, 1860-10-08
The xtcel-PlAted French War Steam.
ef8s

The last number Of the Aoai4ur de Ia F:osfs
contains the following cxn1sant remarks con.
CARING the ne~ naval invention:
1.-THE first steel.plated steamship, La Gioire.
has jus: taken possession of the sea. She il 4
q n,nsg6ificent vessel, seyeuty-seten metres long
and sixteen metres large {e50 by 81 feet Eog.
I!sh Her aaFect il imposing By the severity
OF her ]lras AID By the II ass ot her iroa cu.rass
At the height Of ST metres-bareiy six feet-
above tile ~a:er, she presents battery OF th1r-
ty. four guns Of the most powerful effect: en-
the fareca tie two loaC range pieces: on the
quarter deck OH iron retoub. ~ project her
c3ntna1des ri Ills pust during the acsiou. The
reduced rnasts and vide funnel Indicate that the
vessel is rot intended TO go to distance from
our ports, but that she is made for operations
in the teaa where henceforward the grea, dif.
'erences Of Europesa policy will be settled. The
frfgate has been thrice to sea, and it may low
be thid that ste has gloriousIy terminated her
trials.
In calm weather she pRrfs the watcr without
shock, ard It 1nay a1moat be said without show
log thereby how perfectly her proportions have
been conceived. Her speed, measured on q
fi1ed isis Of nearly eight k,lometers, reached
u l'l0 fno's, Which is :he finest result ever a.
csr.ained in thip Of war. In ten. hours
trip her average rate was II a. 100 knots; with
all her fires lighted. aud, II knots NTH la.t her
fires. In a rough sea the behaved perfectly,
She pitches very gently, and rolls with regular.
i'y that leaves nothing to be desired, The en.
ginesr' programmed il therefore in ali respects
carried ont-carried out fG11y, but not exceed.
skill, aud gives the maxsuse Of the precision Of
his intelligence Of the Ger ainty Of hia foresight
| and couxe quently Of tho confidence the country
may place IN him. One understands now how
she tsredto tsko the responsibility ct laying
dorn several vessels ofaa entirely new tips
without having waited the trial OF the first and
| the rtprosches cftemerity which were not spar.
| I'd to him INV rcccil upon those who ventnred
them. In 1850 the Napoleon engaged the. nary
IN new basis; it exts.ded its destinfes bY as
surirg herce .orwatd lts Assistance to The army,
to cscatt its convors Of troops, TO protect their
landing. to reach in good time hostile feet,
and oil Tint at 6 wen moment, 30 Is to be able
risk Of delay. Thua it WAS that in the last 1ta:-
al campaign, while the army marked its
march across Lombsrdy by the glorious
stages Of Magenta and Solferino, the steam
fleet Of Admiral ROMAN D=sfosses cruised
IN the Waters If Venice, TO insure the dis
embarka1ion at the first signal Of another
co7Ts d'atret which was to tnEe the Austri.ns
IN tbs rear; and already previously, during the
events in the Black sea, the Napoleon bad pass.
ed the Dardsnelle, wbie the English feel, de.
tanned by contrary winds. renamed nt the en-
tra.ce Of the ssralsa An impotent witness Of CUT
| 6n[ se6F. Enhl8nd was moved as tn1S, ard 8nnn
htr dcckysrds we're seen fall of steam line OF:
battle ships, pretending to the utmost speed
But hardly had she followed US upon this path
OF progress when behold arise new maritime
element much more formidable than the Nspo
leon. terrible ship, which coul1 Of it's lr alont
confront whole steam feet, the steelplas. 1
steamship, whose glorious trials we bare jus
exposed. Agaln, then. 3 new era opens for ,h'
nayJ; it is no ongcr wooden citadels that th'
aset may attack h:nce:orward it may bra.'
with imrun1ty the most powerfully defended
coasts. No granite fors exists thai can resis
The destructive effects Of the new artillery, sn,
cur steel plated ships will carry this 'ormidabl
artillery Under the enemy's fire. I: is a com
rleie revolution in the destinies Of marlin
powers. TITUS, twics in ten Jears, cur psou
slI5 England has been vanquished in these pa
Gifts Struggles, in which the eff,rts OF gepiu
alone contend, but il which the blood Of victim
is rpared, aud in which the resources Of rs
tious, far from exhaustng themselves, do bu
increase-incsease to the point Of rendering wa
impossible between them BY the threat OF ii
terrible disaaters it must email; increase TO tt
Strengthening Of the ties Of the great nation
which seem to combat together foE The cause {