The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-30
Prom The London Times
MIN NIr man


This grand frigate has hOisted her pennant at
last, and made her first brief voyage from Black wall
to GTeenhithe. Beyond the mere fact of its being
the hrst voyage, there was not much of interest in
the proceeding. She bad the assistance of many
powerful tugs, was under steam herself, and an
swered her helm readily as to be always COM
petely in hand. With such aids, notwithstanding
the very strong wind and sharp turns in the river
she proved as manageable as a penny steamboat,
and within two hours of the time of her leaving The
Victoria Dock was quietly swinging to her anchor
little above Gravesend. The engines worked
with an ease which, considering their immense size
and newness, was almost marvellous. Not single
part required alteration, casing, or even adjust
ment OF any kind whatever. Mr.. Penn was of
course, on board, and would have liked nothing
better than to have driven her at full speed right
away. But this high speed, in a narrow river
crowded with shipping, quite out of the ques-
ton, and he could only once or twice partially
crafty his inclination in this respect by going full
speed astern when at the turns the Warriors head
was nearer the shore than desirable.
The greatest pressure Of steam in the boilers at
any time was 2l lb., but as ruleit was kept below
this. The greatest number of revolutions obtained,
or more properly speaking, allowed per minute
yesterday 5S, and at this all worked as smooth
ly and quietly as when the screw was scarcely
turning. This number of revolutions was required
only once, aud that merely for minute or two,
to turn the Warrior astern. At full speed at sea
the engines will make 62 revolutions per minute,
which vii! give her speed of screw of Is knots.
Allowing as much as one-sixth of this for "slip''
lin the case of the Warrior the slip is not expected
to exceed one-eighth,) we shall have a speed of Is
knots-a speed which no man.of-war in the world
comes within an knot an hour of. As far be
judged at present there is every prospect of the
Warrior making even more than this great velocity
in her trial trip next month. The highest speed
attained Yesterday after passing " ool-
wich, when the tide was almost at its height,
though On the whole slightly against the vessel.
Going at rather less than so revolutions she went
at the rate of IA p knots
AT time, when her rate was changed
from slow ahead to full speed astern the vibra-
tion of the than perceptible, practically
speaking, either in the bows the quarter
deck. With d wooden vessel of the same length
and exerting the same power, the shake of the
screw would have been excessive, but the iron
frame and iron plates of the Warrior have made
her rigid as bolt In spite of the double row
of furnaces-like a street of fire. the stOkehole yes
terday was remarkably cool, but, anticipated,
the engine-r0Om much less so. A ventilating q
arrangement is about to be made which will RENE
dy the heat of this latter portion of the ship entire
ly. All that remains to be done to the War
riOr is in the way of internal fittings, her rigging
and hull are complete. The outside, as it shows
now, is the very perfection of workmanship, the
plates fitting in with the smoothness Of coat of
varuish. 1t is impossible to detect with the eye
where any join is made.
Yesterday morning notices were sent round from
the Admiralty to the Thames Iron Works, Messrs.
Samuda, Mr. Mare, Mr. Wigram, Mr.. Laird,
Mr. Palmer, Mr.. Napier and Messrs Westwood
iron figates. These vessels to be 20 feet longer
and 15% inches broader than the Warrior class
viz, 400 feet long by 50 feet 81 inches beam. Their
depth is to oe the same as the Warriors their ton
mage G,62O, with engines of l $50 horse-pow
nominal. They are 10 have flatter floor, though
with the same drsught of water, 2515 feet. Each
is to be entirely coated from stem to stern with
armor.plates of So instead of AZ inches thick.
Behind this, at present arranged, is to be back
ing of nine inches of solid teak.
The Admiralty, however, reserve to themselves
the right OF altering this portion of the contract
within the next three months and either increasing
the thickness of the iron to 612 inches and doing
away with the teak altogether, or leaving the pro-
portions as we have mentioned. In fact, the Ad-
miralty are waiting to see other results from ex-
periments on MIR. Farbairn's plan of iron only for
ships sides, aud also to how the target, which
is being built on the same plan as the Warrior 5
side will stand the pounding it will shortly receive
at Shoeburyness. At all events, the armOr of
these new vessels whether of wood and iron, or
iron only. is to weigh 2, 100 tons-the armor alone
of the Warrior being very little 900 tons.
The spar deck is to be of halfnch iron, instead of,
as with our present ships, only quarter-inch, and
all the lower decks to be OF wood, laid on iron
beams, and strengthened across with diagonal
strngers and braces of iron in the usual manner.
Neither bows nor stern to overhang. The
bows are to be sharp and wedge-shaped, rising
straight from the water, like that of the Great
Eastern. The stern is to be quite round and al.
most straighter than La Gloire's.
Tenders are required at the Admiralty from the
firms we have mentioned for three such vessels tc
be begun at once. Tenders for three more will be
required, it is said, in the of another month
or so. at is better late than never" perhaps, but
really the order for these vessels seems almost un
pardonably late. The Admiralty have not nov
any information with reference to iron ships which
they had not at the least fully this time las
year, when the vessels now tardiIy about to b.
| commenced might as well have been ordered. A
least two years and half must elapse before any
of these ships for which tenders asked will b.
ready for sea. Yet at this very day the Frencl
have actually II iron-cased frigates afoat or il
commission, and no less than II building Ut thes
ships two-the Magenta and Solferino-are two
deckers, ii are floating batteries, like our Defenc
and Resistance, and IA are either 40, 46, or 5Ogu
frigates, like the Goire Tonnante, Couronne, \ OF
mandie, Saigon, Invincible, &c. Yet the first iro
vessel belor ging to this country will not be at Sc
before October, and it will be quite six months be
fore she has a consort in the Channel.