel of the Hercules was lowered into the dock in
which she is building as recently as the 21st of
June last, so rapidly has her construction been
pushed forward that already the vessel is at least
three-eighths built and at the present rate of progress
she will be sent afloat with her armour bolted to her
sides early in the ensuing year. In addition to the
frigate being entirely in frame, some few of her
water-proof bulkhead compartments are completed,
while the double three-quarter inch plating on both
her port and starboard midship sides, which will
form the inch and a half inner skin plates, is in
place and ready to receive the 12-inch teak plank-
ing, to which the 9-inch and other armour plating
will be bolted. Already a considerable portion of
the timber planking is fixed in readiness to receive
the broadside armour plates, and on Saturday, the
22d inst., or exactly three months from the actual
commencement of the vessel, three of the mas-
sive 6-inch rolled armour plates, from the Atlas
Ironworks, Sheffield, were bolted to the port
broadside, and a similar number on her starboard
broadside. Up to the present time the quantity of
material worked into the Hercules has averaged
between 90 tons and 100 tons weekly—a rate of
progress which will appear the more remarkable
when taken in comparison with the last iron ship
built at Chatham dockyard—viz., the Bellerophon, on
the construction of which the average material
used was 56 tons weekly, the rapidity with which
that vessel was completed and turned out of hand in
rather more than 12 monthsbeing considered a mar-
vel in the history of iron shipbuilding. Notwith-
standing, however, the rapidity with which the Her-
cules is being built at Chatham, the important ele-
ment of strength is by no means sacrificed, and she
will leave the dock immensely superior in strength,
as well as for offensive and defensive purposes, to
any vessel hitherto built for any of the navies of
the world. With the singleexception of the Bellero-
phon no ironclad ship has yet been constructed
carrying iron armour plating of a thickness of Gin.,
but in the case of the Hercules the broadside central

battery, for a distance of about 200 ft., will be pro

tected by armour plates of 9in. in thickness, several
hundred tons of which are now at the dockyard un-
dergoing the planing, slatting, and boring processes
in readiness for bolting to the frigate's sides. With
an inner skin plating of li-in. and 10in. iron frames,
the total thickness of iron forming the sides of the
Hercules, exclusive of her teak backing between her
9-in and the inner Ik-in plates, is 20iin. The num-
ber of guns which the Hercules is intended to carry
is 12, eight of which will be mounted in her central
battery, under the protection of the 9-in. armour-
plating. The character of the armament has not yet
been decided upon, but the Admiralty are fully alive
to the importance of giving A vessel of the Hercules
class the most formidable guns she can possibly
mount, and arrangements are therefore being made
to enable her to carry eight 20-ton guns in her cen-
tral battery, and 15-ton guns fore and aft, as well as
in her bow battery. The cellularsystem of construc-
tion, first introduced by Mr. Reed in the Bellero-

phon, is carried out in the Hercules, which will, in
fact, be a double vessel from end to end, while her
waterproof bulkheads will render her secure against
any ordinary accident. In order to impart addi-
tional strength to the Hercules, and render her, as
she is intended to be, the strongest no less than the
most powerful vessel of war in the world, an entirely
new feature has been introduced in the construction
of her keel, the space between her inner and outer
bottom being divided into a number of cells,

crossed longitudinally and transversely by wrought
iron girders, the effect of. which will be to impart

enormous rigidity and stiffness in the entire strut

ture. This system of construction was adopted by
Mr. Reed to a certain extent in the Bellerophon,

_ .
and iu the case of the Ilercules will be still further
improved upon, the experience gained since the

Bellerophon was built showing the advantages
arising from this system of construction. Like the

other ironclad vessels designed by the present Chief
Constructor of the Navy, the U shaped section has

been adhered to in the Hercules, not the least meri

of which is that in a vessel so heavily armour-plated

as she is designed to be her natural tendency to ro]

when in a beam sea will be much diminished.

The Swallow, 9, 60 horse power, Mr. Wilde, mas-
ter commander, has been dismantled in the steam

basin, and will be put out of commission and placed
in the third division of the steam reserve in the

Medway on Monday next. The Swallow has been
in commission nearly five years.
The paddlewheel steamer Virago, 6, 220 horse
power, fitting for commission, has been admitted
into the steam basin at Sheerness, where she is be-
ing completed for sea.

Deputy Assistant Commissary General Shortt has
been ordered to proceed from Chatham to Jamaica,
and will be succeeded at the garrison by Deputy
Assistant Commissary General Walton, from Alder-
hhott.