The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-19 00:00:00

FRANCE.

—Three o'clock.—The market
BOURSE, August 18.
closed as follows :

Bank Sharps 3175
Itel4an Loan —
End of month —
Mexican Loan 22 75
Do. Bonds
Spanish Threes
Home Debt —
Deferred ...... 32
RAILWAYS. Cash
Orleans
Northern ....................................... 1160
Lyons and Mediterranean ......
Southern..."
Western
Eastern . • 560
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard
North of Spain 53
Saragossa
Boman

4i per Cent. -
End of month —
3 por Cent
End of mouth 7O 37i
Credit Mobilier 275
End of month 275
Credit Foncier 1445
End of month —

The ironclad turret-ship Monarch, 7, 5,102 tons,
1,100-horse power nominal, fitting in Chatham har-
bour, alongside the dockyard, has her decks crowded
with workmen, instructions from the Admiralty
directing that every exertion is to be used in has-
tening her forward in readiness for her experimental
trial cruises at sea. The chief work is just now
concentrated on her turrets, in the completion of
which a large number of mechanics and shipwrights
are employed. Each of the turrets, which are 26
feet in diameter, with their foundation on the main
deck, has had its teak backing and inner skin plat-
ing fixed ready for the reception of the armour-
plating, which in the more exposed parts will be
10in. and in the other parts Bin. in thickness, The
Monarch combining little of the turret principle in
her construction beyond carrying a portion of her
armament in two turrets, her turret guns will only
be capable of being fired when the bulwarks are
clear, to effect which the bulwarks, within the range
of the guns, are made to fold outwards on hinges ;
while, on the other hand, the fire of the guns will
be interfered with as little as possible by the number
of shrouds to the lower masts being reduced, com-
pensation for the loss of support thus entailed being
at the same time made by increasing the dimensions
of the iron masts. In each turret will be placed
two 25-ton guns, the exact models of which, in
wood, are now in the turrets to guide the mechanics
in completing the internal arrangements of each.
Owing to the erection of a forecastle on the upper
deck—which is universally condemned as unneces-
sarily encumbering the forward deck of a turret-
ship —the forward turret guns will be considerably
restricted as to the range in which they can fire, the
extreme angle to which they can ba trained being
that of 10 degrees with the keel, while they have a
limiting angle of the same amount in their training
aft. On the other hand, the after turret guns can
be fired at an angle of 10 degrees with the keel to-
wards the bow, and to within 6 degrees towards the
stern, the deck fittings preventing a clear fire direct
with the ship's keel. Two guns, each of Gi tons,
will be carried in the how battery, and one similar
gun in the stern battery, each having a training of
3 deg. within and 76 deg. from the line of the ship's
keel. The iron masts, which are the strongest yet
made for a vessel of war, have been fitted on board
during the time the Monarch has been alongside
the sheer-hulk in the harbour. On the main deck
the spaces to be occupied by the cabins for the re-
spective officers are marked out, and the cabin fit-
ments prepared. Another turret-ship, from the
design of Mr. E. J. Reed, C. 8., is being commenced
at Chatham dockyard.