Page:The Development of Navies During the Last Half-Century.djvu/105

 respects the two ships differed widely. The sides of the 'Monarch' were 14 ft. above the water, whereas in the 'Captain' they were only 6 ft. In the original design of the latter they were to have been 8 ft., but additional weights placed in the ship reduced this by 2 ft. The two turrets of the 'Monarch' were closer together, the lower portion of them being protected by the side armour above the belt, which was carried up for this purpose. The thickness here was 7 in., while the turrets were given 10 in. of armour. In each was mounted a pair of 25-ton guns, the largest ordnance then in use. As the masts obstructed the right ahead and astern fire smaller guns were placed at the ends of the vessel. All this was accomplished on a displacement of 8350 tons, and produced a powerful fighting machine, but the sailing capacity was indifferent. In fact it was becoming recognised that the gain in one respect was a loss in another, and that the turret system suffered if combined with a large spread of canvas. The advantage of turrets was the large arc of training they enabled guns to cover on either side of the ship, and that the whole of the armament was brought into play instead of only half, as in the case of a broadside ship. But if masts and their rigging were given to such ships, as in the case of the 'Monarch,' this arc was much circumscribed, and the full benefit of the system was not reaped.

It was therefore determined to build turret ships for extended sea service without this objectionable feature. Locomotion was to depend wholly on steam and two screws with separate engines gave a double