, 1870-07-31
THE WAR IN EUROPE.


THE WAR IN EUROPE.
Tho French and Prusaian E2ccsr
Compared.
From The faH Hall Gazettt, Juiv 1G
It is only few days eince the small iron-
clad squadron of Tr1isria left Plymouth on it's
return to the Baltic. This squadron comprised
the celebrated Hing William, the Prince Will
IAN, tho Prince Carl, and the lrlnce Adalhert,
the hrst-nnmed tho most formidable i1oE-clai |
alloat except the Hercules; the two next ARG
1irst-c1sss iron-c1ade, and the las, is power
fuf, swift little a1mor-clna 6unboat, carrying
two very heavy guus OF ktupp's steel. The
King William deserves mole than . passing |
notice. she was designed by Mr.. Reed, and
huiit At the Thames Iron Works, for the !
Trkkish Government. When she was finished
I'll. was offered At the Aa1ae price to tho then |
Board Of Admiralty, who dec1ined to buy ller,
and Prussia Ut once came forward and 0ilered |
E30, coo more: When Prussia bad got her, tho |
10 ouibid Prussia. but it was then too late.
THIS vessel has . speed Of II knots, carries s.
i1.ch htmur, and has % Euns-four lbO-pouud- !
ex. aud t'senty.fonr 3o0-pounden. Tho King
William is, in fact; not vessel, but = little
handy or very easy to turn, and Il, therefore,
liable 10 the danger OF being .rau1ped." II
Hhe can AVOID this she wou1d bo an oseruatcll
for any four continental iron-c1tds. Tie
squadron, Of which the KiEg William IA tho
call at plSmouth make an experimental
ciuire in the West Arlantic, aud then ren-
| dezvous At la.leira Before the squadron
left, however, the FraHco- irussian d,aiculty
had broken out: but Prince !Adaibe1r, with
the squadron under his command. lei.. az ap-
pointed. for the Atlantic. Where he went it
is not casy to ray, but wherever it was it was
not far, fer OIL the Eth lust. be VAS back ct
plymouth again. He then telegraphed to his
own government. and having roceived 1nstsslc-
his absence I ON Plymouth, however, tho
Fla1.1re {tAe Flanlre has since been at Cher
DourS-Tribune), with three other iron-clads
of the same class, VAS despatcAed br the
french Government to follow and watch the
l:r1lssian squadron, mud these fur are now
| actually OIL their way to Madeira, while the
| rrllkeiRn squadron ia on its way back to the
north. Even in case Of war, the four French
ve4sea OF the Flandre's class would have
quite enough to do to tske tho King William
sorts and tue a1n,ored cunboat Il. the Hattic
the rrussizu squadron viii, il it il wanted.
Join with fix other 1Iutsia,i gunboats, all of
which arc heavily nr1uored. carving two Of
kIurIE monHt1ous Gune, aud have high
| rate Of speed, Tho ntler ye.eels OF the prus-
sian Navy are wooden fngate4 and corvettes,
| which would beo email account as cruisers,
and could never attempt to keep the sea. The
Spanish n y il even weaker than the rrus.
Ran there are only twenty-si1 slips iu com
mission now. and Of these, four arc rou-clads
none Of them. however, are more than seturd
Glars. The rest are wooden corycttcs And
fneatcs Of an old type.
The French authorities always profess Il
make g1cat mystery shout the,r iro,,-clad.
. their number, tonnag &c, guns, thickness d
/ atmos-plating, xc. But il il only outsiders
a a who arc mSs,iiel. Everything which I'll.
> French arc doing and have done il AZ vel
: known, not ou!y at Whitehall, but At Vienna
!, have now on their liet OF i1on-c]als 81 vessels
u Is OF these arc finished aud 1t sea, or coud b
. . At sea Nitl,i,l month are building, aud no
= likely to be finished within the next two reard
10 en- vessels, raced aud plated with ar1nor
y, anly II arc built entirely OF iron: on1y l, It.
