THE NEW FLAGSHIP FOR THE AUSTRALIAN STATION.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 73, 24 September 1881, Page 3

THE NEW FLAGSHIP FOR THE AUSTRALIAN STATION.

. ~+ The London correspondent of the S.A. Register give's the following description of H.M.S. ironolad Nelson, which ia to replace the Wolrerene on the Australian station -.— "The Admiralty have decided to Bend an ironclad, as flagship on the Australian station, and the Nelson is selected for the service. As an ' all ronnd ' fighting vessel, Bhe is eminently adapted for employment in southern seas, being a swift cruiser and powerful in both means of offence and defence. Her designer, the Director of Naval Construction at the Admiralty, has spoken of the Nelson and her sister ship, the Northampton, as his ' ideal of cruising fighting ships.' The novelty of design consists in the system of armouring, by which the vital parta of the vessel are protected at the expense of the exposed parts, which may be pretty well totally destroyed without the vossol being rendered unsafe. To accomplish this object armour-plates 9 inohes thick, upon 10 inches of teak backing, protect the hull from 4 feet above the waterline to 5 feet below it. The lower deck is composed through- *', out of '2-inch plates, forming a cover* " ing to the machinery, boilers, &c, and for about 57 feet at the fore end there is an armoured dock 2 inches thick, terminating in the ram, whilst a similar deck extends aft to the stern. These submerged decks are intended to protect the lower part of the ship before and abaft the armoured bulkheads, and especially the auxiliary steering pear provided for emergencies. The ends of the vessel above them are entirely unprotected. This horizontal armour is a peculiar feature of the ship, and beneath it there ia sufficient power of flotation to ensure the yessol from foundering from any of the ordinary risks of modern warfare, with the exception, perhaps, of torpedoes. Internally the Nelson is divided into 90 water-tight compartments, and every conceivable precaution has been taken to provide against destruction by rams and torpedoes. Her longitndinal frames are made of steel, so as to com bin o lightness -with strength ; and as this principle has been observed throughout she is able to carry a heavy armament, consisting of four 18-ton guns and I eight 12-ton guns, besides half a dozen small guns on the upper or spar deck for use against torpedo boats. These guns are broadside mounted, and it is a matter for regret that tho number has pot been reduced so aB to increase the calibre. In spite of accumulated proof of the falsity of the notion, tho offioials at the Admiralty persist in acting on the theory that two shots from a 12-ton tun are equivalent in effect to one shot from a 25-ton gun. The ram of the Nelson is a heavy plate, triangular in shape, set vertically, and terminating in a sharp point about eleven feat in advance of the stem Her coal-carrying capacity is sufficient for a long voyage and for cruising in distant seas. Ine Nelson was built on the Clyde by Messrs. Elder and Co. The Northampton, her t-istor ship, is flagship on the North American Btation."

It is very well known (says the European Mail) that an expert is able to distinguish the wool that coinea from the different countries, and classify it, without reference to brands. The merino wool, for instance, of South Afrioa and New Zealand differs in softness of texture to some superior Australian sorts, while the wool coming under the same category in the Argentine Republic and at San Francisco differs again to either of the foregoing. Hitherto practical knowledge has enabled the export to classify in Buch matters, but now it seema in cases of doubt that Boience will come to his aid, for it is stated that a French entomologist has found out that the wool of difforent countries can be distinguished by the insects which axe found in the bales. (For further news sea page 4.