The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-06-01
A Naval Monster.

A Naval Monster.
We have hitherto briefly referred to the
monster iron clad, the Inferible, in process
OF construction in England, as the largest
and. most powerful war-vessel in the
world. She haenow been safely launched,
ana this fact has been made the occa-
sion OF much. interesting discussion in
the english papers as to The availability
ana utility of their monster floating cita-
del, some points Of which will prove of
interest.
The first of these is her size and arma.
ment The Inferible will carry in turrets
four eighty one ton guns, These turrets
vii! be protected by eighteen inch armor,
and the citadel of the ship by twenty-four-
inch plating. The citadel is twelve feet
high, seventy-five feet broad, and 110 feet
long, and inclOses the engines and boilers,
the base of the turrets, the hydraulic gear,
and the magazines Of the ship. The
walls are forty-One inches thick, made of
plates from sixteen to twenty-tOur inches
thick, with teak between and behind
them. The ship extends eighteen feet be-
low the citadel and 105 feet before and be-
hind it, these POI tons being utilized in
floating the central citadel. BY the use
of hydraulic power the eighty-O one ton
guns, it is stated, will be worked as easily
as the thirty-eightton guns on the other
English vessels. Her displacement, with
all her weight on bocrd, will be no less
than II ,407 tons. So much for her size
and power.
In the construction of the Inferible
there has been wide divergence from the
methods employed in the earlier IRON
clads. Those were long and narrow, in
the shape of a cigar. The next that were
built were considerably broadened in
beam. The Infezible is almost oval,
shorter and broader still, her beam being
nearly one.fourth of her length, and she
is divided into three equal parts, the CEN
trail part alone being armed, the four guns
firing in every direction from the two
diagonal turrets. The Russian vessels Of
the Popotfka patterns are almost circular;
likewise the new vessels being constructed
for the Italian Government in the Castcl-
mare shi p..yards. 1t is very evident, in
fact, that If, the size Of the plating and
power of ornaments are to keep on in
creaslng, the circular form must be event.
ually adopted, after which it becomes an
interesting question how much further di-
mansions and armament can be increased
without sinking the vessel. There must
be Limitation somewhere, and, in the
present rapid development of ship-build-
ing, it is evident that the maximum will
soon be reached. How rapidly that de-
velopment is taking place is shown
that before this monster is fairly
atioat the builders are at work
upon two monsters still more formida-
BILE for the Italian Government. These
arc the Dandolo and the Duslio. They
will carry four 10O-guns instead of eighty
one-ton guns, and their turrets will be
protected by twenty-two-inch amor in
stead of eighteen inch. Worse than this
for English pride, the power of ordnance
is increasing also-a Krupp gun, few
months ago, having pierced a target rep
resenting the citadel of the Inferi6ie at a
distance of a mile. The London Times,
in drawing contrast between the Inaeri-
bic and coast detenses, shows, however,
that she is far more powerful fertilization
than the whole island Of Malta, with all
its Notifications and naturally defensive
situation. The new Krupp guns are not
the only dangers to which the Intsridte is
liable. The torpedo threatens her, since
it is impossible to protectevery part of the
ship and keep her atloat, especially those
is another danger; but to offset these it is
pedoes-that is, surround the ItlersJte
with tlotilla of rams and torpedo boats,
thus making her floating fort surrounded
by outlying Notifications, as on lanl a
central fort is protected by outlying earth
works.
The existence of such monster as the
Intterible and her Italian companions, the
Dandol0 and Duilio, is not very pleasant
to contemplate in case of war between
these powers and our own country The
IntIerible, at a distance of two miles from
New York, would hold the city at its
mercy, throwing its 1 LOO pound bolts, as
big as old-fashioned Dutch ovens, while
our shore Notifications peppered away at
her with bird-shOt. Her armor being i'm
pervious TO our projectilcs, she could defy
all of our Notifications, and make short
work Of New York City. TO rush into a
competition with the European powers,
however, in the matter of ship building
would be folly. All we have to do is to
let them work away till they reach the
maximum, and then build from the best
models. While the English, French,
Germans, Russians and Italians are ex-
perimenting and spending millions OF
money upon their experiments, we must
lool6to the speed of our vessels and to the
power OF our guns, making tine latter
equal to the best. Then we have the
ready reply to these floating monsters.
Hundred-ton guns in forts on shore are
just as serviceable as 100-ton guns in
floating forts. Our coast defenses are the
vital points. We have no colonies to pro-
tect, and no necessity, therefore, of wag-
ing external wars. All we have to do is
to provide guns of equal caliber and power
behind earthworks with which to protect
our harbors.-Chscago Tribune.