- 3iarengo, ia composite, with frame Of iro
10 10 and sides Of wood coated with armor. Til
- most costly French built vessel il the Courunnt
% which cost, for lull and fittings, Ed, ,0Gl
- - The mnet costly in tho whole fleet Id tho Ho
~ chanlbeau tlate tho Dundcrberg), which til
-. F1eEch bought from tho United States in i3Gi
y !, paying ElsO, eco for her, Of which anour
+. s4so. .om is to this DAY reSrettca in Ftcnc
10 - alEo the Dnondaga, which WAS cheap At $50
= oaU. The three n,ost formidable vessels whIc
~ ~ tlr French have over plsn,led are tho Colher
y :; Trident, and Ric eleu, which we're begun la
= I utCtE0HGr NJ 1Qu10H% LUG uIHt lKQ are 9ldtt
6, rhi;+. Of s,314 tons, 500 feet long coated wit
tS s-incll ntmor, aud intended 1t present TO can
~ III londcrous guns. Tho NicAclicu Is 10 ho
81 sf lie same iength AID armor, bu. Of 7,ls
- IL. These ycssela will be larger thu
-; auy iron-clal ever projected: Tho Vi
~, -. sl'an 400 tons, figures in the Freut
~ ~. list, but this has only been ordered, and n
~ tSun. Is Gnisfon:erc, too. is very bsekwa
~ in i,e rrogrese+ and will takc mote than auot
l f1,S.t %4,rc a..
ca arc under 1900 tou-, fourteen under :, 3,O03 a,
L.. fourteen over 500, but under 5000. Taxi;
-; the mean average Of The kpeed Of n1l
- trial triis il gives scarcely ten knots-tlle big
- .st, the Nare,go. giving only 1A.S, and sosne
-. ing Of the French yeseels il s.. inches, ran
]! ipE fgor, TO 81. inyhes. The thickest A1u,s
"a "a boNever, ia Z mere belt above and below I
" ~ watcr line, and none Of the French Eess'
~ a. lave the powerful armored tulkhesd acrc
nj iug bre, under which they would fall easy y
~ n, tins to IN active enemy. The greatest Weig
~ ~ Of ar11o5 which the largest class OF Fsen
as ns ,essels garry is 500 tons, and the smalls
eo .Ea 27a tons, aaa thess greatess humber Of 6u
~ i. fourteen.
M The English have now thirty-avo ire
81. elsd vee=els either At eea or really for it, 4
sa sss 1--WE more could be sddsd to .Lis number
.ca .ca lese than three months-fortS in all. 0the
~ ~ Of course, are building or launched, such
~ ~ Vanguard, &c. and could soon to got Eeac
~: Stili, IN nnmber We should have Eve vees
OF 1ees than the French. though in actuai Il
n!. our Zee. as to sheirs wou,l be rs 100 TO 80.
~ u consequence Of greater size, Fpe'
ss- strength, and armament. Tbs arcrs
~ speed Of she whole Eng1iah feet is
..fen .en nta.lv ~ roeeibie twelve knots, the his
NJ the esr, the Agincou1t, being fourteen and b
the Y knots. md the lowest, Tho Vixen, e,ss4. o.
the ,Ssta,s;tc; md y;,,er' xI,ich IRE mere c1
70 l.catn, though ar1rored and carrying hes
Is ems. are than those in the French na
Ics. Ics. I,aes for c1aes, We Immensely exceed
'eu: French in tonnage, ihickuess Of a1mor, l
IN ~, ~ xhosa ~ 3hr txr list. nav b. rer
ays " stntod hetween France and EucIand sa i've
~ ~ eight
and aaat tf,nsa rSSsseh h.ra .steristz waited
and ,i.e,- go 49, e;,hcr inst haCun nr hare {
Ata4 .1SaA A~1l4Ee ~ -~~~ A "t> - ~