Scientific American Volume 59 Number 23 (December 1888) . fight, whoserved with distinction in other naval engagementsduring the civil war, and who has made a careful in-spection of the new vessel, said he was much disap-pointed with her design. No attempt whatever seemsto have been made to protect the vital parts of thisinfernal triumph in the slightest. Her boilers andengines are as much above the water line as below, andno protection is given to the boilers except coal, which,of course, will not be there when most needed to pro-tect them from the solid shots of the enemy. Both ofher engines
Scientific American Volume 59 Number 23 (December 1888) . fight, whoserved with distinction in other naval engagementsduring the civil war, and who has made a careful in-spection of the new vessel, said he was much disap-pointed with her design. No attempt whatever seemsto have been made to protect the vital parts of thisinfernal triumph in the slightest. Her boilers andengines are as much above the water line as below, andno protection is given to the boilers except coal, which,of course, will not be there when most needed to pro-tect them from the solid shots of the enemy. Both ofher engines are in one compartment, so that if a hole ismade in that compartment, or a shot goes through thesteam pipes of one engine, it would disable the motivepower completely. In fact, a single shot from a re-volving cannon of the size which is carried in the topsof vessels of modern build can easily penetrate themain steam pipe and completely disable the boat. Itis easy enough to make a vessel go when you are nothampered with the weight of protective decks or. THE NEW FRENCH SYSTEM OF MOVABLE BATTEEIES. form with a disappearing carriage, of which our engrav-ing gives an idea. As soon as the enemy, through theopening of his first parallel and the construction ofhis first siege batteries, has outlined his attack, thecarriages bring their guns together on the radiatingtracks and carry them to the circular line. Thisarrangement secures to the firing a mobility that per-mits of striking the enemy and his batteries in everyposition. The guns, loaded and pointed in the eclipseposition, that is to say, depressed, appear but for a fewseconds at the moment of firing. It the enemys firebecomes too hot for the exposed gun, the latter, with-out changing its aim, can be shifted to the right or leftby the gunners to a distance of 20,30, or 100 yards, andbegin ? firing again without losing the benefit of itsregulation, thanks to a mathematical correction ofextreme simplicity. The besieger, obliged t
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