STORY OF THE DREADNOUGHT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 60, 12 March 1906, Page 4

STORY OF THE DREADNOUGHT.

A WELL-KEPT SECRET.

The Dreadnought, the world's greatest battleship, is a vessel of 18,500 tons, but her size is the least remarkable feature. In her design are embodied a number of revolutionary ideas, which have fretted the naval authorities of the world.

The details of the Dreadnought's construction still remain a secret, so well have the Admiralty guarded the plans. In the United States, in Germany, in Erance, and in every country in Europe (writes the naval correspondent of the " Daily Telegraph " of London) unavailing efforts have been made to ascertain the new principles incorporated in this ship, and in consequence of the panic occasioned by the uprising of this behemoth upon the slip at Portsmouth, all the schemes for strengthening the great foreign fleets have been nervously reviewed, and in many cases abandoned in favor of new ones. The Dreadnought is an embodiment of the lessons of the late war in the Far East. The Japanese permitted no other power to witness the great sea engagement except Great Britain. This country had attaches watching and noting all that took place, and their conclusions were submitted to a special committee, on which sat not only the most experienced naval officers, but the Director of Naval Construction, Lord Kelvin, and a number of leading private shipbuilders. The Dreadnought is the oiitcome of their deliberations—a ship, apparently, invincible, and capable at one discharge of her gims of throwing, with unparalleled force, twice as much metal as any foreign man-of-war now afloat, and three times as muGh as most, while her mail-coat of armor will render her immune against attack by an enemy's guns and torpedoes. Some particulars of the armament of this battleship can, however, be indicated. In the past British vessels have carried four 12-inch guns (8501b shell); the Dreadnought will have 10 of these weapons of a new type, with a muzzle energy of 49,568, as compared with the 33,622 of the guns carried in as recent battleships as the Majesties, an increase of powar jn each weapon of 50 per cont. In a great sea fight the magnificent ship will be able 'to^isiihAxgei eyery minute 10 projectiles, weighing B.qQo%s, with sufficient velocity to send 'them' atjout 25 miles, or t.o penetrate about 16 inches of the hardest' avmov at a, ra.nge of two miles. Unlike all British and foreign battleships built in the past 80 years, the newest addition to the fleet will carry no weapon smaller than the great 12-in piece, ©s^ejDllß 3-in. quickfii-ers for repelling attacks"by to^psdo craft. She will mount neither 9.2-incli., noi1 7,54n,; she will be the biggest ship afloat, and she will have only the biggest and most power-

ful g#ns.