ENGLAND IS STRANGEST WARSHIP.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7396, 24 February 1902, Page 4

ENGLAND IS STRANGEST WARSHIP.

HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP EXCELLENT. The most novel warship in existence appears on the Admiralty list. It is known as H.M.S. Excellent ; but H.M.S Excellent never weighs anchor, never gets up steam with Belleville or any other boilers, and has never left England's shores in search of any enemy. The ship as a ship, in fact, does not exist. H.M.S. Excellent is an Admiralty fiction. The nam9 has been bestowed upon what was thirty years ago a mere mudbtink off Portsmouth, but which now, owing to the exertions of the " handy mau," is the most perfectly equipped gunnery establishment in the world. On H.M.S. Excellent—or Whale Island, as it is sometimes called — the armour plates for British warships arc tested. Special proof butts have been built for this purpose. For its supply of armour plates the Admiralty relies entirely upon the enterprise of private firms. Very few of these are wealthy enough to put down the costly plant necessary for producing armour plates, and stand the expense of the not less costly experimental work that has to be constantly undertaken if the manufacturer would keep abreast of hisritals. Great is the competition among the few big firms who do produce armour, and the result is that the Admiralty are constantly btiog asked to try some make of plate that is designed to offer more resistance to projectiles than the older patterns did. In other words, the Admiralty lets the private firms vlo the experimenting, and selects the best from the material offered to it. When a firm have produced something they deem an advance npon the product of their rivals, they send it on board H.M.S. Excellent, and ask the Admiralty to subject tho plate to the official test. The armour is built up in proof-cells against a strong backing of oak to keep it rigid, and when everything is ready a day is fixed for the experiment. This is conducted by a party of gunners under the direction of the Captain of H.M.S. Excellent. Admiralty officials watch the procedingp, and the firm whose goods are on trial are permitted to send representatives, though the latter are little more than spectators. Five projectiles are fired at the plate ; one at each corner and one in tho centre. For testing 4in plates a 4.7 gun is used, for 6in plates a Gin gun, for 9in plates a 9.2 in gun, and for foot thick plates a 12in gun. The firing takes place at short range, with charges carefullycalculated to give a high striking velocity to the armour-piercing projectile that is loaded into the gun.

When the gun is laid (i c., aimed) j everybody goes into a bomb-proof j shelter, and the weapon is fired by ', electricity. A3 s n on as danger is over, the party emerge from their shelter. The plate is carefully examined, j photographed, and the depth of : the indentation — if any — measured. Time after time is this repeated, if the plats shows puffioiont resisting power, until the trial is completed. Sometimes the projectile punches a hole through the plate, or cracks it in all directions, as though it had been a bib of glass instead of a big mass of rolled steel. Then an unfavourable verdict is given, aud the unfortunate manufacturer finds that research and experiments that have, perhaps, cott him hundreds of pounds will bring no return. When any new invention is brought to the notice of the Admiralty, and ia accepted by that august body, the inventor is required to disclose every detail of manufacture. It is, ia fact, one of tb.9 strictest rules that the process from beginning to end Bhall be plainly stated, so that a s'rict watch may be kept by the properly appointed offi3 als. In this way, and in this way only, can j the standard of quality be assured.