CAPTAIN COlE'S CEMENT FOR SHIPS' BOTTOMS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3650, 31 March 1869, Page 2

CAPTAIN COIE'S CEMENT FOR SHIPS' BOTTOMS.

Captain Cowper P. Coles, R(N., 0.8., whoso name has been bu long associated witli the application of the turret principle to ships of war, has been making experiments at Portsmouth dookysr<! with regard to tha bottoms of iron ships and the disposition of their guns and armour. He states that his success has exceeded his anticipations. la the Warrior dock at Portsmouth there has been placed, within the last few days, an iron-built mortar-vessel, noir used as a movable coal depdt, on the bottom of which for several year* past different kinds of com* position for the preservation of the bottoms of iron ships, and for the prevention of their fouling, h»ve been tested and periodically reported upon by the Shipwright Department of the dockyard for the information of the Admiralty. On the bottom of this vessel are two patches of cement composition applied on the plan proposed by C ipcain Coles, one of whioh wm put on four, aud the other three year* since. Speaking of these first as preservative cements ouly, their efficiency in that respect has been satisfactorily proved by Laving portions of them out away from the Teasel's bottom with a chisel! when the iron plates underneath were found in perfect preservation, and as fiee from outer dote* rioration of any kind as on the day the cement wai first iai<i over them, The anti-fouHug experiment h«s been equally successful. In 1867, the last occasion on whioh the vessel was in dock, a patch of cement was laid on the bottom plating under the bilge, and, before drying, coated with a copper facing in the form of duafc or filings. This patch now, after the resiel has been quite fourteen months in the water, is found to be quite clean and free from any deposit whatever, fully answering, indeed, ail ttie requirements tbat would be expected from a uhoefc of copper tired in any similar position Captain Coles also claims tbat the cement applied to the bottom of an iron ship would strengthen it very materially, as well as preserve it from the action of thessa-Wffter. This would no doubt be the case, but weight given by any increased thick ness of the cement applied would then have to be taken into consideration —apart of the subject, however, "which has no doubt been considered, —Broad Arrow t January 23.