BRITISH WAR SHIPS AND FORTIFICATIONS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 792, 23 March 1871, Page 3

BRITISH WAR SHIPS AND FORTIFICATIONS.

During the year 1870 there were built or ordered to be built, for the British Navy, 15 ironclad men-of-war. Of these the Sultan, 12 guns, 5234 tons, 1200 horse-power, built at Chatham, aud launched in May of that year, and the Captain, are the most noted. The latter, built by Messrs Laird on Captain Cole's turret principle, was completed on the 16th April, 1870, at a total cost of £335,518, and was lost in a gale in the Bay of* Biscay early in September last. Swiftsure, Triumph, Iron Duke, Audacious, Invincible, and Vanguard, broadside ships, each to carry 14 guns are all expected to be ready for service at the end of this or the beginning of next year. Palmer's Company have the Swiftsure and Triumph; Napier and Sons, Audacious and Invincible ; Laird Brothers, Vanguard ; and Pembroke Dockyard, Iron Duke. Each of these ships will be of 800 horse-power, of nearly 4000 tons, and is estimated to cost about £249,000. Pour vessels are ordered to be fitted up on Coles's revolving principle, namely : Pury, 4, Pembroke ; Rupet, 3, Chatham; Devastation, 4, Portsmouth; Thunderer, 4, Pembroke. The Pury is not yet commenced ; the other three, one of 700 and two of SOO-horse-power, with tonnage of 3159 and 4406, are to be completed in September 1872. Hotspur, a fixed turret ship, 2937 tons, 600 horsepower, built by Napier, was to be completed in October 1870, at an estimated cost of £160,687. The Eepulse a 12gun ship, with a hull of wood, armourclad, was completed at Woolwich on the Bth of March last, at a cost of £223,370. She is of 3749 tons, and 800-horse power. The Glutton 2 guns, wholly armour-clad, ia to be completed at Woolwich in January, 1871, on Coles's turret principal at an estimated cost of £173,238. She is of 2709 tons, 500-horse power. There were thus five broadside ships completed in 1870, one Coles's turret (Captain) and one fixed turret (Hotspur), and three remain to be completed in 1871, two broadsides, and one turret (Glutton), and in 1872 three turrets. No floating battries were built or ordered to be built in I 1870. Twenty-one vessels, not armour-

plated, Jiave been ordered, Yolage, 8, Bittern, 3, and Vulturc,3, are complete; the Active, 8, Dido, G, nearly complete ; "Raleigh, 22, ordered to be built at Chatham, and' Blonde, 26, Chatham, aro not yet commenced. All these except Volage and Active, which were constructed by the Thames Company, are building in her Majesty's dockyards. In five of the shins the hidl is of iron cased with wood.