The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-28
Waking The tola force in available men. Is .aa7

Making The total force in available mea. SO, Sy7
ENGLISH FLEET
This is represented by Is ironclads, 800 steamers
ana ITO sailing ships available or actual
oi the above number there were employed on home
service last 252 vessels, distributed as lol-
lows ION port service on-cads 10 steamers and
~ sailing vessels tota, u. Channe squadron, IRON
oads and steamer; total, 8. First ana
guard service, iron-clads, 10 steamers and IS sailing
vessels; total, ~ grand total III On foreign
the number OF vessels OF different classes
luws:-
tue detached squadron tuow in Chinese watcrs),
steamers. Mediterranean squadron, IL iron-cads 10
steamers and saiag Vessels; total, - Atlantic
squadron, iron-cad, II steamers 2 sailing
sells total, 20 Pacific squadron iron-clad, steam
crs and smiling vessel, total, 10. West African
squadron, 10 steamers and sailing vessel; total, H.
East African and Indian squadron, IL steamers ana
saiiing vessel; toIal II Chinese squadron l ron
cla3, % steamers and sailing vessel total IS Aus
iralian squadron, steamers and sailing vessels:
total TO- Transports steamers Hydrographic and
special scrvce d steamers. Grand total Tor nome and
iercgn service u ron-cds, 154 IL sail
ms vessels, or 252 ships in all
CLASSIFICATION IRoS.CLADs
or the 6S oD.cads the list the following distrbu-
ton according to class and tonnage, is made:-
Armorcd broadslde shlps OF 10000 10 II, OC0 TONS
Of 5000 to 200 tons, OF 5000 to 900 Is OF
1000 10 1000 TONS =; Of 1000 3 coo tons, . and OF
LOCO to 1000 tous 5-making a tota number OF this
:ass OF u
Armored turrct ships, following the above scale OF
tonnage, are Of the nrst, OF the second OF the
thirl / OF the fourth OF the afth and none of the
sixth, making a total OF Il urrct ships There Of
only ? aud these are OF the fourth Class OF
mage. named above. There are harbor floating bat
ieries Of the third class o tonnage Of he fourth and
OF the SIXTH making total Of 10 such defensive
ships,
A GLANCE Ar ESGLASp's tRoS.cLAps
The chief difficulty that has Desct the naval construc
Tor Ia designing iron-cat ships Is tina; OF combining
buOyancy and speed with armor carry ing capacity.
without the hrst The vessel becomes mere hulk de-
tended by plates OF iron, more less thick, resist
tho cnetny's suOt and is incapable OF offensive
msnts against hostile ships Without the second the
uSeiun OF the vessel N the PURSUIT OF the
the defence OF conveys Is impaired fast
ship beng Tree to attack or retreat without OF
moesiaOn rom the slow and hetvily armed on clad
without Hrmor oi sufficient thickness to resist the
penetrating power OF modern artillery rigato could
not approach ort or an cnemy's ship without risk
ne destruction. All rUn.cads, therefore, must be re-
The battle going between guns and arnor is so iar
ia favor OF the guns. In order carry enormous
weight ot defensive plating found lbs
Tended Tor battle purposes have been constructed
Z possess an immense displacement. THIS in
turn Ieecssltates an equally great propcllng
power, proportionately slow rate OF speed
snG Immensely Increased consumption Of fuel Tho
urst afmOrcd vessels butt by England what are
cfncd broadsldc ships, carrying heavy batteries Of
eight 10 Thirty 1.-TWO gus, AMI armor VARYING thick
The hst Eugllsh 81 A oi illus Kind, tic Warrior
was 1t the Thames Iron Works 1900 after dc.
pus by Watts, ana cost sl,7Sd 600 In reality, the
dr.t lronclad vessel for purposes
yas the French armorcl rpate Gore, buit at r0ulon
n 1900 unG which startled England out Of her Wis by
Ag 0prartlOn Of m inyuinerahle hp alone capable ~
.hat time OF destroying tie whole Brush feeL From
1860 to lie present year England has millions Of
pounds her ron-c!als, with the result as lar as
numbers are concerned, gwen above. Tho armor Of
HE GiOirc und Warrior Is only lour and bali inches
ia. OK aud tho thickness ~ arnor has been gradually
increased The vessels scqucnty buiit untl IL
solid .rcl On The Engiisn ship, the lnAcxiblc
or AHMOEED bEnAuSlDE suffS.