The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-30
x tremendous war ship.

ILondon Times. Oct. l3.
1t has for some time been asserted without
contradiction that firm of ship-builders or
the Clyde had received an order from the
Russian government for a monster ironclad
which la to be practically invuInerable ant
the subject is attracting considerable Interest
In official circles. II is said that the vessel Is
to have an armored deck, In shape like the
on which I'M iron ram may expend It's force
only to it's own injury, or, at most, cut
through a mere fringe into one Of Its number
less water-tight compartments. The surfaces
above and below the water being of the same
slope, would offer no mark for an opponents
shot, which would glance off without doing
the slightest injury, and only vertical fire
which ID always unreliable, or battering from
above at close quarters, which the monitor'e
own heavy gums might repel, could be used
boarding might avail but as the ship Is to be
800 feet In length by 100 broad, she would
probably convey a great number OF men, and
boarding might not be easy. The torpedo
alone she would have to dread. and against
the torpedo she would have to take her chance
with the rest. Her armament, according to
conjecture, will consist of four or more 100
ton guns, mounted on the disappearing prtn-
ciple, together with appliances for projecting
torpedoes and 1t Is intended to make her for
attack as well as defense at least the equal Oi
any other ship atloat 1t Is calculated that a
vessel Of such build, though provided
with 10000 horsepower engines, cannot be OF
great speed, but this Is regarded as OF sec
ondary consequence In u ship which is de-
scribed as unassalable. The circular iron
clads which the Russians already possess are
regarded as failures because their perpen-
dicuar sides offer O ready target to the en-
emy and Admiral Popoff, who has designed
the new cyclad, is understood to have adopt
ed the idea propounded more than ten years
since by member OF the firm to whom the
execution of the work is now intrusted. The
navy, will be somewhat similar In having
a sioped deck of iron armor, but she
will be small in comparison, and fight
only with her ram and torpedoes. being un-
provided with guns. In well-informed quar-
ters the construction OF the floating Malakoff
is regarded as a serious fact, and proposals
are being discussed for meeting the case, and
maintaining the prc-eminence of the British
nation upon the seas. Such ship would rot
only be very costly, but would occupy u long
time-perhaps several years-in building, and
in the same time 1t Is believed ample means
would be taken to prevent the possibility of
this or any other marine prodigy obtaining
und1sputed domination and setting all the
her breadth of beam, 1t Is thought that the
proposed ship will much resemble any other,
the tortoise-like back being covered by q
temporary OF hurricane deck, containing the
officers and mems cabins and other apart
ments, which would be abandoned when go-
ing into action, and might be all shot away
without injury to the vital part of the vessel
The Clyde ship-bulders are also expecting an
order from Russia for a number OF steel ves-
sells OF various sizes, chiefly for torpedo
launches and gun-boats.