Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-11-17
ENGLAED's IRON-CLADs.
Some Of the Monsters Of the British
Navy.
Fan Nam aarette, october snth.l

The lately published Parliamentary
return of the names of the steamships
in Her Majesty's navy on the LIST of
January, 1874, and the LIST of Janu-
airy, 1879, is well worthy of attentive
study and, accordingly, we propose
giving a brief summary Of some of the
most significant information which it
contains. The number of armored
ships in commission on the LIST January
1874, was, we learn, twenty-nine, and
on the LIST of January, 1879, twenty
eight. Although, however, one more
lron-clad was in commission on the
former than on the latter day, vet on
the whole the condition of the vessels
in commission was better on the first
day of the present year than it was on
the LIST of January, 1874. We do not,
Of course, in making this statement
allude to the size or strength of
fensive or defensive, of the ships.
Progress has been made during the last
five years in the art of ship building
generally, and especially in the CON
struction of armored men-of-war; and.
therefore, it is needless to remark that
many of the iron-clads now in com
mission are more powerful and better
built vessels than any ahoat in 1874.
But, independently of this, we find
that there were fewer vessels on the
first of January Of this year which re-
quired repair than there were on the
LIST of January, 1874. On the latter
date,OttheA gincOurt, Northumberland,
Achilles, Black Prince and Audaci-
Gus required repair and new boilers /"
the Hercuses and Lord Warden re
quired repair to hull and boilers :" the
Terror was "only fit for harbor SER
vice, boilers worn out :" the ROYAL
Alfred, Jealous and Favorite re
CURED large repairs on the hull and
boilers !" while the general condition
Of the Penelope, Pallas and Research
could only be returned as fair" On
the other hand, we find on the 1st of
January, 1879, the Bellerophon only
required new boilers, while all the
armored vessels in commission could
be returned as in good" condition,
except the Audacious, condition
fair the Lord Warden. "hull fair.
boilers good" the Defense and Rests
lance, which will require new boilers
in lS8O-Sl; and the Pallas and Re
search, which were in indifferent"
condition.
In the condition of the ships classed
as lin reserve a notable improvement
also took place between the LIST of Jan
uary, 1874, and the corresponding day
of 1879. On the former date we had
the Monarch and Hotspur in good
condition, the Viper and Vixen, ar
mOr-plated gun-boats, in fair eondi-
ton, six other vessels undergoing re-
pair, and seven condemned for sea-
service; while the only vessels actually
built and completing for -sea-service
we're the Thunderer and Rupert. On
the other hand, on the 1st Of January.
1879, we had "in reserve the
Northampton, the Northumberland.
Viper and Vixen in good con-
dition, besides the coast-defense
vessels Cyclops, Hecate and Prince
Albert, all also in good condi-
ton the Dreadnought, a new shin.
complete for sea, except small fit
tings p the Devastation. sin hand.
making good defects p six iron-clads
undergoing repair; the Scorpion, sin
fair condition, requiring new boilers"
and the Waterwitch, an appropriated
gun-boat, also requiring new boilers
while actually built and completing for
sea-service, we had the InAexible, the
Nelson, Superb and Neptune. Final.
ly, it may be added that on the LIST of
January, 1874, FIVE iron-clads were
either building or ordered to be built.
namely, the Alexandra, Temeraire.
Shannon. Fury and Inhexible while
on the lst of January, 1879, the mum
Der had increased to seven, the vessels
being the Agamemnon, Ajax, Colossus.
Majestic, Conqueror, Polyphemus and
Orion.