ITALIAN IRONCLADS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1805, 4 December 1879, Page 3

ITALIAN IRONCLADS.

Some further details have been lately published (says the Pall Mall Gazette) of the cost of the enormous ironclads which are being constructed for the Italian navy. The Duilio, of 10’570 tons displacement, and designed to carry four 100 ton guns in two turrets, was launched at Oastellamure in 1877, and jis now so far advanced that she will be ready to receive her armament before the end of the present year. It was originally estimated that she would cost 17,000,000 lire (£680,000) ; but it is now found that the expense of her construction will be more than 18,000,000 lire (£720,000). The Dandolo, a sister ship of the Duilio, was launched last year at Spezzia, is now having her machinery placed in her, and will be ready to receive her guns towards the end of 1880 or the beginning of 1881, and will cost very nearly as much as the Duilio, or a trifle under £720,000. The other two ships, the Italia and the Depanto, which are even larger than the Duilio, being each of 13,700 tons displacement, or some 2000 tons larger than the Inflexible, are at present still on the stocks, but will, it is hoped, be ready for launching next year. The cost of each of these vessels was originally estimated at 17,000,000 lire (£680,000); but will, it is now calculated, amount to 19,720,000 lire (£788,800.) The four ironclads will, therefore, together cost 9.306,000 lire (£327,240) more than was at first anticipated ; but it must be added that there is some slight, though apparently by no means well founded, hope entertained that it may be found possible to armour the Italia and Lepanto with plates of cheaper manufacture than those placed on the Dandolo and Duilio whereby a saving of about 2,000,000 lire (£80,000) would be effected in the total coat of each ship.