THE IRON-CLAD FLEET IN ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 666, 3 September 1864, Page 7

THE IRON-CLAD FLEET IN ENGLAND.

(Fron Wilmer and Smith's European Times, 26>hMay.) A return of iron-plated ships and batteries already built or in process of building, was iasued on the 2lst. The official list includes the names of 16 armour-plated vessels afloat, 11 vessels of the same class now being built, and seven batteries. The vessels afloat are the Black Prince Warrior, Defence, Kesistance, Hector, Valiant, Achilles, Minotaur. Royal Oak, Prince Consort, Caledonia, Ocean, Zealous, Research, Enterprise, and lloyal Sovereign. The first five cost respectively L 363.813, L 360.995, L 240.718, L 247 672 and L 286.718. The Royal Oak 'cost L 209,658; the Prince Consort, 1-294,064, jo far as the accounts at present show ; and the cost of the other vessels afloat haa not yet been accurately ascertained. The vessels building are the Agincourfc, Northumberland, Prince Alfred (since launched), Bellerophon, Royal Alfred, Lord Clyde, Lord Warden, Pallas, Favorite, Viper, and Vixen. The names of the floating batteries and their cost so far, are as follows : —Erebus, L 82.039 ; Terror, L80J26 : Thunderbolt, L 80.230 ; Etna, L 49.60 1; Glutton. L 57,203 L 59 776; and Trusty, 159,268. In the '• Remarks" appended to the tabular portion of the return, it is mentioned in reference to the first five vessels, that the difference between the amounts shown in the accounts and those given in previous Parliamentary papers, is caused by the addition of incidental charges on expenses incurred in the dockyards which had not at that time been included therein, as the principle of making such charges had not then been carried out. Of the Royal Sovereign, converted at an estimated cost of L 66.000, it is observed that this was the estimate fop the original alteration, and did not include the value of tho ship a3 a three-decker. The design was considerably altered subsequen ly, to meet Captain Cole's views, and much additional expense was incurred. The Prince Albert, which was launohed on the 23rd, is an iron-cased cupola Bhip. The length

of the Prince Alfred over all is 240 ft., while her breadth is as much as 48, proportions which give her a rather heavy and un wieldly appearance, anct which are certainly likely to tell against a very high rate of speed in he ivy water. Her depth s no less than 28tt , and her burden in tons 2529 1 , All the details relating to her general principle of construction are al-nost precisely similar to those a 'opted in the Warrior, the Black Prince, and others of our armor ships. The same care i 3 shown to give extra strength by longitudinal bracings ; there are the same wing passages along; the broadside, which virtually make a double ship of her. She has no external keel, but two bilge plates at each side, which are suppose! to answer the sime purpose in giving her,stability. Theplating, too, is the same as on the Warrior, 4Mn iron and 18in of teak ; but the Prince Albert i» p!nte 1 from end to end, instead of only over the broadside. At the extreme cud of the bows and stern, however, the thickness of the armor is duainislie.l gradually to fhree inches, and instead of goins five feet bslow the waterline, as iv other armor clads, it is only taken down four feet— a slightne^s of immersion which seem 3to bring the vulnerable parts dangerously near the surfaca. Her upper deck is of pine, with a fin. iron deck beneath it, to keep out Bhella— a thickness which; v 'o0?o 0 ?? 1 cx P erience of the Danish iron-clad,, the Rolfe Krake, has shown to be insufficient. She is to be furn she! with furnaces for heating shot and melting iron, and is to be driven by engines of 500 horse-power nominal— an amount of horse-power which certainly seems small when compared with the tonnage or the area of her midship section. The screw is to be four -Waded, and not to life. On deck are to be four turrets, or shields, as they are indifferently called, with an iron-plated pilot-house in the bows. Three of the turrets are 22ft diameter and one of 20ft. The pilot-house is a mere oval about 6ft. wide by 12ft long, but plated, like the turrets, with 5£ in. of armour over 7in. of diagonal planking. Alt these turrets, of course, are moveable, and are revolved on turntables from the main deck below. Two of the turrets, it is understood, are to carry two guns each, and two are to carry one each of the heaviest calibre that can be git. All the turreti biing placed amidships, the bulwarks round the upp^r deck have to be maveable, and are accordiaely made of light iron fastened by hinges to the deck, so a 9 to ba capable of being lowered at a moment's notice, leaving the guns free to fire anywhere. Nearly, if not quite, n year is likely to elapse before she is commissioned and afloat, an effective member of the Channel squadron.