TRIAL OF THE INFLEXIBLE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2176, 15 February 1881, Page 4

TRIAL OF THE INFLEXIBLE.

On December 16th the trial of the Inflexible was begun. The firing was conducted by Oapt. Hopkins, of the Excellent, gun cry ship. Amongst those present were—ViceAdmiral Steward, Controller of the Navy ; Rear-Admiral Herbert, Director of Naval Ordinance; Rear-Admiral Boys ; Mr Barnaby, Director of Naval Construction; Admiral Foley, Dockyard Superintendent 5 Mr Robineon, Chief Constructor ; Major Ellie, R A., Oapt, Gordon, Oapt. Bride, Commander Browne, Mr Foyne, Constructor, Mr J. Filze, foreman in charge, and others. The resulto of the firing were eminently satisfactory as far oa they wont, but, as the firing was confined to single gone with comparatively light powder chargee, the severest ordeal remains yet to be applied. Several rounds were fired, and at the close it was found that neither the superstructure for the docks hod been strained, nor a sash had been emptied of is glass, although a couple had been placed in tho wardroom, contiguous to the lino of fire,

as an experiment; nor had a single dead* light been broken. A bolt on the bridge had been sheered, and one of the stanchions which support the armour deck in the citadel had three or four of ita bolts started, but these wore insignificant cases of damage. Even the boats, which had been carried as a test on the flying deck, appeared to be as sound and whole as when taken on board.' On December 17th the final trials of the three 80 ton guns of the turret ship Inflexible took place in Portsmouth Harbour under very unfavourable conditions, but were attended with a measure of success exceeding ell anticipations. In the teeth of a north-easterly wind, blowing nearly a gale, and with a misty atmosphere preventing the necessary range of six miles being clearly seen, the ship proceeded to eight or nine miles off the Isle of Wight, and fired no less than twenty-one rounds of full charges of prismatic power weighing 4501 b and 17001 b projectiles. The weapons wore fired separately and in a pair, and there was one broadside with all three. They wore at different degrees of elevation, varying from the horizontal to eight degrees, and the training of the guns ranged from thirty-five a beam to seventy-five from the beam. In all cases firing was by means of Woolwich electrical vents ; and although the maximum momentum of each gun when discharged is represented by 120 tons, the hydraulic buffers answered so satisfactorily tha' the recoil never exceeded four feet. The effect of the firing upon the ship was remarkably reassuring. The upper deck and the superstructure came out of the severe ordeal practically uninjured, and the boat in the booms escaped unhurt, but one hoisted in davits was destroyed when the guns wore at a training of 70deg. Engineer James unfortunately had his arm punctured through approaching dangerously close to the rear of ono of the guns, but the wound was reported to be not serious. The shock resulting from simultaneously firing the three monster p:eces of ordnance, which were fired over the starboard fide, all tending aft, was unexpectedly unimportant, and the ship being in a seaway, her heel was not apparently affected. The engine and boilerrooms and the battery were illuminated by the Brush electric light, each of the sixteen lamps used being equivalent in power to 2000 oandles, and there were also electric bow masthead lights, but the firing of the guns did not, as was feared, extinguished them, although they had not been specially designed. It should be mentioned that the fore-turret was ballasted to the extent of forty tons to compensate for the weapon detained for experimental purposes at Woolwich. In the course of the next forenoon the Inflexible concluded her present series of tests by a measured-mile trial of her machinery in Stokes Bay, the mean of four runs giving a speed of 14.286 knots per hour. During the runs tho steam pressure in the boilers averaged 57.571 b per square inch ; the revolutions of the engines were 77.43 starboard and 76.50 port per minute ; and tho mean pressures in the cylinders, starboard, high 26 s!b, starboard low 8.5751 b, port high 271 b, port low 8 351 b., giving a total indicated power of 7860 78 horses. The day was very favorable for n full-speed trial, the force of wind being only 2 and the sea smooth. The speed realised on the original trials, which wore, however, made on nine inches less mean draught, was nearly halt a knot greater. But it must bo stated that on the previous occasion the bottom was quite clean, while at this trial the diver reported tho wetted surface to be covered with a thin coating of slime, which would necessarily tend to diminish the speed. The ship at the former trial was fitted with two bladed screws of coarse pitch, tho vibration orising from which was so groat that the stern of the vessel was severely strained. Tho trials were made with four-bladcd Griffith's propellers, the diameter and tho pitch being both considerably reduced. The result showed that tho vibration was greatly lessened. Tho maximum power was not developed by the engines, which was hardly to be expected, as steam had been np in the boilers for several consecutive days during the gunnery trials. The machinery, which was in charge of Mr loely, Chief Inspector of Machinery, gave perfect satisfaction, and it is expected that under similar circumstances as regards boiler tubes and hull, the original speed will be maintained, if not exceeded, by tho present screws. The maximum temperatures were 83deg. in the engine-rooms and 128 deg. in tho stoke-hole, and were considered satisfactory Tho Controller of tho Navy, Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, and Mr Barnaby, tho Director of Naval Construction, wore present at the trial, and the'ship was under the command of Captain Codrington.