The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-11
THE INFLEx1BLE.

DETAILS or THE LAUNCH or TEE VIEW BRITIsX
IRoS-cLAD-rHK MOST FORMIDABLE ENGINE
OF NAVAL WARFARE IN THE WORLD.
The new British iron-clad ship-ofwar Innexble was
successfully launched At Portsmouth, tho 20th Of
April by the Princess Louise. announced in
cable telegram. The English mail papers Of the fol-
lowing day supply report Of tho ceremony, with .
description Of the vessel the present moment the
most formidable naval engine the world.
THE WAR suH IxrLkxrHix
From the London Times April col
The Infexible, double turrct shin Is a rr,umoh AZ
mechanical ingenuity. and marks an era In the history
OF naval shipbuIding But already as IL 10 show the
impossbiiity Of attaining the stage OF nna,ity A re-
CARDS the construction OF men-of-war there u
every reason to believe that she has been exceI.cd
even before she has entered her native element in her
special points OF enormous penetrating power COM
bined with perfect protection Designed as an i'm.
provcment upon the Russian Potter the Great she will
herself be surpassed by the Italian rigales which
are building at La Spezza and Castelanarc. Wa
arc only, Of COURSE speaking OF tho thick-
moss Of arnor, and not OF tho othcr question:
discussed between Mr. Reed aud signor Mattel.
whiIc the Innexibles turrets arc formed OF
single thickness OF lS-inch armor and her armament
consists OF four 81 guns the the Dandolo
and the Duho built OF plates ~ inches thick and
armed with four 100-ton guns 30 feot long, and
having cabre OF 10 inches manufactured by
Sir William Armstrong Co., and which with .
charge of 800 pounds OF powder, are supposed
capable Of carrying shot 1000 pounds In weight
Nor is this ALL for the manufacturers of tho
for the Italian ships, Messrs Cammell & Co.,
ofShcaled, have publicly stated that they willing
to roll solid plates 80 40 inches in thickness soon
as gun has been contructed OF sufficient energy to
penetrate their 22nch plates and tho challenge Will
he acce sOon thav AMI Ia
For the moment the advantage seems In favor Of
armor, but its supremacy is beng gradually undcr-
mncd by tho gunnery experiments at Duimen. n
few months ago the 351a-centimetre Krupp gun
pierced target representing tho citadel OF the In
1exblc-that Is, "a inches Of iron in two thicS~
ncsscs-at distance Of 1900 metres Tho
Infexble which commenced on the oath Of
February 1S74-so that two years have elapsed since
the laying down Of tho kce-is twin-screw double
turret Ship with central armorcd CITADEL and was
designed by Mr. N. Barnsby, director Of naval
THE LENGTH OF rHR vgssxL
between Is $50 feet and she has the
traordnary breadth OF 70 ioet at the water line The
ship been described by her designer rccangu-
lar armored castle, and has already been stated tho
whole OF the other parts OF tho ship which unpro
by have been assigned their great dimcn-
slons for simple purpose oil floating and moving
this nvunerabie citadel and the urres BY which IL Il
surmouned
THE PROTECTED PORTION OF TUE SHIP
is confined the citadel battery, within whose walIa
enclosed tho engines and boilers the turrcts, tho
hydraulic loading gear, the magazines and, fact all
the vulnerable parts OF the vessel 1t measures Ito
feet in length rs tect in breadth, and is armorcd
the depth OF feet inches below the water line, and
fcet inches aboveit The sides of the citadel consist
of thickness Of 12-Inch plating,
strengthened by Orders IL inches wide
and feet apart the space between them being hlied
in the wake OF the line, is another thickness Of
12inch armor, backed by horizontal Orders inchcs
wide and supported by second thickness Of teak back
ing lnslde this two thcknesscs Of 1-inch plats
Ing, to winch the horizontal girdcrs are secured, tho
whole oil the armor backing ana plating being sup
ported by and bolted to transverse frames two feet
apart and composed of plates and angle IRONS It wl
thus be thai the total thickness OF IT the
water line streak is not less than "a inches.
