THE FIRST IRONCLAD.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 25 October 1924, Page 10

THE FIRST IRONCLAD.

BRITAIN WANTS TO SAVE THE WARRIOR, There is a movement afoot to persuade the Admiralty to withdraw Britain’s first ironclad, the Warrior, from the sale list and to preserve her as a national relic in the same way they have preserved the Victors’. She was certainly a wonderful old ship, declares an English Avriter, and the difficulty that the Dover scrapper had last year in. rending asunder the hull of her sister, the Black Prince, shows that she could probably last for many years, bub it is questionable whether she is AA’orth keeping as a memorial. She Avas never in action, and she was not altogether popular Avith naval officers, for her colossal length made her .very difficult to sail—in fact, it was impossible to tack her in the ordinary way, and every time she wanted to come across the wind she had to turn about and go- right round the compass, a very awkAvard thing I Avhen several ships were sailing in i company. . She Avas a ship of unusual j beauty, it is true, and because she A\ r as j a pioneer she is Avell Avorth remembermg, but if Ave are to preserve her and other ships that have some sort of a claim in this Ava-y the Avhole idea Avill very soon be cheapened and much of the sentimental interest in the Victory Avill disappear. The Americans are talking about preserving the Hartford, Admiral Farra,gut’s flagship, but although her record is far finer than that of the Warrior, the objection is raised that the ship that they really Avant to preserve is the frigate Constitution, and that they do not want to detract . from her interest in any Avay.