EXPERIMENT THAT FAILED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 41, 12 November 1907, Page 3

EXPERIMENT THAT FAILED.

—_— Olio of the most remarkable experiments carried .out by the Dreadnought was the simultaneous discharge' of a full broadside of eight 12-inch guns, without, it is said, even a window being broken. The Italian Government lias recently endeavoured to repeat this performance—with deavoured to repeat this performance— with the result that the ship was ruined absolutely. The experiment was made to determine whether tne three battleships of the Francesco Morosini type were worth keeping 011 the aetivo list as coast • defence ships, or whether tliey should ;be removed altogether from the fighting line. The simultaneous discharge of the whole bioadsido, consisting of four great 17-mch 105-ton gnus, was the test approved. Each gun was chargcd with TSOlbs. of powder, and at a given signal the whole 31201b5. was simultaneously fired by electricity. The effect was tremendous. The Morosini's decks were buekleu from bow to stem, bolts and rivets were started in every part of the ship, and the propelling engines were broken and shattered, it is marvellous that there was 110 loss of life. ' It has been decided to remove from tile navy the Morosini and her sister ships, the Andrea Doria and the Raggicro do Lauria, which were built between iBB4 and 1889 at an average cost of £7811,000 apiece.

• Possibly this Aristotelian story was reinvented by Thackeray when he stood for Parliament .at Oxford against Cardwell. As the two candidates stood upon the hustings a dead rabbit struck Thackeray in the faco. "I beg your pardon," shouted the thrower, "I meant it,for the other man." Thackeray then made his single oratorical success. "I wish you had meant it for me and hit Mr. Cardwell."