National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-02-11
SHIPS-OF-WAR,
NuHber and Armament OF the English
and French Nasies.


The British admiralty has recently compiled
statement Of the comparative strength of the Eng
lish and French armored naves, from which it
appears that each nation has, built and building
3S armor-clad ships of all kinds.
Of seargoing ships the English have % commits.
stoned and IN the reserve and 8 building and
completing for sea, while the French have II of
the former and II of the latter OF coast. defense
ships the English have and the French g. One
armorcl clad sen going ships to be laid down dur.
ing the present year by England, while the French
have taken votes for two frst-class and two sec.
ond-class ships. OF the total the English have
10 protected by steel-faced armor over the guns
and at the water-line. while the French have
IL ships protected at both points. The averages OF
armor are as follows: In the English fleet the ay-
erage thickness at the water-line Is 1l6in In
cluding four steel. faced ships having an average
thickness OF l2.5in., while in the French feet the
average thickness is l3lin., including 12 steel.
fHced ships, with an average thickness Of 15in.
The protection over the guns is an average of
10.5in in the English, including the 10 ships
which have an average Of 132ln of steel faced ar
NOR, and a total average of 11,5in. in the French
navy, including the l2 ships which have an aver
age thickness of I3n of steel faced armor over the
guns In the ships intended for coast defense the
six English give an average thickness of s.Sn.
OF armor At tho water-lne and Gin. over the guns
The six ships Of similar construction in the
French navy give 14in. Of amor at
the water-line and 1i3in. over the gpHs'
The average speed Of the whole fleets iS 184 knots
niiss ss lsi f ,.!ss,a e,.!ss and II kRes-R ne French. The
armament OF each Is particularly heavy The Eng.
lish have one ship, the Inaexlble. carrying four
s0-ton guns, two carrying four i3-ton and two
6-inch guns each, two carrying four 3l-ton and
two 0'ineh guns each ono of four 3s-ton and two
6-ineh guns, two Of four 3s-tOn guns each, one Of
af fttyn m nd ttunG at
guns, another Of four 38-ton and two Teton guns
one carrying sixteen 1ston guns, two with four %.
ton guns each, one carrying two 25.ton and ten
lS-ton guns, one Of two ls-ton and two 0-inch
guns another carrying four 25ton and four 49, ton
guns one with two 25- ton guns, two carrying four
49, ton aud six 6inch guns each, two with four ls.
ton and eight l2.ton guns each, one carrying
eight 1s.ton, two l2ton. and four 81 S-ton guns,
another armed with two 18-ton and seven l2-t ton
guns one with eight is.ton and four l2.ton guns,
Ave carryingten l2ton guns each, and one carrying
four 25ton, two 12-ton aud one g. ton guns all Of
the foregoing being muzze- leaders Besides these
sea going vessels, aggregating 2lS guns weighing
| 1894 tons, there are Ave ironclRds for
coast defense, one carrying two 25-ton
and the others each four ls.ton guns.
The French feet has q total Of l6l guns all breech
leaders weighing 1880 tons, or an average Of $50
| tons TO each ship There are two ships carrying
four 75-ton guns each four with two 72-ton guns
each one with four and two with three is.ton
| guns each, and the armament Of the remaining
vessels comprises twelve 4s-toniguns any six 2Ol6
ton, two 20 ton, ffty-slN 1i-tOn. and seven ~.
ton guns besides four guns Of is tons, four Of 81
TONS and four Of 2o1f tons each in vessels designed
solely for coast defense. Ifany incentive to Wig.
orous policy looking TO the building up Of our own
navy Is needed the foregoing exhibit ought to bs
doomed amply sufficient for all practical pur.