Part 7 (1/2)

The first so-called frigate was designed by Peter Pett, and built at Chatham in 1646. She was named the _Constant Warwick_. Her dimensions were: length of keel, 85 ft.; breadth, 26 ft. 5 in.; depth, 13 ft. 2 in.; tonnage, 315; guns, 32; crew, 140. She worked havoc amongst the privateers of the time.

The bomb-ketch was originally introduced by a famous French naval architect named Bernard Renan, about 1679. This cla.s.s of wars.h.i.+p was first employed by Louis XIV. in the bombardment of Algiers, where it produced an enormous effect. Bomb-ketches were of about 200 tons burthen, very broad in proportion to their length, and built with great regard to strength, on account of the decks having to bear the downward recoil of the mortars. The latter were placed in the fore-part of the vessel, which was purposely left unenc.u.mbered with rigging. The hold between the mortars and keel was closely packed with old cables, cut into lengths. The yielding elastic qualities of the packing a.s.sisted in taking up the force of the recoil. The bombs weighed about 200 pounds, and the consternation and terror produced by them may readily be realized when it is remembered that, up to that time, the most dangerous projectile which a wars.h.i.+p could discharge at a land fortification was a thirty-two pound shot. These vessels were fitted with two masts, one in the middle and the other in the stern.

While referring to this invention of Bernard Renan, it should be mentioned that France rose to the rank of a great naval power in the reign of Louis XIV., under the famous minister Colbert, in the latter half of the seventeenth century. When Louis succeeded to the throne the French Navy was practically non-existent, as it consisted only of four, or five, frigates. In 1672 he had raised the strength of the fleet to fifty line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps and a corresponding number of frigates and smaller vessels. Nine years afterwards, the French marine numbered 179 vessels of all cla.s.ses, exclusive of galleys. In 1690 the French fleet in the Channel alone numbered sixty-eight s.h.i.+ps, while the combined British and Dutch squadrons consisted only of fifty-six, and suffered a defeat at Beachy Head, in which the English lost one vessel and their allies six. This defeat was, however, amply revenged two years afterwards, when the allies succeeded in opposing the enormous number of ninety-nine s.h.i.+ps of the line, besides thirty-eight frigates and fires.h.i.+ps, to Tourville's fleet of forty-four s.h.i.+ps of the line and thirteen smaller vessels, and defeated it off Cape La Hogue, inflicting on it a loss of fifteen line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps, including the famous _Soleil Royal_, of 108 guns, ill.u.s.trated in Fig. 50. From the time of Louis XIV. down to the present date French naval architects have always exercised a most important influence on the design of wars.h.i.+ps, a circ.u.mstance which was largely due to the manner in which Colbert encouraged the application of science to this branch of construction.

It may be truly said that, during the whole of the eighteenth century, the majority of the improvements introduced in the forms and proportions of vessels of the Royal Navy were copied from French prizes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 52. British second-rate. 1665.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 53.--Mids.h.i.+p section of a fourth-rate.]

In order to complete the ill.u.s.trations of British wars.h.i.+ps of the latter half of the seventeenth century views of a second-rate are given in Fig.

52, and a cross-section of a fourth-rate in Fig. 53.

It would be impossible in the present work to notice in detail all the alterations in size and structure of s.h.i.+ps which took place during the eighteenth century. A few of the leading changes may, however, be mentioned. In the year 1706 an attempt was made to systematize the dimensions of the various rates, and the figures as given in the following table were fixed:--

--------------+-------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+---------+------------- Number of

guns.

90

80

70

60

50

40 --------------

-------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+---------+------------- Length of

gun-deck

162 ft.

156 ft.

150 ft.

144 ft.

130 ft.

118 ft.

Extreme

breadth

47 ft.

43 ft. 6 in.

41 ft.

38 ft.

35 ft.

32 ft.

Depth of hold

18 ft. 6 in.

17 ft. 8 in.

