Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-10-17
The nrltish Nran.of-yvar Colossu..

Laid down at Portsmouth in June, 1879,
and launched in March, 1882, the powerful
armor-clad Colossus, which may be fairly
said to represent the latest and most perfect
development of fighting ship, went out OF
harbor yesterday morning for the trial OF
her heayygun mountings and auxiliary
ornaments. which was all that was re-
Guired to complete her for sea Owing
however, TO certain defects manifesting
themselves in the gun mechanism, the
trial Of the atter-turret guns was not com
pleted, daylight having gone before the
necessary readjustments could be made.
The Colossus IS pOWertuily-3rme double
turret ship of modern design and cOnstruc-
ton, and was the first battle ship built OF
steel at Portsmouth. In this respect she
differs from her prototype, the Intlexible,
as well as in some others, and most partic-
ularly in regard to her guns and gun gear.
As in the Older ship, the turrets are ar
ranged diagonally across the middle line
amidships, so as to enable the whole of the
guns to be fired either directly ahead OF
directly astern. This arrangement is great
improvement upon that of earlier turret
ships, and has been adopted in the Ajax
and AgamemnOn. Slightly longer and
OF rather less beam than the Inflexible, she
possesses the same strength of armored
protection though the total thickness is less,
while the difference in her displacement
(nearly 5000 tOns) enables her engines,
which are substantially Of the same power
as those of the Inilexiblc to give her the
important advantage of q couple OF knots
additional speed. Her principal armament
consists of four 43-ton breechloaaers, two
III each turret, which can be discharged
either Independently or simultaneously in
pairs. She is consequently less powerfully
armed than the Iniexible, which carries as
many Sl-ton muzzle-loading guns The
difference, however IS not so great as iudg-
ing from the respective weights, one might
suppose, as the immense superiority in
modern gun construction has given the 49,
ton muzzle energy of 10000 foot-tons
with the present reduced charge as com
pared with the 80, 600 foot-tons of the larger
nature in the Inhexible. According to an
official statement made by Mr. Brand in
the House OF Commons, the guns of the
Colossus have a maximum range of close
upon eight miles, and are capable of per
torating twentv-one inches of wrought
iron Tor, IN OTHER words the protection
of any English ship aaoat, the Infex-
IDLE excepted and about two-thirds of
the same thickness of compound arnor
The auxiliary armament of the Colossus ia
much superior to that OF the older turret
ship. II consists of FIVE 6-inch 45-ton
breech-loading ritied guns on Vayasseur
mountings. OF these two are fitted on the
fore superstructure on the traversing prin
ciple, SO as to enable them to be fred on
either the port or starboard side; two others
are mounted as broadside guns on the after
superstructure; while the last is mounted
upon central pivot right aft sHd fires over
the stern. She also carries four quick firing
Hotchkiss FOUNDER guns, two being
mounted abreast of the srmored coming
tower on the bridge, and the others ON
each quarter of the after superstructure
In addition TO these, there is powerful
armament of machine guns. Two four
bareled Nordenfelt one-inch guns are
fitted on the anchor platforms forward, fonr
on the bridge abreast Of the funnel casing,
two on the after superstructure, two in the
captains cabin on the upper deck, one on
the top of each turret, and one on each Of
the military tops, making total of four
teen, while two Gardner 40 guns are
stationed abreast of the coming tower, and
two on the right skid deck.]London
Times, August 9th.