A NEW ITALIAN WAR VESSEL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4778, 15 July 1876, Page 3

A NEW ITALIAN WAR VESSEL.

(Translation for the New Zealand Times from the Qazetta d'ltalia, of May 6.)

On the Bth of last May was launched in the Royal Dockyard of Castellamare di Stabia (South Italy), in the presence of his Majesty the King of Italy, the powerful war vessel Builio, the offensive power of which far surpasses that of any vessel which has hitherto been constructed by any nation. This vessel, which was commenced three years ago, is a turreted vessel, wholly constructed of iron and steel. She was built under the direction of the Minister of Navy, the Comm. Brin; Knight Bozzoni, Director of Naval Constructions ; and Knight Pullino, Naval Engineer. Her principal dimensions are : —Length between the perpendiculars bounding the keel, 340 ft. ; maximum of breadth, 65ft.; average of immersion, 26ft.; displacing water, 10,600 tons; height of the uncovered deck over the waterline, 10ft.; height of the battery, 16ft. In the construction of the hull, the cellular system, well-knowninEngland under thenameof “bracket system,” has been adopted. A doublebottom extends for a length of more than 230 ft., and many transversal and longitudinal tin bands divide the keel into a great number of compartments, so that whilst they afford to the hull a great solidity, they render it more apL-in the meantime, to sustain without injurious consequences a stroke of spur or the explosion of a torpedo. Provision against the event of some of the compartments becoming waterlogged has been arranged by means of a ramification of tubes which, departing from each compartment; go to join altogether a principal tube in communication with powerful steam-pumps. The cuirasses or plates, the angled bars, and other materials necessary to the construction of the hull were supplied partly by foreign establishments and partly by the National Forge of Piombino (Italy). The stability and invulnerableness of the vessel in her principal parts, namely, the machinery and the boilers, the stores of powder and grenades, cannons, and relative mechanisms, the rudder, &c., have been assured as follows : A central cuirassed shelter 170 ft. long and 65ft. wide, which descends as deep as 6ft. under the waterline, encloses the engines and boilers, the depository of ammunitions, and a part of the mechanisms for the manoeuvring of the towers, cannons, &c. At the prow-way and stern-way of the shelter the deck gallery, which stands at 4ft. underneath the waterline, is protected by a horizontal cuirassade, so that neither projectile nor water can penetrate into its underneath. As to the portions of the hull overstanding to this deck so cuirassed, they have been so constructed in a special way in consideration of the probability that these parts might be in a conflict seriously damaged, and protected in such a manner that these damages cannot compromise the safety of the vessel. A second cuirassed shelter stands over the first one, and encloses the basis of the towers and the remaining portions of mechanisms for the charging and working of the cannons. Finally, over this second shelter arise two towers containing two cannons each, and they are disposed with their centres at a distance of 7Jft. from the longitudinal plane of the ship. Such a disposition will, prove very advantageous for its enabling to fire three cannons at one moment in a parallel ! with the keel. The cuirasses of the towers are plates lift, thick, fixed upon an

an iron and teak made pillow. As for the cuirassing of the two., shelters, whose thickness (of the cuirasses) at the water line is l|ft., it has not yet been decided if it shall be made in single or double thickness. This will depend upon the results to be obtained by experiments of comparative shooting to be made at Spezzia, against marks defended by cuirasses of a thickness of l§ft., or by two cuirasses fitted up together, one of them Sin. thick and the other 12in.

The towers as well as the shelters are, besides, protected against the thrusting in shot by means of horizontal sheathing, made of iron and steel plates, the ones upon the others. So much for defensive armour. As for the means of offence, the artiUery of this vessel was formerly intended to consist of four of 60 tons each; but when the Admiral Saint Bon was placed in the Ministry of Navy, it was decided to adopt four cannons of 100 tons each. These cannons, which will hurl projectiles of the considerable weight of 22041b5., are capable of penetrating the walls of any sheeted ship, including also the English vessel the Inflexible, launched at Bortsmouth not long aero. AU the manoeuvres of the towers, as well as those of the will be made by means of hydraulic mechanisms, which is to be supplied, as well as the cannons, by the Well-known house of Armstrong, of Newcastle; the manoeuvres, or working of such enormous cannons will therefore require but a very limited number of persons. Besides the cannons, this vessel is furnished with a powerful spur or ram, and. with an appareil darting torpedoes ; so that in case of need the Builio can also act as a battering-ram, or direct selfmoving torpedoes against the enemy’s vessels. Besides, the Builio, and this is a new and quite original improvement brought up by Admiral Saint Bon, will have, in a kind of tunnel shut by a portcullis door, a very swift skiff, faster than any sheeted vessel, bearing the torpedoes, which at the opportune instant will be thrown out of its repository, and will take torpedoes to the flanks of enemy’s vessels. The Builio’s propelling power consists of 7500 horse-power steam-engines, and she will attain at least the swiftness of fourteen miles in an hour. She will carry 1200 tons of coal, and will be able to run 1500 miles or thereabout at full speed, without taking in a fresh supply, and at least 4000 miles at a reduced speed. Mr. Reed, the Constructor-in-Chief of the English navy, in a letter to The Times not long ago, speaking about the Builio, said that Italy has in her a vessel whose power far surpasses that of any vessel which has been hitherto built by other nations, except the Inflexible. But it seems that the Builio, being armed with four cannons of 100 tons, while the Inflexible bears but four eighty-one ton guns, at least as far offensive power is concerned the Builio is superior to the Inflexible.