Built as a battleship at the Arsenal Brest for the French Navy.
22 June 1859 keel laid down.
22 June 1861 launched as the MAGENTA, named after the Battle of Magenta in 1859.
Displacement 6,596 standard, 6,985 full load. Dim. 91.96 x 17.34 x 8.44m. (draught).
Powered by four vertical compound steam engines, 11,000 ihp, twin screws, speed 12 knots.
Range 3 months, bunker capacity 700 tons coal.
Ship rigged, sail area 1,709 square metres. (her rigging was later modified to a 3-masted barque.)
Armament: 10 – 240mm guns, 4 – 190mm guns.
Crew 681.
22 May 1862 commissioned.
After completed joined the French Mediterranean fleet based in Toulon.
1875 She returned from a cruise in the Mediterranean in which she had taken on board in La Goulette, Tunisia artefacts found during excavations at the site of Carthage.
31 October 1875 while berthed in the harbour of Toulon a fire started on board, the blaze reached the powder magazine, and it was soon found out that the blaze could not be extinguished.
The crew abandoned the vessel which shortly thereafter exploded, where after she sank in 15 feet of water.
When she sank she had still on board the antiques artefacts excavated in Carthage.
Some artefacts were recovered by divers, where after the wreck was dynamited she was a hazard to the safe entrance of the port.
The wreck was rediscovered in 1994, and various archaeological artefacts recovered.
Guinea 1997 500f sg1745, scott1401.
Source: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magenta_(cuirass%C3%A9) Conway All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860-1905.
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