Guns and Ironclads

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 9, 1875

Guns and Ironclads.

It was long ago predicted by men who had a right to speak upon the subject, that no matter how thickly plated might be the sides of a war vessel, the improvements in gunnery would more than keep pace with those in the art of protecting seaworthy ships against the tremendous effect of modern artillery. A London journal says that the contest between guns and armor, which has been going on for many years, has now reached a point at which the armor must confess itself beaten, at least for covering ships, although it may still be used for the protection of forts where weight is no objection, and where, also, its resisting power may be aided by earthworks. Sir William Armstrong is now making twelve guns for the Italian Government, each of which will weigh one hundred tons, and will fire a shot a ton in weight through twenty-eight inches of armor. As there is a limit which cannot be exceeded in the quantity and weight of metal plate which a ship can carry, most if not all the ironclads now afloat, will become perfectly useless; and nothing but gunboats and torpedoes will answer.—New Orleans Bulletin.