The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-31
A Tremendous War-ship.

1t has for some time been asserted with
out contradiction that a firm of ship
builders on the Clyde has received an
order from the Russian Government for
a monster iron-clad, which is to be prac-
tically invulnerable, and the subject is
attracting considerable interest in official
circles. 1t is said that the vessel is to
have an armored deck, in shape like the
back of tortoise, with sharp edges all
round, on which an iron ram may expend
its force only to its own injury, or, at
most, cut through mere fringe into one
of numberless water-tight compartments.
The surface above and below the water
being of the same slope, would offer no
mark for an opponents shot, which
would glance Oft without doing the
slightest injury, and only vertical fire,
which is always unreliable, or battering
from above at close quarters, which the
monitors own heavy guns might repe,
could be used against such a foe. The
old system of boarding might avail, but
as the ship is to be five hundred feet in
length by one hundred broad, she would
probably convey 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 conject-
ure, will consist of four or more 100-ton
guns, mounted on the disappearing prin-
ciple, together with appliances for pro-
jecting torpedoes; and it is intended to
make her for attack as we'll as defense at
least the equal of any other ship afoat.
1t is calculated that a vessel of such a
build, though provided with 10000
horsepower engines, can not be of great
speed, but this is regarded as of secon-
Diary consequence in a ship which is de-
scribed as unassailable. The circular
iron-clads which the Russians already
possess are regarded as failures because
their perpendicular sides offer ready
target to the enemy, and Admiral Popof,
who has designed the new cyclad, is un-
derstood to have adopted the idea pro-
pounded more than 10 years since by a
member of the firm to whom the execu-
ton of the work is now intrusted.
The Poyphemus, now building for the
British Navy, will be somewhat similar
in having s!oped deck of iron armor,
but she will be small in comparison, and
fight only with her ram and torpedoes,
being unprovided with guns. In we'll
informed quarters the construction of the
floating MalaAoff is regarded as a serious
fact, and proposals are being discussed
for meeting the case and maintaining the
pre-eminence of the British nation upon
the seas. Such ship would not only be.
very costly, but would occupy long
time-perhaps several years-in building,
and in the same time it is believed ample
means would be taken to prevent the
possibility of this Or any other marine
prodigy obtaining undisputed domination
and setting all the world at defiance. In
appearance, except in her breadth of
beam, it is thought that the proposed
ship will much resemble any other, the
tortoisc-like back being covered by a
temporary or hurricane deck, containing
the officers and mems cabins and other
apartments, which would be abandoned
when going into action, and might be all
shot away without injury to the vital
part of the vessel. The Clyde ship
builders are also expecting an order from
Russia ior number of steel vessels of
various sizes, chiefly for torpedo-launches
and gunboats.