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Grey River Argus, 11 April 1912, Page 8

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. COSTLY ALTERATIONS.

■'.'•■■■ LONDON, Feb. 23. Tho announcement that alterations would have '.o be made in several of tile latest Dreadnoughts which would cost not less than j£25,000 per -vessel is rather startling, llie difficulty became apapferit when ' d'I.M.S. Lion wenx Out for her preliminary trials. So great was the heat ffoih' her furnaces that the compasses were affected, and metal fittings were twisted and melted. 'The engines of the Lion develop 70,000-horse power, and the turbines 011 her (rials dfovo her through rouijh water at the rate of 31-7 knots. This is about the first time, though, that the engines "have be"eh "' too ' much: for the structure of the vessel. Usually it is the" broadside ftro that causes the damage. The; foremost funnel is placed between the bridge from which the ship is navigated and. the tripod mast which bears the fire-control station.., "So terrific was the heat generated "during the full-power run," says a naval correspondent^ "that nearly every metal fitting on the bridge was twisted, and some close to tho tunnel actually began to run. The compasses were rendered useless, so much so that when the ship, returned to the neighbourhood of Plymouth it was deemed wise to keep her outside the sound, and wait for daylight before taking her in. , The 'fire-control platform abaft the funnel, though placed high up on the mast, was rendered untenable by the. flames, which poured from the tunnel, and rose to a height of 50ft,' above it." As a result . of these trials it has been decided, to remove the tripod mast arid replace it. by a pole mast similar to the main. The fire-control gear will be housed in the conning-tower, which is to be enlarged to accommodate it, and the fore funnel will be removed aft sufficienty far to exercise no influence upon the bridge and its equipment. It may be stated that the turbines alone of the Lion cost about half as much as a complete battleship used to cost 15 years ago.