17 ft. 4 in.

15 ft. 8 in.

14 ft.

13 ft. 6 in.

Tonnage

1552

1283

1069

914

705

532 --------------+-------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+---------+-------------

When the figures were compared with those of contemporary French s.h.i.+ps of the same rates, it was found that the British vessels of every cla.s.s were of inferior dimensions. Whenever British men-of-war were captured by the French, the number of their guns was reduced. It was universally admitted that the French s.h.i.+ps were superior in sailing qualities; so much so was this the case that, whenever a French squadron was chased, the English-built s.h.i.+ps in it were the first to be overtaken. The subject of the superiority in size of the French s.h.i.+ps was constantly coming to the front, and in 1719 a new establishment was made for the dimension of s.h.i.+ps in our Royal Navy, according to the following scale:--

--------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+----------- Number of guns.

90

80

70

60

50

40 --------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+----------- Increase of length

2 ft.

2 ft.

1 ft.

0

4 ft.

6 ft.

Increase of breadth

2 in.

1 ft.

6 in.

1 ft.

1 ft.

1 ft. 2 in.

Increase of tonnage

15

67

59

37

51

63 --------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-----------

In addition to the increase in dimensions, much improvement was made in the same year in the interior arrangements, and in the preservation of the timber of which s.h.i.+ps were constructed. Up till this period both thick stuff and planks were prepared by charring the inner surface while the outer surface was kept wet, and this process was continued till the plank was brought to a fit condition for bending to the shape it was required to take. In this year, however, the process of stoving was introduced. It consisted in placing the timber in wet sand and subjecting it to the action of heat for such time as was necessary in order to extract the residue of the sap and to bring it to a condition of suppleness. In the year 1726 the process was favourably reported on by two of the master s.h.i.+pwrights in their report on the state of the planking on the bottom of the _Falkland_. Some of the planking had been charred by the old process, some stoved by the new, and the remainder had been neither stoved nor charred. The stoved planks were found to be in a good state of preservation, while many of the others were rotten.

The process remained in use till 1736, when it was superseded by the practice of steaming the timber. The steaming and the kindred process of boiling remained in vogue during the whole of the remainder of the era of wooden s.h.i.+pbuilding. In 1771 the rapid decay of s.h.i.+ps in the Royal Navy once more caused serious attention to be paid to the subject of the preservation of timber. It was, in consequence, arranged that larger stocks of timber should be kept in the dockyards, and that line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps should stand in frame for at least a year, in order to season before the planking was put on. Similarly, frigates were to stand in frame for at least six months, and all thick stuff and planking was to be sawn out a year before it was used and stacked, with battens between the planks, so as to allow of the free circulation of the air.

Similar regulations were put in force for the beam pieces, knees, and other portions of the s.h.i.+ps.

Much trouble was caused by the injurious effects of bilge-water and foul air in the holds of s.h.i.+ps, and various remedies were devised from time to time. In 1715 structural improvements were devised to allow of the bilge-water flowing more freely to the pumps, and trunks were fitted to the lower decks to convey air to the holds. In 1719 it was proposed that the holds of s.h.i.+ps should have several feet of water run into them in the early spring in order to cool them, and that it should not be pumped out till August; but this remedy was never extensively practised. In 1753 Dr. S. Hales proposed a system of ventilation by means of windmills and hand-pumps, which produced excellent results. It was noticed that the acc.u.mulation of carbonic acid gas and foul damp air in the holds, not only set up rapid decay in the s.h.i.+p, but also most injuriously affected the health of the crews. Dr. Hales' system was employed in the _Prince_ from 1753 to 1798, and it was considered that the durability of this vessel had been greatly increased. It was also reported by Lord Halifax that the mortality on the non-ventilated s.h.i.+ps on the coast of Nova Scotia was twelve times as great as on those vessels which were fitted with Dr. Hales' appliances.