THE ARMoR BELT,
however, is not OF uniform strength throughout, bat
varies in accordance with the importance Of the
lection required and the exposure attack. Conse-
queny while the armor at the water level is "a inches
in thickness of II inches eacn above the water line
is 20 Inches in two thicknesscs OF IL inches and
inches and below tho water line 1t is reduced TO 10
inches, two thickncsses OF II inches and nchos.
The teak backing with which supported varies
nversey to the thickness OF the armo being respcc-
lively II inches q inches and % nchcs in thickness
and forming, with the arnor with which Is IL
| ciaed, uniform wall Al inches thick.
DEPTH ARNOR
below the load waterlne is feet inchas but the
vessel will be sunk foot going into action by letting
the water into its double bottom, tho sides will thug
have armor protection the depth OF feet inches
THE OUTSIDE ARyoR
is fastened by bolts inches In Diameter secured with
nuts and elastic washers on the inside points Thd
shcll-patc which the armor rests formed Of half
inch steel plates with angle iron tho ouor edge
inches by 80 inches by 0-i0ths Of an inch
THE ARMoR on THE roRE nULKHEAD CITADEL
Is exactly the samc IN every respect as that the
sides, but the arnor OF the bulkhead somewhat
thinner being Of the respective gradatons OF ~ nehes
Is inches and IA inches, aud forming with the teak
backing, which is 10 inches 20 nce.s and "a inches
uniform thickness OF IS inches II may also be useful
to mention that before and abaft tho tho
are formed OF 7-inch and 4inch anglo irons covered
with D16th-inch plates But the singular tcatura
IN the design Of the ship Is
SITUATION or rBE TueRErs.
In tho Devastation and Thundcrer an l. In fact all
monitors atoat. tho turrets are placed the middle
line-an arrangements which, though advantageous
respects possesses this signal that
only onc-hali the guns can be brought to bear on
enemy either right ahead or direct astern. In the
nne xbc however the turrets rise up On either side
OF the ship echeioa within the citadel walls the
force turrot being tho port side and the after
the starboard side, while the superstructurcs
built up along foro and aft line OF the deck. by
these means tho whole OF the four guns be disc
charged simultaneously at ship right ahead right
ascrns on either BEAM or Ia toward any point
OF the compass Besides these important advantages
the gins OF each ture can be projected clear OF tho
2, 70 ana ~
then depressed enough only to strike vessel at
close quarters below tho line OF her armor but
fire down on to the deck should the enemy DO ranged
alongside
WALLS THE ruRRErs,
which have internal diameter Is feet am an ex-
crna diameter OF SO feet 10 inches are formed Of
Of single thickness OF IS inchcs-the thickcst
manufactured with the exception OF the 22-i
experimental plate which was rolled at Mcssrs Cam
nell 4 Co.'s works at sheffield. few weeks ago,
for the turres OF the Italian frgatcs-wth backing 81
the same thickness and an inner plating inch in
two equal thcknesses. All experience has proved
that, Tor many reasons, this arrangs ment ia
the best The wood backing distributes the
blow when struck, dcadcns the vibration protects the
fascnngs and stops the spintcrs while the inner iron
skin IL also Of tho utmost advantage II renders
the backing compact and also arrestina
the passage OF debris
THE HEIGHT THE 1uRREr PORTS
from the load line Is IL feet, and foot less from
the lighting line and all the plating in the wake Of the
have armament of couple OF Sl-ton guns, and
although the Committee on Explosives have not deter
mined Win respect to these guns by the calbrc the
amount OF the charge tho sixo Of the powder grains
yet known that with bore Of 16 inches and 900
pounds Of powder these terrible weapons capable Of
sending projeciilo Of 1850 pounds through the
OF the Devastation. Tho Intcxible will carry 100
rounds gun, but the storage is equal TO 100 II
CURED.
THE OFFICERS AND
/ fnccthcr will nuuAhar 30 MhnSn Do ~