different to those of the Majestic class, and are so arranged that they can be readily lowered or housed at sea or in action. The main topmast is fitted with a semaphore for long distance signalling. A steel derrick, 65 ft. long, will be fitted on the mainmast for lifting the heavy boats into their positions on the skid beams, steam winches being provided for working this. On the foremast a wood derrick will also be fitted for lifting the lighter boats and for coaling purposes. Temperley's patent transporters will be supplied with these derricks for coaling. Sixteen boats will be carried, including three steamboats; two of the latter will be capable of acting independently of the ship for purposes of torpedo attack, being fitted for discharging 14 in. Whitehead torpedoes, and, in the case of one of them, the spar torpedo in addition. Four of the lighter boats will be carried on davits, so that they may be quickly lowered when required for use as lifeboats. Six search-light projectors, worked by three dynamos, each of 600 amperes, 80 volts, will be carried; and to complete the protection against torpedo attack the vessel will be fitted with the latest system of net defence. Provision will be made for lighting the ship throughout by electricity; Colomb's lights will also be fitted for service in case of a breakdown of the electrical apparatus. Eight electrically-driven fans will be fitted for the purpose of ventilating the working and living spaces which cannot be dealt with by natural ventilation; two steam fans for the ventilation of the engine rooms and five steam fans for the boiler rooms will also be supplied. A complete system of voice pipes will be fitted throughout the ship, to enable orders to be transmitted from the protected look-out positions to the various fighting stations. These are associated with automatic water-tight doors where they pass through the armored deck, which close the apertures immediately after they have been opened for use. Upon completing, the Canopus will be commissioned with a compliment of 750 officers and men. This ship has been built under the supervision of Mr. Lemon, foreman of the yard, acting under the instructions of Mr. Beaton, R. C. N. C., on the staff of the Chief Constructor, Mr. John Yates, R. C. N. C. Her keel was laid in January last. She has, therefore, been only nine months building—a record period. The armament of the Canopus will consist of four 12-inch wire-wound breech-loading guns, twelve 6-inch quick-firing guns, ten 12-pounder quickfirers, six 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns, one 12-pounder 8 cwt. boat's gun, one 12pounder 8 cwt. field gun, and eight 0.45-inch Maxims. She will also carry nineteen Whitehead torpedoes, fourteen of which will be 18 inches, and five of 14 inches diameter. She will have four submerged torpedo tubes, one on either bow, and one on either quarter. We are delighted to say she will have no above-water tube, a modification which must give general satisfaction. The 12-inch wire guns will be fitted in pairs upon two circular armored redoubts, one at each end of the ship, and they will be mounted on revolving turntables arranged to work either by hydraulic or hand power. Armored shields or "hoods" will be fitted to give protection to the guns. The 6-inch quick-firers will be mounted in casemates, eight on the main deck and four on the upper deck, and protected by 6-inch Harveyized armor. The ten 12-pounder quick-firers will be mounted on the main and upper decks, the 3-pounder Hotchkiss in the fighting tops, the two other 12-pounder quickfirers on the forward shelter deck, whilst the Maxims will be fought from the bridges or boat decks. One important modification is in the arrangement of A special feature of the Canopus type is the ram bow, the point of which is much higher than in former battleships, being only 7 ft. 6 in. below the surface of the water at normal draught, so as to deliver a blow to the enemy immediately below the armored belt. The forefoot comes away at an abrupt angle from the keel, 45 ft. horizontally from the ram point, the flat keel rising from a spot just forward of one of the main bulkheads, and running straight to the ram, as will be seen by a reference to the profile engraved. The armored deck, which has a perfectly horizontal outer edge on either beam from stem to stern, is worked into the cast steel stem a very short distance above the point, and an ordinary flat, terminating in a stiffening plate of steel 2 in. thick, is bedded into the point itself. The whole of this portion of the bows is, moreover, to be covered with 2 in. nickel-steel armor plates over the ordinary skin. None of this armor is in position yet, but the rabbet into which it will fit can be seen running up the stem on both sides. The ram is, therefore, with its associated parts, a solid cellular mass, extending to a main bulkhead about eight frames from number "o," which is the first, and its materials are stiff as well as elastic, the whole being supported by the cast steel stem, by the armored deck, by the stiffening plate beneath, and by the 2 in. nickel-steel armor plates, as well as by the ordinary skin and framing of the ship at this spot. About nine of the forward frames are webbed right across with thin steel plates, so as practically to constitute a series of bulkheads at 3 ft. intervals. The spaces between are filled in with cork, from the keel below to the main deck above, as shown in our profile, a device already employed in the Inflexible, the Colossus and Edinburgh. It may be remembered that the three battleships of the United States now under construction, the Wisconsin and her sister vessels, described in the pages of The Engineer some months ago, have large spaces behind the ram filled in with corn-pith cellulose, so that the American and British war vessels assimilate in this respect. Two steel masts will be fitted, each completed with a fighting top; these latter will carry three 3-pounder quick-firing guns, with the necessary maga zines and equipment. Above the fighting top an electric light platform will be fitted to each mast for working powerful search-lights. The topmasts are different to those of the Majestic class, and are so arranged that they can be readily lowered or housed at sea or in action. The main topmast is fitted with a semaphore for long distance signalling. A steel derrick, 65 ft. long, will be fitted on the mainmast for lifting the heavy boats into their positions on the skid beams, steam winches being provided for working this. On the foremast a wood derrick will also be fitted for lifting the lighter boats and for coaling purposes. Temperley's patent transporters will be supplied with these derricks for coaling. Sixteen boats will be carried, including three steamboats; two of the latter will be capable of acting independently of the ship for purposes of torpedo attack, being fitted for discharging 14 in. Whitehead torpedoes, and, in