Morning journal and courier., 1886-02-24


 A commencement has been made at Ports mouth with the building of the Trafalgar an armor-p1ated turret ship equal in size te the Infexible, the displacement being 12, 900 tons. The Nile, sister ship, is to be built at another of the royal dockyards. These two may be looked upon as a response to the French government in undertaking the build ing of two ships, each, more powerful than any in the British navy excepting the In flexible.
 On the other hand, the French govern ment do not appear disposed to enlarge their programme Their zeal for armored ships seems to be abating, and is satisfied with what is already promised. Even their prog ress with their present plans is slow, and any additions appear unlikely. Germany is still more undecided, and has resolved to build no more armorclads. Italy, it may be stated, appears intent on making additions to her armored fleet. America has four yes- sells on the stocks, designed as armorclads, but with no armor them as yet; and !, strange to say, nothing has been done to these ships for the last seven years. Not withstanding what is being effected by Eng land and France, there are doubts about the armored ship, ard her value is being keenly disputed by certain authorities whose opin- ions command respect. When England as on the verge of var with Russia. in the early part of last year, our own government dis played a remarkable policy on this point. Armorclads of the newest type were offered to our authorities, but they declined to pur- chase, though actively engaged in charter ing large and swift ocean steamers, lest these should fall into the hands of the Russians. No attempt was made to prevent the Rus sians from obtaining possession of the ar mored vessels, neither did Russia trouble her self to acquire them.
 Is it, therefore, fact that armorclads are drifting into disrepute! It cannot be dis guised that at the present time there are very earnest debates on this point. The question it affects the armored ship stands differ ently from what it did some years ago. An insignificant torpedo boat may by one blow destroy the Infexible. To meet this species of peril it has been proposed to armorplate the bottom of the ships. Such proposal seems to be carrying the principle of employ ing armor to the verge of absurdity. There is demand on the part of naval off gers for crinoline netting to protect the ships against locomotive torpedoes. But where this device is adopted it cannot be said to give a sense of security. Moreover the use of such appliance initiates against the speed and handiness of the vessel, and exposes her to other risks.
 One of the difficulties connected with armorclad ships is that of making them eff cient for every purpose. The constructive department of the admiralty laid before the late board a design for an armorclad having the enormous displacement of g GOO tons. It need hardly be said the official staff did not recommend the design for adoption. But it served to show what necessary to meet the criticisms directed against defective points in ships of war. A vessel designed on this scale was the nearest possible ap- oh, To a~fa hut elax fon Fly Every ship of less size was open to objection in view of existing weapons and modes of warfare. A vessel costing less than mill lion and half for hull and engines was shown to be vulnerable against means of at tack capable of being practised on the high seas, without referring to ground mines, against which even tLe vessel of 22, 900 tons would be insecure.
 The main question seems to be whether we shall extend or reduce the armor. Steelfaced plates costly articles. The side armor of the Trafalgar and the Nile will cost no less than quarter of million for each ship. Twenty inches maximum is not extravagant thickness. The 1nhexi- be has a maximum of two feet, in two plates of foot each. But these are iron and there can be no doubt that the armor of the new ships will be superior to that of the Infexi- ble, although less in thickness. As to the need of so massive 8 defence, we may men tion that the guns to be carried by the Italia and the Lepanto have sent their pro jectiles through nineteen inches of the best armor attached to a very strong target, the plates being more strongly supported than they will be on the side of the ships.
 The armorclad question will have to be closely watched, for there are tokens of change coming over it, such will affect very largely the composition of our feet A potent agent in bringing about this change is the torpedo and if the armorclad IS to re- tain it's preeminence engine of warfare it will be needful to show either how it can effectually defend itself against the new as- sailant or how it can most effectually allay itself with that potent means of attack.