The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-13
a Formidable PIussian Iron Clad.

At the Thames Iron Works, in London, a for
midable iron clad war ship has just been finished
for the Prussian government. The London Times
says:
1.-THE history of this magnificent frigste is
rather peculiar. About three years ago the Turk
ish government wished for an iron clad that should
eclipse all other iron clads sfoat and be OF her
self match in fair fight for almost squadron of
them. She was to be larger, stronger faster,
and. above ell, to carry heavier armor ard heavier
armament than anything yet attempted. These
difficult conditions 5r. Reed, with the consent OF
the admiralty, succeeded in combining. aud the
vessel was begun at the Thames Iron Works aud
rapidly pushed forward. Unfortunately. how
ever, for the Turkish government its promises Of
pay kept no sort of pace with the work done, and
payment at last altogether falling the frigate was
left on the hands Of the Thames company to dis
pose Of 1t as they could. IL was once offered o
our admiralty at the price the sultan had agreed
TO give for it, and Afterwards to the Prussian gov
eminent, which as instantly replied by an offer
to buy il at sum considerably higher than that
at which it had been offered to the admiralty"
This ship, now called the King William, is of
5000 tons burthen, draws &c feet of water, and
carries S-inch srmOr, with a battery of tWenty-siX
3t0-pounders, all OF Krupp's steel. all breech.
leaders, and capable, it is sad of being fired with
IS pound charges as often as twice in minute.
Her engines can be worked up to 1000 horse
power, and she can make fourteen knots an hour.
The Times describes the manner Of coaslruc'
ton as follows
"Her construction is on what is called the long
itudinsl system-that is, a series of most powerful
wIoughtiTon girdeTs, or frames, laid atinterVas Of
seven feet apart, aOd passing along her CON-
plttely from stem to stern. Between these frames
The wrOUght-iron ribs are bOted as close as to be
within two feet Of each other. Wthia both
frames and ribs comes another iron skin an inch
thick, so as to literally make double ship, the
inner one being four and half feet apart from
the outer. Side passages, or wings, as they are
called, running the whole length of the structure,
continue this double form up to the main deck.
The inner side Of these wings forms the walls Of
toe coal buukeTs so that even were il possible for
a shot TO pass Through the srmOred sides of the
King William it would still have TO penetrate the
iron coal bunkers and pass through eight feet
of coal before it could do any mischief
10 the fighting crew Of the ship. The
armOr is eight inches thick amidships
tspering off in the same manner towards the bow
and stern, diminishing from eight inches to six
inches, and then to four inches. The latter thick
ness, however, is only used in places where il is
almost impossible a shot could strike, such as
under the counter or under the bows.
" Wherever 1t is possible shot could strike
there is never less than six inches of armOr and
nearly always eight inches, with powerful ten
inch teak backing and double iron skin. Just ait
of the bOwsprit and just forward of the stern two
immense bulkheads, each of six-inch armOr and
eighteen inches Of teak, are continued from the
lower deck up through the main deck, and rise to
The height of seven feet above the spar deck. On
this spar deck these ponderous projections are
curved into the form Of slightly semi circular
Shields each pierced with four portfolios for can
non and loophoied for musketry. Within these
shields TO be carried four 300 Founders which
can be used to fire straight fore and aft or as
UrOadside guns. Except the men protected by
these shields, the ship, going into action would
not have a man upon her spar deck. When we
say that the main deck is of iron half an inch
thick and the spar deck of the toughest steel half
an inch thick, that she is TO be fitted with cupoa
furnaces for heating redhOt shot and filling shells
with molten iron, and that though only ship rugged
she will carry a crew Of seven hundred men, we
have said quite enough to indicate the tremen
dOus powers of this great ship"
The cost Of the vessel was two million dollars.