New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-18
IRON CLAD VESSELS.

In the House Of Commons, on the oath ult., Lord
Clarence Pagei, speaking for the Admiralty, said
W. have now ia tie course % construction hiteen
iron-chd ships, built eod building, Of which there
will he, we hope. eleven aioat u he course OF Tue
,.-.saut VAR In the course OF 1863 there will ne
ii0een aud in addition there VIII be new Emp,
provided the Committee TO the construction OF
this novel chip. 10 which will presently aiinde'
he lint ela-s OF chips including the Agineourt the
Minolaur, and lhs Northumberland, were agreed 70
trey will be ready ia 1864. They 400 feet long
ana Il u expec ed hey viii attain aspeed Of fourteen
knots M hour. They Will be u o,o2l tuns. lnese
sbips are OF 8 peculiar build, az they carry lhel'
pls,ipg right round. The Warrior and other iron
shins are only partially plated up 20 certain dis
ancs from the bow and stern, but these vessels OIL
the largest class are 10 be ylatfd right round.
The next class comprises the Warrior. tue BLACK
Prince and me Achilles. They partially plated,
gre of T. 100 tuns and bave speed oi Al KNOTS ihe
next class OF ehIpe complies ne Hector ana "a.
Valiant each Of 0i0 TINS with speed OF l. krot,
The next il that of tie Prince COMFORT, the Ocean,
the Cal ,donia the Royal Alfred and tie Royal OAK,
which were leguD ~ hue-O-bauie shlps, when ar
now being converted into plated Irigates, aud
which ans 70 be- plated right round. The tunuage Il
i.OiJ They are wooden liue-of-bat,le ships, and
they IRE to be lenatheued - or ID feet. The Prince
COMFORT aud the Caledonia Ill have engines oi OJV
horse power ana or estimeted speed OF l2:4i. Ibe
Royal Alfred and the Royal Oak are OF The ZANE
Ey.rv orc viii remember the controversy with
regard 10 tho construction OF Capt. Coles cupolas.
Last year we carried on series OF extensive expert
ments with o. these eupolas. We put II Oh an
old floating battery; TIED tIing from II, and then
We Ied hingat iG aud the result was that We stood
the most complete hammerug without showing any
considerable signs Of weakness. The Admiralty
were 30 impressed with tns that they hayo sinee
gone carefully into the matter, and are now prepar-
iuy doull 10 cnpOla. 10 carry two guns Ana We are
hi. lt.h affall aftrur
ak Of the cupolas Sbo 10 TO be OF 2529 uns, OF 800
horse power, and will carry twelve breech-loadiDg
Armstrong lOC-pOunder guns III these Elk cufoias.
Her length IL 10 be 2i0 feet and herdraught OF water
~ feet. IL AZ very important TO consider whether
we cannot construct efficient aIIn0rplatei sblps oi
considerably lees draught, and We propose TO ~ tbs
experiment with Capt. Co ess ve,sei. She Will have
no masts whatever, and viii trus entirely TO steam.
Rigging ia entirely Gus OF the question, as would
lriye her Of room for Thinning her guns one ID
Intended for coas, Defense aud II she proves servcea-
Die ,he will have this grea, advantage over Other
vessels that her cost will lie much lesr.
series Of experiments 10 to take place next week,
which will ia great meature, deter lne the future
OF our iron fleet. Our present vessels, 10 you are
aw are carry i-inch armor plates, backed by lo
inches Of ttak. But we are gong TO make some e,-
prfimente on Capt Coles weasel, TO teri the value
of thIes proposals. which hs e been submitted TO us
MIR Fsirhmrn declares thai The wooden backing Il
disadyaulagcous tor it IL liable 70 decay, and owing
10 liz thickness nteferes with the training OF the
guos. lie proposes that we should have the ermor
bolted on to iron plates, Instead Of wood. Next
comes Mr. scott Russell, who mys MIR. tnirlairn Is
right 80 lar as he goes, but That boltholes weaken
the plates, and who accordingly suggo,,s system Of
clginping between the piatee, by which that defect
may be- obyiated. Lastly, SIR. Samnda insists that
there il no necessity or the iron-5ackng at ALL and
that il would be much better 10 have thicker plaies
-say Of five inches and make 5hem part OF the sides
oi the suip. Which OF these gentlemen AZ Ia the
sht will DO shown By our exDeriments