, 1879-08-13

aeyeral lengths, and Will 10 so attachsd
to the shfr. That. H. The, event W
commandment becoming hcrd, mud It's being
desirable to Tighten shr shin. the ballast ran l'a
let W mi tlrnppcs from nns nr:. ns anav be re.
qulred. Tic urauuht uni Trim may bs regulated
to rertaln limited exsnnt should ihc vcssSl be
damaged IN action. This ia point that VIII hc
t probably t,e d!scussci amuna engineers. The
object of carving Ihc lmtlnst accsns 10 10 keep
s1G sllir down In hIe water. ntttt' nrevcnt tho
deck frtn being too much exposed when Tue st'lp
4 injured; bnt should ahc becoac still fur'l1cr
Immersed from my ca,ssn. the tlronpI1G Of The
ballast will somewhat reIlevo ami liThtcn hrr
l'hc utmost etTrrt Of ihe bnlfnat Will lla to ena'
tile The vessel 10 ont In twevc 10 FOURTEEN ttiehea
ltEi'sar rl,cn It Is tlsoppsl tl,nn s!,o would do
t!cuk IL oolv fotr iect SIX inches n1nve the watcr.
untl this hIvht onlv Is exposed 10 the etcu.v's
rc, tfe surplus bltOFAcY. OIL arenunt OF lit hal.
last, will be the snnc u though tie arlnored
deck etool aye feet SIX tnrl!cs nr five feet eight
lncllGs atove the water line.
It will tp ubslons thnt this quantity of hal
last. amounting tn abuat nrrufbtb uf fht wfinlo
weight of the snip, eaauDt b. carried about for
nothing. 1t nlls IL the wsT'' 'sn. epgtnes have
u do. and greater cxpcnIf T." NJ tnglnc'nuw'
or for given spccd will hr r'uHireA t., rhab'e
the ship to drag the ballast ahut with hrr. The
additional engine power Tint will le required tt
drivo the Polypnen,tts At full aprcd. after adtl:
ing the ballast, Will ncertsitata an Increased
coal consumrtnn Of q TO 10 per cent, and 9 cor..
rrspon',lng reduction In roal endurance. 1t will
all thia dead weight In tinn Of ptacc; anu It
will be question for practical consideration
whether the carrying Of It about in ttMc nf war
Of cost Of reduction IN speed, or In coal cntur-
| ancc--ant this IN ship whose coal supplyt is
very smnll for her powfr--wt1l be compensated
for by the nrmored deck being four feet six inch
es out OF water, instead Of live feet SIX inches.
The polyphsrnus u more Or less ol az oSper-
| tmcutnl character, and the building OF future
ships, nosscssing so.no OF all Of her character
lstics will depend npon fflc results Of her tras
She la not likely to create great revolution IN
necessary in fleet Indeed. IL must b. owl
dent that there arc mnny opcratlons-such as
/ the bombaramrnt Of forti1cattOns-wh!rhc cou1l
| only DO carried out by shps armed with guns.
| The question respecting lie Polsphemus fs not
wLether such vessels az tho nrc to supersede
mora humble, though yery useful, pnrposo OF
startling type OF war abips that will be valua-
lle nuxilarres In action. SIR. Ward Hunt, on
the occasion before referred to, spoke 6f her as
| follows:
"This vessel must, Of course, to certain ex-
supPoslng 1t to he a Success, could not propose
| 1t to the House ~ being likely TO supcrscde all
Other kinds OF fighting chips, but only rs uso-
| full adjunct TO fleet in cnse OF wAr. Prhbally
| 1t world not hc desirable that She should bo
koIt at sea for q long period at time. hut I
bic wcapon, aud, II sho should be success, she
mar perhaps be regarded rs a sort Of rival to
those monster ships with tremendous armoE
tina we hear spoken Of as likely to bc built in
some foreign ports"
The Poyphcmns was commenced In Stptem-
ber, 1873, all IL already far ndvanced, being en-
trely framed and plated, except at tile extreme
| ends. Grent progress IL being made With her.
| and she could be got rcndY fnr launching In q
| very few months