Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-08-18
THE NEW SHIELD SHIP AN ABoR.

The Royal Sovereign, at Portsmouth, has only
et present some thirty hands, mechanics and la-
borers. employed upon her In her conversion to
a shield ship, and the majority Of these are en-
gagged In completing her new stern All other
work, with one exception, 10 In a state Of suspen-
ston This state Of things clearly indicates thst
the sg,ao.ie; have As yss arrived ?, no oisiSn
ship the enciency she viii be supposed and
oug ght TO pofsen as q shield ship, and which she
would doubtless have had d IL been possible
for the Admiralty and Captain Cole- from the
frst, to have worked haymoniously together. In
the conversion Of one Of the largest Of ships,
constructed TO carry broadside guns, to vessel
on entirely novel principle, and carrying guns
70 suppose hatthe position Of the guns, aud their
line Of hre from the shields Of the converted
ship, should have been fully taken nto consider
alton before the drawings for she ships conyer-
sion were Issued. This, however, IL just what
has not been done.
The Admiralty, in their very pardonable eager
arst essy, unfortunately kept the details Of her
conversion in their own hands. They restricted
Capt. Coles to preparing the necessary drawings
for her towers and shields, and selecting one Of
the lstest constructed and finest of the three
deckers. placed her In the hands Of the Mastet
Shipwrighps department at Portsmouth, to razee
as quickly as possible, according 70 furnished
drawings. The work was done In wonderfully
short time, and the progress Of convention was
carried 20 far that the ship had received her
armor- plates on her sides and the towers on her
x, QlbCOVerV
that, In lieu Oft vessel that should possess ex-
traerdinary offensive and defensive powers we
have something In the shape Of q huge Dooring
lighter, the offensive and defensive powers Of
which, IL completed as a shield ship in It's present
form, would be very limited indeed
To remedy this error as far as possible, II ID
now proposed 10 raise the deck at tie crown Of
the tower over the engine-reon to the hight Of
two feet and six inches above the pre,eat deck
sloPing the ships side to eighteen inches1bove
the ends Of the present beams, and thls s.ving
tie guns about four degrees Of depression amid
sips. Drawing line from the mr7Ile of tie
guns, when at their greatest pUsslhle depression,
10 the point ct which their shot would strike tue
hull OF ships launch or gunboat on the wate:,
q Is evident that there must always be a corsd
able space round the Royal Soverei gn where a
lasge number Of such craft colld lio out Of all
danger from the guns Of the shield ship. At the
same time they could pound her sides with solid
65-pound shot, throw men on her decks, wedge
up her towers. and drop shells or other explosive
substances into them, and thus force her 70 a
speedy surrender.
These serious objections to the Royal Sovereign
a. shield ship arise entirely from her inability
to depress her guns, owing to the manner In which
she had been raced, together with her width
one Of the great requirements Of the shield prin.
ciple being that the ship, to carry plates must be
long, OF narrow beam, and vet with sufncien,
halaess OF foon TO enable her 10 carry the great
weight Of the towers and their shields in add.
tion 70 her guns. To say that such ships ths
ROYAL Sovereign, low as they will DE in the
water, require no armor covering for the upper
deck (when, like the Royal Sovereig gn. they are
TO carry only guns Of the same calibre a. an or
ordinary frigate having ave times her number }
Is simply absurd.
such frigate as the Mersey ranging up along
side the Sovereign would send q broa side dowI
upon the latter's unprotected deck, which would
90 right through her and sink her at once Civ,
the shield ship guns Of such cslibre as no othe
descr ption Of ship could carry, which was tn,
intention Of the inventor, and then the Merse,
would be careful how she attempted TO rangI
alongflde such an antagonist. With respect &
the number Of shields TO be carried by the con
verted ship, 1t has been decided, We think yer,
unwiselY, to give the ship i've, resembling pre-
vious order to A. her four Of large diameter. A
the ave shields viii only carry % pounders OF
lilo FOUNDER Armstrong;, tbs shield will, Ia fac.
have but ten ms Of the same calibre as the fft
guns OF the ordinary frigate, and her offensive
powers will thus be reduced TO q 0vininsn,
When In sea trim the estimated draught of waite
OF the Royal Sovereign will be % feet She will
carry her uper deck, at the les, feet abov
water line, and the mu1Iles Of her guns 8 feet
iRches-Losfes Times.