Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-01-18

counter sunk outside, 80 as to have their heat
level with the surface Of the plate. The totl
weight Of the plates on both sides is 900 tuu
The plate-armor of La Gloir ia reported to
formed Of a peculiar kind of soft homogeneou
iron, admirably adapted for resisting shot. Fror
the specimens fit which have been obtaine
In this country, and examined by our best me
chanies, tbs, on the whole, not considered TO
better kind of metal than thick, soft wrough
iron slab, such as covers the sides of the War.
rior.
The result Of gunnery experiments with D,
less than 40 different kinds of plates shows tha
the best are those formed of scrap iron with q
certain proportion OF puddled bar iron, which
makes mixture Of almost unyielding tough
ness. Some of them were tested at Portsmouth
with 69 FOUNDERS at point blank range. 10 all
cases the shot failed to penetrate the iron though
they dented 1t to depth Of h and In some
cases almost 9 inches. Not until after the
eixth, or even eighth and tenth shots, all strik.
ing about the same place, were the plates ever
broken and their fiber torn apart. With such
a backing up of teak as Is In the sides of the
Warrior, not all the Whitworth or Armstrong
guns yet made, could send a1shot fairly through
into the main deck. This tremendoue coat Of
armor, however, does not case the whole vessel,
as with such an entire covering the Warrior
would scarcely float at all. Only the middle
of the broadside, for q length Of 2l3 feet,
and going down FIVE feet under the water
line, is thus protected. This seems serious
fault in the plan on which the Admiralty have
built the vessel. To endeavor to compensate
for the absence of this armor, both the stem
and stern are crossed and re crossed In every
direction with water tight compartments, ,aud the
outer iron plates are y inches thick aud backed
nm hxy0 t,a1 a1aoo - kanL t. .fo "A
less to say, that the whole vessel is subdivided
in at least 20 places by water tight bulkheads
of the most solid description. Those which
cut off the stem and stern from the armor coated
portions in the centre, are faced with armor
plates to FIVE feet below the water. line, and
lined with iron ribs and 90 inches Of teak, ex-
actly like the broadside of the vessel. Thus
Il is contended that, supposing 1t possible
for the stem and stern to be 80 riddled as
to be almost shot away, the center fighting por
tion Of the vessel, containing 26 Of the heaviest
guns, would still remain as complete and impen.
etrable as ever-still opposing 90 inches of teal, ,
with nearly FIVE inches of wrought iron, to
every shot.
This, however, sounds very we'll in theory
in practice it would, we think, be found that In
such condition, the Warrior would be an un-
Manageable wreck, and brought 60 low in the
water by the filling Of here fore and aft COM
partments leach nearly hundred feet long,
that her portsills would be brought almost to the
waters edge, when further fighting would be-
come impossible. This, however, would not be
her only danger. If the bows were 80 riddled
with shot holes as to fill the compartments with
water, the Warrior would come down so
much by tho head, as to completely lift
her screw out of the sea, in which case
there would soon be an end Of the ship, with
another iron antagonist that retained her
able that in such q case she might sink go
much by the head as to elevate the aftermost
armor. plates, which only extend 5 feet below
the water.line, quite out Of the water, or at
least sufficiently hear the surface to enable her
bottom to be pierced where their protection
ceased. The hows-as the spot where the whole
force Of the shock must be received in case Of
the Warrior being ever used as a ram to crush
down the enemy's shipa-are strengthened in
side with perfect web of ironwolk. Here no
less than eight wrought,iron decks stretch back
from this part to the armor plates, 40 we'll as
supports and diogonal braeings innumerable.
Throughout the entire length Of the armor. coat.
cd portion of the vessel, run two longitudinal
bulkheads, between the sides and internal por-
tions Of the vessel. These are termed "wings,"
and serve as passages of communication. In
side the wings are placed the Goals, while the
chief magazines are further secured again by
having the water. r.tanks Inside the ooalbunks.
Probably the largest forgiugs that have ever
beeen attempted (not even excepting those Of
the Great Eastern,) were required for the build.
ing of the Warrior. The "nose" or beak of the
ship is one immense slab of iron 30 feet long,
by no less than ten inches thick, and weighs
nearly 20 tons. The heel-post, in which the
outer heaving of the screw rests, is one piece OF
the finest forged iron, without the slightest flaw
Of any kind, and weighing upwards of ID tons.
There are very few yards In the world, public
or private, at which such forginss could be turn
out, and certainly none which could produce a
greater perfection of workmanship than 10 evi-
ienced in.the perfect finish, with which all the
huge masses are joined together in the frame
of the Warrior. The armament Of this mag
nifcent man-of-war, is not yet entirely de-
'ided upon, but there is little doubt that
{ will consist of 36 68-pounders 95 cwt guns
IN the main deck, 10 Armstrong 76-pound.
ers on the spar deck, and two pivot Armstrong
one forward and one aft, making
i8 in all. With only 10 brosdside guns on an
upper deck of 400 feet, there is, Of course, a
,pace Of nearly 80 feet between each gun.
Therefore, without in the least exposing the
men or crowdiug the Quarters, the upper
leck armament can be doubled at any time, On
Ter trial no more guns than those we have mem
lioned will be placed; but, If the result of her
irst cruise is such Ias to show she can carry
hem easily, the number Of Ibroadsite upper
leck 7O-pounders will be increased from 10 TO |
,O-in all, of course, breech leaders. The
nasts and spars Of the Warrior will be very
lght--merely those of an ordinary frigate, with |
he admirable. exception that the cross-;ack
'r mizzen yard will be done away with, and the
Tessel rugged as bark
Such are the general outlines of the superb
'esssl which will this day, we trust, be safely
float on the Thames Once at her moorings
n the Victoria Dock, the work OF putting on
he remain inder Of the plates will 20 rapidly for
yard, and at the same time Messrs Penn will
'roceed with fitting in the machinery. She Ia |
expected to be ready by the end of April 10 20 |
ound to Portsmouth under steam to be riRped. |
Before rigging she will be tested at the meas. !
lred mile, and when complete for sea, make
Ter first trial cruise across the BAY of Biscay |
bout the middle Of July next.
The London Iymss, Of Jan. !, save:
The formidable iron cssed frigate, the War
ior, the largest man-of-war ever built, and
more than l,5OO tuns larger than the largest
'essel in the world, after the Great Eastern,
vas safely launched into the river on Saturday
'ir Johs Pakington himself named the ship.