The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1871-10-04
British naval Armamcnts.


rs her designers and constructors may justly be
of the Devastation. there can. at least, be 10
difference Of opinion about her horribly uncainly
appearance. The original Monitor was compared
to a cheese-box on board; our latest iron-clad
is Ike butchers tray. holding three or four odd
shaped Joints. The ROYAL Sovereign and Water
witch. which look something Ike the new turret-
ship at distance. were never comely vet they
are positively things Of beauty compared with
the Devastation. This huge floating battery. with
her low hull and gun-iowers, possesses no masts,
but only two poles for signaling fore and aft and
she has the further popularity Of false topside.
Nevertheless. 1t can net be doubted that in the
new monitor we have the most formidable sea-
roiug machine Of war hitherto invented. Her
strength lies IN three chief points: first, her
massive armor next, her mighty offensive anna
ueni; and, third, her great capacity for Carrying
coal and steaming. As we have minated. she
spreads no canvas at sr the spars that helped
70 oyerturn the Captain and all the incumbranees
az single and tripod maSts must have been ab0l-
ished the new model is stripped Of everything
in the way Of sticks except the bi, Of clothes
prop planted forward and al. She can carry to
sea no less than 500 tons Of coal which viii
feed two pains Of engines, driving tEin screws,
independent OF each other. and, with full boiler
power. The force Of this immense coujoint ma
chinery may be set al 5000 horses The Warrior
can stow ne more than 500 tons Of coal. and the
Monarch only 6OO-two vessels which We take as
showing good speed and fair rates Of consumption
10 fuel. With such store, according to she off
cal calculations, the Warrior could run for seven
days and tWeuty-three hours, accomplishing > loo
Knots; and the Monarch. with her supply, would
60 fo- eight days and eighteen hours, tgayersing
meanwhile 2,SlQ knots. This Is al The nate Of
eleven knots an hour. al which speed the Deyas-
tat0n would probably be able 10 continue for
twenty-five whole days making q run, if neces-
sary. OF 6,OOo or 1000 miles before she had come
to the bottom Of her o0ALbunkerS.
Here. then, lies the chef Characteristic Of the
new fghting-ship; she czn be no cruiser. for
without fuel she would De helpless; bet she can
rush forth from harbor, and. whatever the wind
can make swim journey II any direction. dealing
her Tremendous blows, aniihilaiing with her ram
O. enormous guns the enemy even on the high
seas. YET s;iu having fuel enougb lelt 10 come
back TO her lair IN shore. If her engines were
disabled, or If by some chance she fell short Of
coal, she wOuli EallOE On the ocean Is utterly
iupotent as s raft but her iron vitals are pro
iecied by q system Of armor to which that upon
tie Warrior and Achilles, and such earlier plated
ships. appears, as It were, mere PssiebOzni. Tie
mail Is no; built into the lines Of the Devasta-
tion; it Is, 50 to speak. backed hound her in an
immense baldric Of metal and teak. which, with
depth Of nearly ten feet amiiships, covers her
hull from the main-ieCk 10 some distance below
the wa;er-line, At lis thiekesi portions this
BET is composed Of Il inches Of metal and IS Of
wood, while below the Waier-li1e it lessons Of 10
10 inches Of metal. and towards the stem and
s;ern 70 inches. The deck is covered in with
8 inches Of rolled iron and thick teak planking:
bss upon tha, platform rises sort Of iron fortress
containirr he two turrets, the funnel, steering
box, and al tie large openings 70 the interior
On oval b-eastEoSk, IN fact, which protects the
base Of the turreis, and enables the GINS to be
fired with the very considerable ireeboard Of lSis
feet. This fortress On ship carries - and 10 .
inch amor, and has q deck protected BY seven
isei q Fsnpari, over which the vast artillery Of
The terrible sea-nrons;er would i7e. That artillery
VIII consist Of four 35-ton guns. The vessel was
built for S0ton guns. bat the 5oulbardiers are Is
busy DAY by day as the iroumo1cers. and or
monster win therefore mount the new gigantic
weapons, which have lately been proved.
1t Is quite certain that nothing foreign nov
ahoat would keep ont Oae shot from those colos-
sd pieces: but suppozing the Dsrassa-
ao,i. EO0ld she herself be proof sgainzt her
own missiles. The answer Is easy ct iclose
quarters she would most certainly be pierced by
such cannon as she Is 10 carr, for even the 2.Ou
gun ST 200 ysris this very week hss sent Pa 4
User shell clean through 14l inches Of iron, with
8 foot Of teak behind IL The S5-.oa ruu would 4
therefore breach such arnOr. massive though 1t 1
be, IS that Of the new monitor. and thus although
actual fighting is, Of coarse, vegy different thing
from Possing At Stationary tarei, the guns claim
ssill the mechanical vicioJy. Meantime the sane 1
designer who drew the lines Of the Devastation
Mr.. E J. Reed, late Chief Constructor Of tie 4
Navy-has left behind hin q; the Admiralty
d Outiine plans lnoi on eStrayagant dinensio1s)
to cary 29ineh armor both on broadsi5es and
on tuueis.7 To pierce that the g1nusrs, q
course. VIII have to ship the WoolEieh Infz1t:g
and 50, We suppose. Tie pru6giO1s rivalry Of +.
cannon aud plates vii go OF til Neptune, IS in
the sd ezse q the Captain, condemns zezin and /
agaia he brute p-i1ope. @ tie stock Of irOo il /
NatGres stO1e-oiossis fairy gives up the gzne. 4
Already, as We see, The guns 10 be carried are %
Tremendous, and the amor to guard them 50
thick. thAt the designer 4 obliged to cut sway I
masss and spars. coming down frou 81 previous
i6eais q naval use % thzt q : steau-suriae a16
q floating gun-zs1Ee No 6Ocbs. whaa sea-
gong peopls hear that TIE Devastation hss : /
double bottom, with four feel ST inches Of IN .
tsrvszing space and that to 1T her ont 562S tons
Of dead Eeigh; VII Be PIT into he-, they VII I
sPpla1d the recent change. With vessels 50
hght beloz and heavy shore. there Is. II god I
soolh, ever need Tor p-eczatioo; Bat, having 10
nssss, VITA nsEly-a55ea toPsi6e, this no1i,or
VII doubtless prove f1iriy seozrs. and certainly
I mast commanding vessel
SAsA1Ovs HozE-NO: n.uy years 40.
49, r----- - 81 A 49, NJ =