The Agamemnon.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 18, 16 October 1907, Page 4

The Agamemnon.

f SPEED TRIALS.

Great satisfaction is '-β-xperieiiceil' at- th* Admiralty with the' results of tho 1 full-power trial' of the British' battleship Agamemnon; The vessel, which'has been built at'the Naval Construction i Works at Dalmuir," of Messrs: William Beardmore' : and Co. : (Limited)/' was designed to attain' a speed of 18 knots' when' the engines were, indicating 16,750 hip., and when the vessel was : loaded Ho a' draught of 27ft.' and;- displacing 16,500 tons.; 1 ' On ' tlie mesurod'milo; at Skelmorlie; 'loaded to'this draught," the vessel "made four runs—two in each , direction —and the mean of mean speed was 18.752 knots—three-quarters of'a'mjle per hour in- excess of the rate'anticipated, tho power of the propelling machinery being' about 500' in -, excess of that ■ "aimed''at. Throughout the eight- hours' trial at full power ..the ship v did correspondingly well, and special-note was, made of; her'steadiness and 1 absence of vibration. 'Tho average number of rovojutions per minute of the engines 'Was 130,: and the mean power for' the eight-hours 17,285 indicated h.p. '- Tho mean' vacuum was 26in. The speed for '6e'eight hbufs averaged ' 18.8' knots:- She -is'" about equal to the vessels of the King Edward -VII: class,' and:the Agamemnon will ■ thoref ore be-able to keep station, w.itlr them in; any lino or nianoouvro—a fact which is specially'gratifying in viewlofiwr superiority ingun power. '■• The , King Edwards have four'l2in.v four 9.2 in., and ton '■ 6in. quick-firing guns • wliije the Agamemnonhasfour 12in. and ten 9.2 in: guns; so that in a-three-mile range engage-" mont she can bring- to bear'a much'greatof gun power.. To achieve this and ; seeurt other advantages certain' concessions had "'to ■ rbe made; Although tho displacement 'was 150 tons, greater than in' tho King Edwardsj' the •horse-power allowed for in arranging woighte was 1500 h.p. less. A" reduction'-'! in ' speed was expected, but the difference-in tho-ac-tual results as compared the-avorUge speed of tho King Edwards is-negligible',' so that the Agamemnon' andvher consort the Lord Nelson will not in fleet actions prote a hindrance to tho eight Kinc;. Edwards how in the Channel -Squadron, This speed question is a point lost sight'bf in estimating tho fighting power of ships,'- , and especially whon the Agamemnon and her consort are classed as Dreadnoughts; AThe 'letter are of 21 knots, speed, and, to add two of 18!}. knots t° a , squadron! composofl^otherwise of. 21, knots would reduce the 'wnolo,'to;lSl knot?, 'since the weakest link, .fix?? the standard'strpngth: -of tho chainf It [ is probable; that the' two', now ships. \\ ilj. coj into tlio. Homo Fleet, , to be with tho P'ro,idnbught and tho'oldof. ships, thoro,' as'.tho 'full speed, ; bj''reason of.' tho (jitter.'' is 16 knots., 'When, hpwpyor. there .iro. 'nibro :' Drcad- : noughts available,' th'oy will bccom\s a : squadron by theniselves.