CAPTAIN BEAUMONTsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, whom he was glad to see in his place again, Whether he has placed himself in communication with the War Office with reference to the experiments on Armour Plates carried on by that Department; and, if so, whether he has found that the results obtained by the War Office experiments justify the system adopted by the Admiralty of protecting the sides of Ships with single Plates of great thickness?
§ MR. CHILDERSIn reply, Sir, to my hon. and gallant Friend, I have to say that, after the discussion which he raised in the House during the passing of the Naval Estimates, we communicated with the War Office; and the result is, that in all probability we shall undertake certain experiments as to the comparative advantages of one plate of double thickness and two plates of single thickness, with reference to the 12-inch plates of the Devastation and Fury. The experiments under the War Office are not, in our judgment, conclusive, as iron concrete was interposed between the two plates intended for shields, and that concrete could not be employed on a ship's side.