M. Dupuy did not stand alone in the feeling that radical changes in the construction and propulsion of ships were imminent.  His colleagues in the “Genie Maritime” were impressed with the same idea:  and in England, about this date, the earliest screw liners—­the wonderful converted “block ships”—­were ordered.  This action on our part decided the French also to begin the conversion of their sailing line-of-battle ships into vessels with auxiliary steam power.  But M. Dupuy conceived and carried out the bolder scheme of designing a full-powered screw liner, and in 1847 the Napoleon was ordered.  Her success made the steam reconstruction of the fleets of the world a necessity.  She was launched in 1850, tried in 1852, and attained a speed of nearly 14 knots an hour.  During the Crimean War her performances attracted great attention, and the type she represented was largely increased in numbers.  She was about 240 ft. in length, 55 ft. in breadth, and of 5,000 tons displacement, with two gun decks.  In her design boldness and prudence were well combined.  The good qualities of the sailing line-of-battle ships which had been secured by the genius of Sane and his colleagues were maintained; while the new conditions involved in the introduction of steam power and large coal supply were thoroughly fulfilled.  The steam reconstruction had scarcely attained its full swing when the ironclad reconstructor became imperative.  Here again M. Dupuy occupied a distinguished position, and realized his scheme of 1845 with certain modifications.  His eminent services led to his appointment in 1857 to the highest office in the Constructive Corps—­Directeur du Materiel—­and his design for the earliest seagoing ironclad, La Gloire, was approved in the same year.  Once started, the French pressed on the construction of their ironclads with all haste, and in the autumn of 1863 they had at sea a squadron of five ironclads, not including in this list La Gloire.  It is unnecessary to trace further the progress of the race for maritime supremacy; but to the energy and great ability of M. Dupuy de Lome must be largely attributed the fact that France took, and for a long time kept, such a lead of us in ironclads.  In the design of La Gloire, as is well known, he again followed the principle of utilizing known forms and dimensions as far as was consistent with modern conditions, and the Napoleon was nearly reproduced in La Gloire so far as under-water shape was concerned, but with one gun deck instead of two, and with a completely protected battery.  So long as he retained office, M. Dupuy consistently adhered to this principle; but he at the same time showed himself ready to consider how best to meet the constantly growing demands for thicker armor, heavier guns, and higher speeds.  It is singular, however, especially when his early enthusiasm for iron ships is remembered, to find how small a proportion of the ships added to the French Navy during his occupancy of office were built of anything but wood.