MODERN WARSHIPS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5654, 27 August 1896, Page 2

MODERN WARSHIPS.

The accompanying illustrations of modern warships — the first of a series — represent two of the most formidable and costly engines of war that the inventive genius of these later days has conceived. The Majestic bears the Union Jack of old England, while the Brennus is a representative of Republican France. In the following sketch it is intended to briefly explain the leading features of the two ships, steering as clear of technicalities as possible. Pride of place must, by common consent, be given to ■ H.M.S. MAJESTIC. This battleship is one of a class of nine, her sisters being the Magnificent, Hannibal, Prince George, Jupiter, Victorious, Mars, Illustrious and Caesar. They owe their origin to the ship-building programme of Earl Spencer's administration, and are not only the largest battleships afloat, but are regarded by naval authorities to be unrivalled for defensive qualities. Many able authorities on the great question of the relative strength of navies hold to the belief that the seagoing and fighting efficiency of a Navy must be judged from the number of battle-ships which it possesses. Judged by such a standard, England has certainly no cause for alarm, for at the present time " we " possess forty-seven battle-ships of all classes, as against thirty-five of the combined Navies' of Franco and Russia. However, if the programme now in course of completion by England is not enlarged this satisfactory proportion will not exist at the end of 1898, for by that time we shall have completed only eight additional battle-ships as against thirteen by France and Bussia. Hence there is an agitation on foot in England foi more battle-ships, and this agitation may confidently bo left to work out its own destiny, for the British taxpayer is quite prepared to maintain the nations "first line of defence" at any cost. Mention of cost recalls the fact that for the year 1895-6, England's insurance premium against attack by sea runs to nearly nineteen millions sterling. No further enquiry need be made as to the expenditure of this huge sum when it is stated that the Majestic and her eight sisters cost the nation .within an ace of a million pounds each. And now let us proceed with the description of the Majestic. She is a battleship of 7300 tons, of the first-class, and known as a " barbette " ship. She was laid down at Portsmouth on Feb. 4, 1894, and floated out of dock on Jan. 31, 1895,

this rate of construction being absolutely unprecedented. The length of the Majestic between perpendiculars is only 390 ft, but including the massive raia bow, which projects to a distance of 15ft, and the hang over of the stern, the total length over all is about 430 ft. The beam is • 75ft, and the displacement, or actual weight of hull, (runs and all fittings is 14,900 tons. She has a very imposing appearance afloat, and the rise of the forecastle, which gives an extreme freeboard of about 23ft, also adds to the sea-going appearance of the craft, as was most apparent during herthirty hours' run. Inthematter of propelling machinery, the engines are of the ordinary inverted three-stage compound condensing type, the cylinders being 40in, 59in and 88in in diameter, with a stroke of 51in. The twin propellers are of gun metal,- 17ft in diameter and 19ft 9in pitch. Steam is supplied from eight large boilers with a working pressure of 1501 bto the square inch. On an eight-hour steam trial the Majestic, with a mean draught of 25ft, logged 16-9 knots per hour. The mean revolutions was 100 f 5, and the total indicated horse-power 10,418. The coal: consumption averaged TB4lb per indicated horse-power, 1351 bof steam and 85 revolutions. , . The armour oE these new battleships consists throughout of Harveyed steol, wh : «h has a resisting power about 50 per cent greater than ordinary compound armour. The armour on the sides is 220 ft long, 16ft in depth, and consists of 9in of Harveyed steel. Armoured bulkheads at each end of the belt are inclined forward and* aft respectively, at a sharp angle to meet the pearshaped barbettes, and form with these an armoured citadel, rather more than 300 ft from apex to apex. This gives a very great area of side protection, and the vessel may be said to be side-armoured in contradistinction to the term belted. The armoured deck has also been provided for in a far more efficient manner than has ever before been attempted. Coming now to the all-important subsect of armament, it is found that here, again, the new battle ships leave nothing to be desired. The armament of the Majestic consists of 4 12in 50-ton, 12 6in quick firing, 16 12-pounder (3in) quick firing, and 12 3-

pounder quick firing guns. The four 12in guns, which may bo said to constitute the primary armament, are the very latest designs in ordnance. They are constricted of wire, which is laid on in successive liyers with the desired tension, involving the employment of 102 miles of wire. They have been fired at a l-ate o£ three l-ouads in four minutes, and it is worthy of remark that so great has been tho progress made in the manufacture of ordnance during the last few years, that their perforation is slightly in excess of that of the IK.iJ-ton gun which was mounted on somi- of England's battleships a few years ago. In naval matters, as in others, ideas are constantly changing, and the authorities are now rapidly reducing the calibre of guns mounted on ships of war. Whereas a few years ago the size gvnvr until the massive weapon of HOj-ton (similar to those mounted, on the ill-fated Victoria) which could not be loaded by hand, and could be fired only very slowly, to-day the calibre of the weapon is little more than half, and it can be loaded by manual power if necessary. Tho Majestic is capable of producing an energy of fire of no loss than 393,920 ft tons per minute. 101,820 ft tons by the primary armaments, and 292,100ffc tons by the quick firing or secondary armaments. The 12-in guns, one 27-Jft long, carry a charge of powder of 2591 b, tho projectile being 12in in diameter and weighing 7141 b, which is capable of r perforating 19in of wrought iron at a range of 2000 yds. In addition to this formidable list sho is provided with five torpedo boats, four of which are submerged. Space forbids a more detailed account of this hnge floating battery, but from the particulars given and the picture before them readers should be able to gather something of England's latest battleship.

indeed, all. the navies of any consequence have at times been troubled with similar occurrences, and, as might be expected from the large number of ships turned out, England has had her full quota of "failures" at first attempts. The ship is 361 ft long between the perpendiculars, and 67ft beam, with a mean draught of 26ft 3in, and a displacement of 10,983 tons. The hull is built entirely of chrome steel, except the stem and stern posts, which are of iron forgings. She is built on exceedingly fine lines, like those of the fastest steamers. She is divided into eight double transverse watertight bulkheads and five single on*a, besides a large number cf partial transverse bulkheads. She was built originally with two military masts, but subsequently one of these was removed. This military "mast" is 6ft in diameter, and has an internal steel tube concentric with the outer one, about 2ft in diameter, which extends to the upper top, and is used for passing up the ammunition to the guns in the tops. Between the outer and inner tubes ladders are fitted for giving access to the tops from the deck. The mast is surrounded by a conning-tower, which is protected by armour 4f in thick. There is an armour-belt- fitted from one extremity of the ship to the other, which, with the wood backing, forms a projection of about 2£ft beyond the other portion of the topsides. The deck is plated with 4in steel plates. The armour-belt is in two streaks, the upper of which extends about 2ft above the load water-line, and is lofin thick at the upper edge and 13$ in at the lower edge. The lower streak tapers from 13fin to lOin at the lower edge. Behind the armour there is a teak backing about 20in in thickness. There are two cofferdams filled with light water-excluding material. The armour deck is 4fin in thickness. A central fort supports four turrets and encloses the two funnel casings. The principal armament consists of three 34cm. (13£ in) 58-ton breech loading rifled guns. Two cf these are placed in the foremost turret, and the other in the after turret. They are worked by hydraulic power. Those forward are protected by. I7ifin armour, and -.that aft _ by lofin. The projectiles for these guns weigh 10001 b, and their initial velocity is 2624 ft