Page:The Development of Navies During the Last Half-Century.djvu/76

 small number of heavy guns was thus introduced, and we had sprung from a three-decked ship 260 ft. long to an armoured frigate of 400 ft. As regards speed, the dimensions of the ’Warrior,' and the machinery given her, enabled her to steam over 14 knots an hour, an advance of more than 2 knots over her rival ’La Gloire’ and the wooden screw ships of that day. I have heard officers express an opinion that 'La Gloire' was the better conception, because she was armoured from stem to stern. In an important locality the 'Warrior' was undoubtedly weak. The rudder head and steering apparatus were neither below the water nor behind armour, and consequently the directive power was liable to be disabled early in an action. This defect was aggravated by the ship having a large aperture in the stem, which enabled the screw to be raised, when required, out of the water. This operation was only carried out when the vessel was under sail, to add to her capability in this respect, and prevent the screw dragging in the water. When, even now, many question the expediency of relying only on steam, it can be understood that thirty years ago a seagoing battle ship without masts and yards could find no favour. Yet such a radical view had been put forward. In a work by the late Lord Dunsany—Our Naval Position and Policy, published in 1859, he says: 'Old sailors will laugh at the idea of ships without masts, but we shall surely see them. As steamers themselves and railways were at first scoffed at, so will be the idea of mastless ships. In runs across the Atlantic the masts are mere