the case of one of them, the spar torpedo in addition. Four of the lighter boats will be carried on davits, so that they may be quickly lowered when required for use as lifeboats. Six search-light projectors, worked by three dynamos, each of 600 amperes, 80 volts, will be carried; and to complete the protection against torpedo attack the vessel will be fitted with the latest system of net defence. Provision will be made for lighting the ship throughout by electricity; Colomb's lights will also be fitted for service in case of a breakdown of the electrical apparatus. Eight electrically-driven fans will be fitted for the purpose of ventilating the working and living spaces which cannot be dealt with by natural ventilation; two steam fans for the ventilation of the engine rooms and five steam fans for the boiler rooms will also be supplied. A complete system of voice pipes will be fitted throughout the ship, to enable orders to be transmitted from the protected look-out positions to the various fighting stations. These are associated with automatic water-tight doors where they pass through the armored deck, which close the apertures immediately after they have been opened for use. Upon completing, the Canopus will be commissioned with a compliment of 750 officers and men. This ship has been built under the supervision of Mr. Lemon, foreman of the yard, acting under the instructions of Mr. Beaton, R. C. N. C., on the staff of the Chief Constructor, Mr. John Yates, R. C. N. C. Her keel was laid in January last. She has, therefore, been only nine months building-a record period. The armament of the Canopus will consist of four 12-inch wire-wound breech-loading guns, twelve 6-inch quick-firing guns, ten 12-pounder quickfirers, six 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns, one 12-pounder 8 cwt. boat's gun, one 12pounder 8 cwt. field gun, and eight 0.45-inch Maxims. She will also carry nineteen Whitehead torpedoes, fourteen of which will be 18 inches, and five of 14 inches diameter. She will have four submerged torpedo tubes, one on either bow, and one on either quarter. We are delighted to say she will have no above-water tube, a modification which must give general satisfaction. The 12-inch wire guns will be fitted in pairs upon two circular armored redoubts, one at each end of the ship, and they will be mounted on revolving turntables arranged to work either by hydraulic or hand power. Armored shields or "hoods" will be fitted to give protection to the guns. The 6-inch quick-firers will be mounted in casemates, eight on the main deck and four on the upper deck, and protected by 6-inch Harveyized armor. The ten 12-pounder quick-firers will be mounted on the main and upper decks, the 3-pounder Hotchkiss in the fighting tops, the two other 12-pounder quickfirers on the forward shelter deck, whilst the Maxims will be fought from the bridges or boat decks. One important modification is in the arrangement of the forward and aft 6-inch gun casemates on the main deck. These are sponsoned out on both beams, so as to bring the guns clear of the vessels side even when they are trained axially, a position which is impossible for these guns in the Majestic and her sister ships. The end-on fire of the Canopus is much improved by this device, the striking energy in foot-tons, which is represented by five minutes' consecutive fire ahead or astern, being increased as follows: Two 12-inch guns, four rounds each...... Four 6-inch quick-firers, 25 rounds each. Two 12-pounder quick-firers, 75 rounds each.... Foot-tons Independently of the fire forward of the two 12-pounder guns on the shelter deck. The weight of metal thrown is nearly nine tons. All casemates are protected above and beneath by double plating. The main deck forms a natural armored base to those casemates built upon it. This is a most important condition as affecting the fighting positions of the the ship between decks. The original Canopus was one of the six prizes taken in the Battle of the Nile which reached England safely. -The Engineer, October 15, 1897. BOOK REVIEWS. National Defenses, by Major General Maurice, C. B. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1897. Pp. 209. Price $1.00. This little volume from the pen of one of England's leading military writers comes to us very opportunely, as we are now at a time when our own national defense is claiming more attention than at any previous period: The author of course is treating the subject of the defense of the British Empire, and divides his subject into three broad heads, viz: What have we to defend-against what have we to defend it-and with what means shall we defend it. Under the first head is clearly brought out the unique geographical situation of the Empire, its enormous mercantile marine, and the consequent commanding influence of these factors in any system of defense. In his analysis of the second subdivision the author devotes particular attention to the danger of attack from Russia through the northern frontier of India; and indeed the aggressiveness of Russia in Asia seems to be one of the most disturbing influences in European politics. The liability of English commerce to attack from swiftly moving cruisers is also ably discussed. But there is one source of danger to the British Isles, which, in the author's opinion, is not nearly appreciated, viz: invasion. For such a thing to be possible, it is not at all necessary that England should lose complete control of the sea. A temporary loss of supremacy in the English Channel would give the desired opportunity, even though the English fleets were everywhere else supreme-consequently it is maintained that England should have at home, a land force sufficient to meet and defeat any such attempt. In discussing the last head the enormous advantage of England's naval supremacy in any combination of European powers is clearly set forth, as is also the absolute necessity of her maintaining that supremacy. England does not and cannot attempt to rival European powers in the numerical strength of her armies. To offset this she must-to use the words of Sir Grant Duff's toast, quoted by the author-have "a supreme navy, an adequate army and an incomparable diplomacy.” But again and again throughout the volume our attention is called to the fact that in a government by the people, no system of defense can attain a maximum efficiency until the people themselves understand and appreciate its necessity. C. C. W. Life of Napoleon Bonaparte by William Milligan Sloane, Ph. D., L. H. D., Professor of History in Princeton University. Volume IV. New York: The Century Co., 1897. Complete in Four Volumes; per Volume, Cloth, $7.00; half Morocco, $8.00; three-quarter Morocco, $9.00; full Morocco, $12.50. The fourth volume of Professor Sloane's great life of Napoleon has been issued, thus completing this magnificent work. The events recorded in this volume are the disastrous retreat from Russia, Journal 45. |