There are not many records in existence of the merchant-vessels of this period. Fig. 54 is a representation of an armed East Indiaman which was launched at Blackwall in 1752. Her length of keel was 108 ft. 9 in.; breadth, 34 ft.; and burthen, 668 tons. She was named the _Falmouth_, and was constructed by the famous s.h.i.+pbuilder, John Perry, of Blackwall Yard. She was commenced almost exactly two years before the date of her launch. Like all her cla.s.s, she was heavily armed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 54.--The _Falmouth_. East Indiaman. Launched 1752.]

At the close of the war against France and Spain, which lasted from 1744 to 1748, great complaints were made of the weakness of our wars.h.i.+ps at sea. It was also found that the establishment of 1719 had not been adhered to, and the dimensions of s.h.i.+ps were not fixed in accordance with any particular standard. The first defect was remedied by the placing of as many standards of wood, or iron, on the different decks as could be conveniently arranged, so as not to interfere with the guns, and by the use of larger bolts than had hitherto been employed, as high up as possible in the throats of the hanging knees. Also the beams of the quarter-deck and round-house were supported with lodging knees, and in some instances with hanging knees of wood, or iron. Various other pieces, such as the stem, were also strengthened and the weights of the taffrails and quarter-pieces were reduced. The advice of the master s.h.i.+pwrights of the various dockyards was sought, in order to fix a new establishment of dimensions, but great difficulties were found in introducing the much-needed reforms, and for some time afterwards the s.h.i.+ps of the British Navy were at a disadvantage with those of foreign countries by reason of their contracted dimensions and inferior forms.

The capture, with great difficulty, of a Spanish s.h.i.+p of seventy guns, named the _Princessa_, in 1740, by three British men-of-war of equal rating, but far inferior dimensions, was one of the events that first opened the eyes of the Admiralty to the defects of their vessels. The first attempt towards introducing a better type of s.h.i.+p was made in 1746, when the _Royal George_, famous for her size, her services, her beauty and misfortunes, was laid down. She was not launched till 1756.

The following were her princ.i.p.al dimensions:--

Length of keel for tonnage 143 ft. 5-1/2 in.

Length of gun-deck 178 ft.

Extreme breadth 51 ft. 9-1/2 in.

Depth of hold 21 ft. 6 in.

Tonnage 2047 Number of guns 100 Crew 750 men.

Fig. 55 is an ill.u.s.tration of this s.h.i.+p. She rendered great services to the country under the orders of Admiral Lord Hawke, especially in the memorable defeat of the French Navy off the island of Belle-isle in 1759. She was lost at Spithead in 1782, when being inclined in order to have some repairs to her bottom executed. She capsized, and went under, 900 men, women, and children being drowned in her.

The _Royal George_ was followed by several others of various rates and improved dimensions, notably by the _Blenheim_ (90) and the _Princess Amelia_ (80). The latter was one of the most famous s.h.i.+ps of her day, and was constantly employed as long as she continued fit for service. In 1747 a French s.h.i.+p of seventy-four guns named the _Invincible_ was captured, and was found to be such an excellent vessel that her dimensions were adopted for the _Thunderer_, laid down about 1758. One of the most interesting models in the Museum is of the _Triumph_ (74), also built on the lines of the _Invincible_ in 1764. Her length of gun-decks was 171 ft. 3 in.; breadth, 49 ft. 9 in.; depth of hold, 21 ft. 3 in.

In the following year was built the _Victory_, 100 guns, famous as Nelson's flags.h.i.+p at Trafalgar, and still afloat in Portsmouth Harbour.

Her dimensions are: length of gun-deck, 186 ft.; breadth, 52 ft.; depth of hold, 21 ft. 6 in.; tonnage, 2,162.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 55.--The _Royal George_. 1746.]

The following table gives the dimensions of typical s.h.i.+ps of war constructed about the middle of the eighteenth century:--

---------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+-------- Number of

100

90

80

74

64

50 guns.