Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-01-06

stone docks. Gangs of men, clad in coars
flannel, were dragging heavy carts loade,
with the Components of the naissant fight
ers of the deep and singing CHEEKY re
frains. The stone pavements, intersperse'
with walks made of "kentledge"-or th
iron used for ballasting ships--rang witt
the hurry and excitement of the work
men. Officers, respondent in gold lac
and blue uniforms, hurried to and fr
with dispatches es-with orders. Touching
of hats, cringing before officials, was pitt
full to see. Marines were rushing hithe
and yon, in squads, looking comfortable
and well fed enough, in their thick coats
jaunty hats, and strong shoes, Uncl
Sans marine, in the cold blue overcoat,
looking over the side Uf the Plymouth
was a little rusty by comparison. 1t Wa
really surprising to see the mammoth
works progressing i'll the yard. | coull
not help thinking what an uncomfortable
thing it would be to 60 to war with ou
mother, in this condition of things. Fo
miles around the harbor rang with thu
reports of the artillery practice of steam
cOryettes, in the distance, and when for
moment the thunderous refrain died away
! the sound of hammer, sledge, chisel anC
saw still kept the air panied with noise
Near the dock yard lay tie Donegal, al
immense four decker, on which 1900 men
under the protection of 130 guns, ar,
going out to China early next-week, t.
look after the interests upon which Ameri
cans are said to be encroaching. AT the
risk of getting choked with the fog, the
sailors were singing that classic ballad
"Good bye, JOnu,
DOd't stay long,
But come back soon to our own
Mary Ann,
For my heart heats so,
And the WINS doth blow
That ta-a-kes away my sailor" ="
The unusual stir at Portsmouth, - .r-~
caused by the beginning of the new
regime in the English War Navy, the
building Of iron vessels without masts OF
spars. Tie poetry of naval combats is
disappearing, and distress is already
caused by the preliminary discharge Of
sailors, no longer needed The keel oi
the Devastation, the great iron-clad now
building on this new plan, was lald some
time since, and this very morning of my
visit the Chief Lord of the Admiralty
in his festal array, solemnly inspected the
riveting of one of the huge iron plates
may be best illustrated by showing how
little coal the Monarch, the largest iron
vessel in the English service, but built
with masts and spars, can carry. She
has room for simply six hundred and fifty
tons; and, at full speed, she burns two
hundred and forty daily. This, therefore,
makes any steadiness in full speed out OF
the question. The Devastation, and other
new vessels to be built the same plan,
are intended to carry coal enough to make
the average of speed very much great er
than at present. The English Govern
ment does not wish to have even vessels
which can sail twelve knots per hour re-
duced to the necessity of waiting the
pleasure of the winds. The Monarch
dis probably the only English war vessel
which will remain under the old regime.
She is not likely to be changed. England
saw that, even with masts, our vessels
could carry more coal in proportion to
their speed than could hers; and now
she has made an improvement which
gives her the advantage over our manu-
facture in nearly all particulars. The
Devastation, quite as large as the Mon
arch, will have only half the number of
men, and will carry very many times as
much coal.
THE "MONARCH' THE FUNERAL
CONVOY.
AT one of the docks, on the morning of
my visit, lay long, strong iron-clad ship,
painted in dun color of mourning. The
two extraordinary turrets in her centre
marked her as a war vessel; but the
American and English flags, futtering
together at half mast, proved her mission
one of sorrow. This beautiful engine of
war-made.a at once to defy the elements
and hostile human powers, is a triumph
of human ingenuity. Her model is much
finer than that of most battle ships; and
even landsman can see that she is lovely.
She was built about three years ago, and
has been on one or two cruises; but the
voyage she is about to make to America
is really the first time she will have
crossed the Atlantic. In size, the vessel
is not imposing-not being longer than
the American flagship Franklin. She is
$40 feet long and so feet beam; has a
tonnage of D, ,102 tons, and the power of
Z 800 horses. Her armament consists of
seven guns. Four of these, weighing
twenty-five tons each, are in the turrets,
and three of six and half tons each, are
in different parts of the vessel. The tre-
mendous turrets are twenty-six feet over
all diameter, and twenty-five inside; the
armor plating on the engaged side is ten
feet thick an the disengaged eight. The
armor plating protecting the battery is
seven inches thick The weight of the
shot thrown from the four 12-inch rifed
guns which are enclosed in the turrets is
six hundred pounds, and sixty-seyen
pounds of powder are required for each
discharge. Chief Constructor Pond, of
the English navy, built this vessel in the
Chatham dock yards, and considers it his
greatest work. The full speed of the
Monarch subject which will be much
called in question on both sides, after her
out and return TRIPS said to be 1897
knots, although this is suspected of being
what is called to the measured mile"
and her half speed is reckoned at II knots.
Although the Monarch had been visited
by thousands she was in cleanest con-
dition, and the five hundred men on board
her were going through their drill on
deck, or. attending to their duties below,
with as much care and decorum as
though at sea. A midshipman was soon
detailed to accompany small party over
the ship, and we went down to see the
THE MAUSOLEUM
is IN the stern Of the vessel, on the second
deck, and in the extensive room usually
occupied by the captain. 1t is spacious
room, hung in rich black velvet, with
white silv cord, setting off the drapery
in bold re ef, and with the walls covered
with elegant monograms, "G. P.7 The
whole produces very solemnand subdued