The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-29

The Iron-Clad Fleets Of France and England
compared.
The London Pal Mall Gazette has the follow
ing comparison of the iron-cad fleets of France
and England
The French authorities always profess to
make a great mystery about their iron-clads,
their number, tonnage guns, thickness of armor-
plating, etc: But it is only outsiders who are
mystifed Everything which the French are
doing and have doue is as well known, not only
at Whitehall, but also at Vienna, Berlin, and st.
Petersburg, as it is at Brest or LOrient Cher
bourg or Toulon. The French have now on
their list of iron-cads fifty-one vessels; forty
five of these are flushed and at sea, or could
be at sea within a month, six are building
and not likely to be finished within the
next two years. Of these vessels no fewer
than thirty-six are wooden vessels raced and
plated with armor; only eleven are built en-
tirely of iron; only one, the Marengo, Is compo-
site, with 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 G191 600. The most costly in the
whole feet is the Rochambeau Qate the Dun
derberg), which the French bought from the
United States in 1867, paying e4S0, 600 for her,
of which amount f44O, COO is to this day re-
gretted in French nautical circles With the
Dunderberg came also the Onondaga which
was cheap at ES0,000 The three most for
mldable vessels which the French have
ever planned are the Colbert, Trident, and
Rchelleu, which was begun last December
az Toulon. The first two are sister,
ships of 1914 tons, 800 feet long, coated with
8-lnch armor, and intended at present to carry
IN rtv ponderous guns. The kichelieu is to be
of the same length and armor, but of 7lS0 tons.
These vessels will be larger than any iron n-clads
ever yet projected. The Victorieuse, another
great iron-clad of more than 1000 tons, figures
in the French list, but this has only been
ordered, and not yet begun La Galssonniere,
too, is very backward in its progress, and will
take more than another year to flush. OF the
French fleet eleven are under 1900 tons, four
teen under 5000. and fourteen over 5000 but
under 5000. 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. Tue average
armor plating of the French vessels is 81 inches,
ranging from inches to S15 inches. The thick
est armOr, however, Is mere belt above aud
below the water line, and none of the French
vessels have the powerful armored bulkhead
across the stem and stern to save them from a
raking fire. under which they would fall easy
victims to an active enemy. The great weight
of armor which the largest class of French yes
sells carry is 1900 tons, and the smallest 279 TONS
and their greatest number of guns is Ia.
The English have now ready thirty-fve iron.
clad vessels either at sea or ready for It, aud
i've more could be added to this number in less
than three months-forty in all. Others, oil
course, are building or launched, such the
Sultan, Audacious, lnvincible, Iron Duke, Van
guard, etc., and could soon be got ready
less than the French, though in actual fact oui
fleet as to theirs would be as one hundred
to fiity, in consequence of greater size, speed
strength, and ornaments The averag,
sp ed of the whole Englifh fleet is as nearly
as possible IL knots the highest the Agincourt
being 1419 knots, and the lowest, the Vixen
S.S9I. Only four vessels IN our list the Enter
rise, Vixen, Waterwitch, and Viper, which arr
mere gunboats, though armored and carryinl
heavy guns, are smaller than those in the French
navy. Class for class, we Immensely exceed
the French in tonnage thickness of armor aut
number and weight OF guns. The difference Of
the whole of the two lists may be represented
between France and England as five to eight.