The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-08-04
EUROPEAN NAvIEs.

The Iron clad squadron of Prussia, says
the Pail Mall Gazette. comprises the cele-
brated King William, the Prince William, the
Prince Carl, and the Prince Adalbert, the
tirst-named the most formidable ironclad
ahoat except the Hercules, the two next are
first-class ronclads. and the last is q power
ful, swift little armor-clad gunboat, carrying
two very heavy guns Of Krupp's steel. The
King William deserves more than passing
notice. She was designed by Mr.. Reed and
built at the Thames Ironworks for the Turk
ish Government The Sultan could not af-
ford to pay for her, the Board of Admiralty
declined to buy her, and Prussia at once
came forward and offered 100000 more.
When Prussia had got her the English Ad
mralty saw their mistake, and tried to out
bid Prussia, but it was too late. This vessel
has a speed of IA knots, carries 8-inch armor,
and has % guns--four lO0-pounders and
twenty flour 00-pounders. The King Will
liam is, il fact, not a vessel, but little fleet
in he:sef. Being very long, she is not
hapiy or very easy to turn, and is therefore
liable to the danger Of being ''rammed." If
match for any four continental iron-clads.
Even in the case of war; the four French
vessels of the Flandres class would have
quite enough to do to take the King William
alone, to say nothing of her two powerful
consorts and the armored gunboat. In the
Baltic the Prussian squadron will join with
six other gunboats, all heavily armored,
carrying two of Krupp's monstrous guns
and with q high rate of speed. The other
vessels OF the Frussian Navy are wooden
frigates and coryettes, which would be of
small account as cruisers, and could never
attempt to keep the sea. The Spanish navy
is even weaker than the Prussan; there are
only twenty-siX ships in commission now,
and of these, four are ironcads; none of
them, however, are more than second class
The rest are wooden corvettcs and Fri gates
of an old type.
The French have on their list of ironclads
81 vessels; As of these are finished and at
sea, or could be at sea within month 6
are building, and not likely to be finished
within the next two years OF these vessels,
no fewer than sc are wooden vessels, RACED
and plated with armor; only 1 are built en-
tirely of iron; only j, the Marengo, is com
posite, with a frame of iron and sides of
wood coated with armor. The most costly
French built vessel is the Couronne, which
cost, for hull and fittings, fl04,O00. The
most costly of the whole fleet is the Rocham-
beau date the Dunderberg), which the
French bought from the United States in
1867 paying ESQ., 900 for her. With the
Dunderberg came also the Onondaga, which
was cheap at fSO,OOO. The three most for
midabe vessels which the French have ever
planned are the Colbert, Trident and Richie
lieu. The first two are sister ships of 1914
tons, 800 feet long coated with S-inch armor,
and intended at present to carry so ponder
Gus guns The Nicheieu is TO be of the
same length and almor, but of 7,1S0 tons.
These vessels will be larger than any IRON
clads ever yet projected The Victorieuse.
another great ironclad of more than 1000
tons, figures in the French list, but this has
only been ordered, and not yet begun. Of
the French fleet II are under 1000 tons, IA
under 5000 and IA over 5000, but under 81
900. Taking the mean average of the speed
of all on trial trips. it gives scarcely 10 knots
the highest, the Marengo giving only 14.5,
and some rs low as knots. The average
armor plating of the French vessels is 5 10
inches. ranging from to 8 1-2 inches. The
thckest armor, however, is mere belt above
and below the water line, and none of the
French vessels have the powerful armored
bulkhcad across the stem and stern to save
them from the raking fire, under which they
would fall easy victims to an active enemy.
The greatest weight of armor which the
largest class of French vessels carry is 300
tons, and the smallest 279 tons, and their
greatest number of guns is IA.
The English have now ready 50 iron-clad
vessels either at sea or ready for it, and five
more could be added to this number in less
than three months-40 in all Others are
building or launched, such as the Sultan, Au-
dacous, Invincible, Iron Duke, Vanguard
&C., and could soon be got ready.
Still, in number we should have five YES
sells less than the French, though in actual
fact our fleet as to theirs would be as 100 to
so, in consequence of greater size, speed
strength, and armament. The average speed
Of the whole English fleet is as nearly as pos
sibe II knots, the highest, the Agincourt be-
ing IA 10 knots, and the lowest, the Vixen,
1884. Only four vessels in our list, the En-
terprise Vixen. Waterwitch and Viper, which
are mere gunboats, though armored and car
rying heavy guns, are smaller than those in
the French navy. Glass for class, we i'm
mcnsely exceed the French in tunnage thick
ness or armor and number and weight of
guns. The difference on the whole of the
two lists may be represented between France
and England as five to eight,