Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-03-20
The IRos.cLAD SHIPS OF ENGLAND
TRIAL TRIP ASDs APPEARANCE OF THE NEW
49, sTEAHEAk DEFENCE.

tons, and mounting eighteen guns, command
ed by Capt. Richard A. Powell, G.. B., made
her official trial Of speed at the measured mile
in Stokes Bay, Portsmouth, yesterday. The
ship was cast of from the dOckyard at As mi-
nutes past Q a. m, and left the harbor under
half steam in charge Of Capt. II. Broadhead,
commanding her Majesty's ship Asia and the
Steam Reserve at the port; Nj Merdoch In
spector OF machinery afoat, and Mr. Miller,
assistant engineer to her Msjesty's dOck-yard
experimenting the trial on behalf of the Ad-
miralty; the machinery being in charge of Mr.
HALLIDAY representing the contractors, Messrs.
Penn / Son. ~ -ear
A strong breeze, at a fsrce from 5 TO 9, from
+. Ne, was blowing As the ship left the har-
Dor az bali speed, and turn was taken to the
eastward Of the anchorage to give time for con-
sultation with regard to the weather. The
breeze, however, Increased rather than les
sened in force, and it was determined at all
hazards to put the vessel on the trial ground,
rs, should the trial prove unsatisfactory, as
might naturally be expected from the state Of
the weather, il could be repeated On a more
favorable occasion. The result, however will
show that the speed Of the ship under steam is
perfectly satisfactory. At the same time, ii
must be remembered that the Defence, like
the warrior, is the pioneer of her class, and
therefore, both ships, so far as relates to CON-
parStive merits, should be tried under pre-
cIsely similar circumstances. Those circum-
stances are that the Warrior had nearly calm
and perfectly smooth water in her trial.. The
Defence, on the contrary. had heavy breeze
from T. n. E., and troubled water. 3 $40.
tHder these circumstances the trial was
commenced snd concluded, the pil6tage Of the
snip heiRg Ia the hands Of Afr. Jones, the Vete.
Tau Queens pilot Of the port, than whom, il is
allowed by all, none more efficient at bis duties
can be found The following are the six runs
made and their results First ruh-Mesn
time, min 4I see; speed in knots, u ; i3..-
revolutions OF engines, Ga Second Tun-Mesn
time, min. IS see. speed in knots, Goo: rev
Oiuti0ns Of engines, Gjl Third run-Mean
time, min. % sec; speed in knots II isG.
revolutions Of engines, GI2. Fourth IuI-stean
time, q min a sec; speed in knots, 9.315; rev.
OlutiOns OF engines, 6S. Fifth run-Mesn
time, min. p Sec; speed in knots, L. jsl:
revolutions OF engines, 6T. Sixth run-Mean
time, min, % sec. speed in knots, 373; rev.
"lutious Of engines, 63. First means, IL OF,
u -34S. ll.2s2, l.480, IL 479 Second means,
} ] 30, l-33S, I-3Sl, lI.4S0. True mean
speed, in knOts, II So.
The ships outer appearance, in both hull
and rig, is certainly anything but pleasing 10
the eye, or in accordance with our inreyiously
understood notions Of beauty or grace in marine
architecture. Her straight line of buIwark
fore and aft, without the slightes. spring-in
fact, depressing, if anything, at either end
her queer-loOking stem, With her anchors
hanging as near to it "a possible, and her
light bOwsprit projecting from il almost below
the level OF her upper deck-all this gives her
an uncanny, almost wierd- like appearance but
when to these points is combined the appear
snce Of her rig aloft, her short fore and main
tOpm asts, (she is bark-rigged,) ) and long mast
heads with double tOpssil yards slowed polacre-
wise, with no topgallant mssts, then the pic
ture is complete, and the oldest seaman who
looks upon her can but acknowledge that, to
ha ha bo fGaL 49,
The celebrated yacht Alarm, the pride of
English yacht-clubs, if she had her bow and
stern chopped Of, and a couple Of coal barges'
maSts stuck up in her in lieu Of her own noble
spsrs, would not present so wonderful a meta
m1rphosis as does the Defence, judging her by
comparison with such frigatss as the GaIatea
or Aradne. No amount Of reasoning can ex-
clss the want Of sheer or spring in the fore
and after bodies Of vessels like the Defence,
carving, as they do, an INN ense weight along
their line Of keelson and on their topsides
amidships, and necessarily requiring a form of
hull TO assist them in carrying such a weight
and lifting with buoysncy. to the motion Of the
sea- with the-rig Of the ship, however, argu:
meot sides against mere beauty Of appearance.
The Dofence's rig was destined to Be the sim
plest possible arrangement consistent with a
suficient quantity Of sail power. With this
view the ship carries nothing above her top
masts, the lower mas,hsads being very long
being attached a topsaii yard as afxtnre, the
sail Chewing up. Above this, working on the
tOpmast, Is q CUNNINGHAM" topsail ward
which rolls up to the foot and has its ciews
lashed to the lower topssil yard. Both yards
spread large tOpsails $50 =.
sai can thus be set and taken in with the
chain topsail tie, the crew doing the work
from the main deck in perfect safety and pro-
lection. Another important advantage is that
from the sail being rolled up tightly on the
yard and wetted it is much less likely TO be
setun FIRE IN action than an ordinary topsail
would be. There Is also, Of a necessity, a
great decrease in the weight alOft, mad, what
Is perhaps Of greater importance than all the
other paints together, there is almost com
plete absence OF rnnning gear above the deck
and consequently the danger Of fouling the
screw in the event Of a spar being carried
over the side in action is very greatly de-
creased. The Admiralty have done well in
taking this first step towards q revision and
alteration OF the arrangements alOft OF our
screw ships-Of-war, as the great weight they
have carried alOft, combined with the weight
Of their boilers and machinery along THAR
keelsOnz, have doubtless tended greatly tn
cahssSttat uneasinegs Of motion aud strsining
of thsir huits at ses OF which We have CT late
heard 81 mach. rs- -,
IAternsIiy the ships decks are roomy, her
Lighting deck being similar in arrangement IN
II,oss OF the " arriOr.and Black Prince and
with excellent quarters for the men at their
guns 3 on her deck she carries ten ninety five
CEt C3-psnnders, and four loo FOUNDER Arm,
strongs. Un her upper de9s she has one I55-
POaBdsr Armstrong pivot gun forward and aft,
aud two broadside f0rty-fYs eWt. 32- FOUNDERS
besides two light Armstrong; and boat guns
Ia consequence, however, OF her baiId-teak
lining upon irOn-she can only give her guns
ike the Warrior, some 2s degrees Of training
on her main deck. Her lower mAsts and bow
spirit are Of iron, and a small jib-boOm, only
extending beyond the latter, gives her high;
appearance forward, and the arrangement is
such that il must tend 10 greafly assist the
ship in rising to sea Her slOpiHg bow, how
ever, is open to serious objections All our
steamships raise large wave under their bows
when at full steam, and in the case Of the De
fence the natural result OF this is that the wave
Of, say some sixty tons, has an inclination TO
run up the slope. 1sr . %
TIE TREE HUEDRED-PorSDER6 GUN OF ENG
LAND. tea
From the London Post, Fsb. p } - ,.,
preliminary. trial Of the Immense 500.