The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-08
SHIPS AGAINST CANNON.
IN EXPERITENTAL NAVAL ENGAGE
MENT

IN E1PERI.EENT4L NAVAL ENGAGE-
| MENT.
Impregnabiltty OF Turret ships-Batile
Between the Hotspur and the Glnt-
| ton.
At Portland. England. on the 9Th instant,
an extraordinary test of the ability OF the Brlt-
| Ish iron-clads to resist the most powerful pro.
iectiles vet invented was afforded. To build
the strongest ship In the world and then to ex-
pose il to the fire of the most powerful guns
In the world Is an expensive thing to do, but
perhaps 1t Is worth all 1t costs.
The Isle of Portland, says the London STAN
dard, Is lofty, rugged mass of yellow rock,
reminding one Instantly of the familiar views
OF the famous Gibraltar, and like it, too. 1t is
strongly fortified; the citadel of The Verne
crowns Its quarrled heights. With the land 1t
is connected by one of the most remarkable
isthmuses in the world, the Chesil Bank-a
waves of the sea. From the base of the Port
land cliffs the inner breakwater juts out for q
quarter Of mile. Then an opening for the
entrance of ships, and then the great break
water itsef-a mountain ridge of unhewn
stone-mainly the useful work OF convict men.
Within these barriers and protected by
neighboriDg shores is the noble roadslead,
four square miles In extent, sheltered from
every wind. at anchor here lie men-of-war
and merchant shlps-mere plgmles to the
sight as from the headland Of the Nolhe or the
heights of Portland the eye gazes over the
vast expanse. Opposite the entrance are seen
the lofty sides and painted ports of the Bos-
cawen training ship; midway inside the break
water the HoLspur Is moored. and zoo yards
% a
modern, unshiplike type OF breastwcrk monl-
tors, designed with central raised platforms
or hurricane deck. The Glatton has low,
heavily-armored freeboard OF 3 feet, and Is In
tended for coast de:ense. Her length is 245
feet. breadth 81 ieet, draught OF water IS feet,
displacement 1910 tons, engines 1868 horse
power indicated, speed IL knots. Her hull !s
doubled-bottomed, The skins being rlveted up
to bracket plates. The armor consists OF two
strakes, the upper (aboVe Water) being IL
inches, and the lower (below water) 10 inches
In thickness the l2-lnch plate has backing
of lS Inches, and the 10-inch plate backing
of 20 Inches.
The inner skin, consisting of II Inch of
iron, In two thicknesses 10 break Joint, Is
supported by vertical iron glrders 10 inches
moulded; the horizontal lower deck girders
are Inches moulded, and are placed on the
level of the external shelf which supports the
armor externally, and, by its projection, acls
as bllge board 10 prevent rolling; the upper
deck girders are moulded inches, and are
on the same plane as the summit OF the armor
belt; The deck, which Is laid upon them ex-
tends on either eide of the breast work which
encloses the turret, tand consists of l Inch
iron plate covered by two Inch iron plate,
and over this inches OF oak plankDg. The
total depth OF the ship from this deck to the
bottom Ia 81 feet Inches. The armored
breastwork, which rises feet Inches above
the upper deck, has on It's sides two strakes of
IL inch armor, with lS Inches Of teak backing
secured to three inch skin plates, supported
by vertical girders 40 Inches deep, and by
horizontal glrders mounted atop moulded
to 9 inches; the root Is formed of Lwo
Z inch plates, covered by inches OF oak
planklng, the glacis plates surrounding
the base OF the turret being 34 Inches
thick next Its walls. and diminishing to u
Inches where they abnt against the roof
plating. The turret, which rises out of the
centre above the breastwork chamber, is 80
feet Inches In external diameter, and there
Is an interval of G inches between 1t and the
surrounding glacls-belt, which is feet In
breadth. The general thickness OF its armor
is II inches. with Is inches of wood backing,
but on the port side the plates are ID Inches In
thickness. These plates have backing OF IL
inches OF teak attached to an inner skin Of Two
plates of { inch thick; the TWO horizontal glr.
ders are each of Inches deep. with flanges OF
4
tical glrders are 10 Inches deep By 81 by /: inch
thick The whole Is covered inside the turret
by Finch iron lining. The opening or trench
around the turret is covered by a leather
fringe attached 10 it and weighted with lead,
Its purpose being o prevent The entry OF the
wafer from the wash Of the sea. There are
TWO gratiugs in the root ofthe turret for ventl-
lallon and The exit of smoke. The armament is
two rs ton 800.pounder guns, mounted on
Captain Scotl's carriages. The Glatton has no
mssts whatever.
The Hotspur, OF the light monitor type,
looks but not larger vessel; ihe difference ls
that her breastwork Is enclosed within an ad-
dltional amount of skin plating, raising ABOVE
the armor.belt of the hull 10 The level OF the
TOP of the breastwork. and aecked over. The
free-board Ia thus raised TO feet, and the ves
sci fitted for sea going service. Her arma-
ment is one 600.ponnder gun. Her displace-
ment, 40l0 tons; engines, 3497 Indicated horse
power; speed, l2t knots.
The first shot at the Glatton was fired at
half-past eleven from the 600-pounder OF the
Hotspur, at distance OF 200 yards. 1t struck
the roof of the Lurret, and q streak of flame
attested the severity OF the blow. The second
shot was fred, and 1t told. An account says:
The Palisser projectiIe had struck on the
horizontal joint OF the l4-inch plates, and had
forced them slightly apart, as was clearly
marked by the dark line on either side OF the
terrible shot for the turret; it had hit it under
the fifth rib, as 1t were, but Its mechanism
was not hurt; ils gearing was all sound. The
turrett had held Its own. The hitting force
OF that huge shot was over 5000 foot tons;
the S5 pounds of pebble powder had hurled it
with speed of more than 1900 feet per Sec
ond. The first shot had cut away two of the
stanchlons In the top of the turret-thls eX-
planned the thin fash-and had twisted some
of the railing bars. The second shot had
struck full on the middle Of the turret between
the Joints, the shot-head remaining ln the
hole, the depth to the end of its core beiDg
IA inches, and the cape OF the plates inches,
diminishing to zero at about tour or five feet
on each side.
Inside the turret, the 3-inch iron lining was
stripped from behind three Of the vertical ribs
half way down on one side, and from top to
within Is inches of bottom on The other, and
turned back, between two OF these ribs the
shot had driven the double skin out into a
hummock, srlitting the inner skin at the hori-
zoutal Joint of the outer skin. The middle
rib OF the three was broken through midway
of Its height, the cape being two inches. All
three ribs were cOntorted, and long slivers In
the wood backing protruded through the
crack in the skin.plates. Three of the rear
ends Cf the large through bolts were exposed
In vertical line, the nut of the middle one
being broken off at the commencement of the
Minus screw-thread, and The rubber OF the
louor Raacomha Waeher heInu nrpssod o,,t Of