The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-15

and the armor continuedup to It instead
of the arm0r ct the ends being a mere
narrow belt. This would no doubt make
the Research stronger, more enduring
ship In action, but 1t has made her
com paratively wet vessel in sea way,
although many officers Of our own
navy, who have had experience in our
Imonitors, would perhaps consider hei ef-
ficIent when they learn that her upper
deck Is four and halffeet above the
water at It's lowest point; that the whole
length Of the deck is protected by pull
warks six feet high, and that In the GEN.
trail thirty-six feet of the ships length
she carries fixed solid battery up to o
height of eleven and q half feet, vi
which height 1t IL decked over with
sheet iron covered with four-inch plank
ing.
The Favorite, n ship ofstwo thousand
tons, and the Jealous, Of nearly four
thousand, were next taken ia hand and
converted by plans ofthe chief construc,
/ tor, both being wooden ships and an
swering we'll 30 far AZ they have yet been
| tried, although In the case Of the Zeal
GUS, as 10 the case of the French ships
Magenta and Solferino,. there Is a large
exposed portion of the wooden hull be-
fore and .abaft the battery, which WOULD
no doubt be speedily set on fire in action.
still, there is no comparison between
the offensive and defensive powers %;
these vessels as at present constructed.
and what they would have been II com
pleted on their original designs as mere
unprotected wooden bulls.
| A great improvement over the first
iron clads was plan Of Rear Admiral
| X. s. Robinson, Comptroller OF the Brit
/ soI f{x.n- nand
and steering apparatus from the direct
| impact of shot. The confidence which
| Admiral Robinson had in the soundness
of the views of the new constructor led
the Admiralty to call upon him to de-
sign two powerful frigates---Lord War
den and Lord Clyde--ofa new class, and
| of four thousand tons. sThese ships are
each pierced with gunports on the main
deck from stem to stern, aud are armor
plated throughout, the plates being car
ried up over a topgallant forecastle, to
protect two guns firing ahead on the
upper deck, in addition to o.haw firing
forward and aft on the main deck.
| Unlike all the other armor-clad ships
of the British navy, therefore, these two
carry four powerful gunA, firing aheud
In the line of their keel, which would
no doubt render them most formidable
examples of what is known In E0gland
as the Tendon" system. The armor OF
these ships is five and half inches
thick at the water line, and six inches
| lin two thicknesses of four and half
and one and q half inches) over the
battery deck. These ships, however,
being of wood and armed with large
number of gums, not of the largest class,
| did not fully represent the views of the
chief constructor and accordingly he
handed in at the same time the design
| of another ship, to be built of iron and
to carry less number OF very powerful!
guns, under the protection of armor Of
unusual thickness. This design was
also adopted by the Admiralty, and the
ship to be built called the BelleroI hon
"a name which has already become
identified with the finest specimen of
an iron-clad frigate yet produced in
Great Britain.
| So great was the simplification intro
duced into the design Of this ship that
she was floated out of dock within
twelve months from the laying of the
keel, with several hundreds of tons of
armor already upon her sides, and IN
| five or six months after she was taken
down the Midway to the More, for a
preliminary trial of her engines and
screw, with her armor plating entirely
completed, and many of her fittings well
in hand. In addition to six inch armOr,
| this ship is formed with double iron
skin, which has been found to add very
much to the resisting power of her hull.
| She is armed with IL ton guns, 10 TO
steam fourteen knots, and turns under
the action of her balanced rudder, which
is of the American plan, more handily
than any other ship in the navy. Next.
| the Pallas was commenced for the pur-
pose of protecting British commerce
from the American "Alabamas" and
"Floridas." She was built of wood, at
| Woolwich, and 10 short, fast, handy
ship, and like the Bellerophon, is full
rugged for sea going purposes. The
armor plating Is. of course, much infe-
rior IN strength to the Bellerophon, and
her guns much fewer in number. The
whole of these ships Lord Clyde, Lord
Warden, Bellerophon fBi Pallas) are
rapidly approaching completion, and
will speedily proceed on their sea trials.
| Soon after the commencement of these
ships Mr.. Il. J. keid received his official
appointment Of chief constructorof the
navy-he being at the time about thirty
three years of age-attaining this posi-
| ton solely by the merit OF the plans
submitted by him to the A dmiralty, and
| nlgnly approved Dy them. Alter his
official appointment his first vessels
were he two iron-clad gunboats, Viper
and Vixen. which, being of very light
draught of water, afforded but little
scope for obtaining superior qualities.
The water line and engines of these
vessels are protected; but the only cover
given tothe gunsisa transverseb ulkhead.
through which the guns fire over 4
forecaste deck. Each vessel Is fitted
with TWO screw propeilers, supported bv
separate dead woods so that the steri,
is double. The Viper is built wholly OF
iron, and the Vixen with iron frames
and wood planking outside, to enable
the bottom to be coppered.
The Penelope is also double screw
ship of iron, but of much largefdimen-
sious, being nearly three thousand tons,
Her armor will be similar to the Belle
rophon's, but Of less extent, aud she is
to draw but sixteen feet of water. Her
cabins are to accommodate an admiral
and his staff, and she il intended fur
auy part Of the world. This ship is but
Just begun at the Pembroke dockyard.
South Wales.
The Hercules will succeed the Belle
rophon at Chatham, differing from her
but little, except that her armor is to be
of 2 more ponderous charaster. The