The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-07-09 00:00:00

ARRIVAL OF ROYAL PRINCE&

A rumour that U.S. H the Duke of Connaught, if not
H.R H. the Prince of Wales, were about to visit Wey-
mouth, got abroad on Sunday, and In the evening a few
of those who tnought they were in the secret gathered
near the Railway station, where Sept. Vickery had •
small force of police. By the half-put seven train arrived
• party of eight gentlemen, who drove off ta the Burton
Hotel, acknowledging the greetings of those mumbled.
They were Prince Frederic Charles of Prussia, Prince
Edward of Sacks' Weimer, Count Kunitg, Colonel
McNeill, Major Von Brosighe, Major Von Viediughoff,
Capt. Von Lindesuisf, and Lieut. Von Wangenheim.
In the morning the Roial party took advantsge of the
splendid bathing offered by Weymouth, and shortly After
breakfast drove down to the Pile-pier, and embarked for
the Fleet lying in Portland Harbour. On her arrival. the
Lively steamed through the several lines of the Fleet,
giving the Princes • splendid sight, for aa the despatch
vessel came opposite each ship, she for,
with her
heavy guns, and the broedside ships hoisted and unfurled
Moir sail,, thus presenting a moot beautiful picture. That
splendid and remarkably smart reseal, the Thunderer, the
leder and the mot powerful of the seven turret-ships,
threw down her bulwarks, which are only chains and
rails, cleared her great davita, hoisted her English ruitrau•
Ileums, the Gattling guns, into the tops, mustered her
marines on her hurricane deck, and was ready for action.
She steamed outside the Breakwater, and when she had
got about three miles away from the Shambles lightship,
so SI to have • good clear range, she dropped a target,
composed of three cub& kg, steamed past the target at
8 knots an hour, thee by mauls of electricity fired, by
prusing a knob high up in the pilot tower, • simultaneous
broadside, and all the shits fell within 10 yards of the
target if this had been a ship she would have been
struck, probable by the whole, and, u these are 700 lb.
Auto fired by 110 lb. of powder each, she must have been
an unusually strong one if she had not been sent to the
bottom. The Mateo*, was from 1,00110 1,310 yard.. Next
the Thunderer steamed round the target, and made very
good practice at firing the guns independently. During
tic time the Hauling guns were firing from the tope, and
the small arm men from the hurricane deck. They fired
three rounds • gun, so that • very good Idea was given of
the Thunders, in action, and she was acknowledged to be
a most powerful ship. That she is also very handy will
appear hereafter: but before this was tested, they dis-
charged • Whitehead or fish torpedo, at a distance of 300
to 100 yards, at a boat going four knots an hours the
Tbunderer herself attuned six knots at the time in the
opposite she o that bad toalcalculeemed so ifuor a speed
of 10
as to plus within Bft of the beat's stern, anil
as coming within illft either way is considered
• good shot, the Thunderen registered a first-rate
hit. In fact the torpedo is fired so as not exactly
to hit and destroy the tercet boat, and ths is not the
slightest hesitation in saying that an enemy's ship would
have been sent to the bottom. The Royal Princes were
next shown Nome experiments in turning the Thunderer,
very well exhibiting the heel the ship makes in coming
round. She turns in 330 yards or about • yard for a foot,
and accomplished it in fore minutes. The ship then
dimmed at full speed, came quickly to anchor, and
expluied a hundred pound spar torpedo, about live feet
belew the surface of the water, which sent up a column of
water about two hundred feet high. It was discharged at
a distance of obout 18 feet from the ship, and the shock
was felt on board to be most violent, In fact the chief
engineer sent • mosso that there was • danger of
starting soros of the rivets on board if any more were Arad
so sioss... . . .

—Meantime the Commodore had been despatched by
Comas Co., limited, to give the public another °ppm,
Madly of nisi the experimestm They had a very large
pule on being crowded from stem to stern, and so
densely p7clM were they that cautious Captain Aylee
felt unable to allow any one on the bridge ; however this
WOO of little consequence to the passengers, as the genial
°Mows of Use Tbunderer very kindly allowed the visitors
to come on board that splendid ship, and gave them every
facility for impacting this, one of the most effective, and
certainly one of the •most exquisitely clean and orderly of
England's iron ealls
The Barmen Princes bad by this time gone on board the
Admirer. ship, the great Hercules. and were attended he
°apt. Wilson, Thunderer, in his full dress aa aid, di asap
to the Queen, the gallant captain beering • splendid show
of decorations on his briaat The Duke of Marlborough,
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, was also there, Admiral Sir
Astley Cooper Key iCommandingl, Admiral Eliot, and
other distinguished officers and gentleman.
The Princes were then entertained with ordinary torpedo
practice, each ship having • Munch fitted for firing the 100
pound spar torpedoes. About half-is-down of these
Winches, with the Bess+ and %stud gunboats, which
are specially fitted for torpedo work, carnal each one on
the end of • spar about 301 t. long, armed with a strong iron
her at the end. Them are souk 10 feet below the water,
sad ea are fired about 50 or tiO feet from the bows of the
launches- They sent into the air columns of water varying
from 30 to Sift. in height, some almost perpendicular like
fomitairs, others rising in &grant mem, and then opening
outwards, and sending jets in all directions 20 or 30 feet
laterelly.
The whole at the experimcnts were very successful ;
and about • quarter past three the Princes left in the
the ehlici minting again. The ordinery turret,
ships, which used to look so ghostly and unsubstantial,
appear to hare nearly been painted Wick over their
armour, which riVel them a solid and more formidabls
appearance, at the same time bringing up the vessel's lines
and her fittings, so that each appears more interesting
than Wore, and this most have helped the Princes to be
impressed at first sight with an idea of the immense
power in nererve in the splendid double Fleet.
The Commodore's party did not yet leave the Thunderer,
but their welcome was most kindly continued. While
remaining ..had an opportunity of seeing bow smartly
they cen heist out • boat : the great boom erne swayed and
lifted by steam, the Mrs out their hands belt with a will,
and dotal, along the tackle with wonderful agility, and in
• wonderfully short time the port boat was in the water.
During this operation the fine band of the ship played
Boasts Dundee. So such interest is displayed in this
magnificent ship, and Do accommodating and kind are the
°doers to the genera Public, that those of our readers who
may not Winsomes tea Navy List will thank us for giving
the aseiii or the gentlemen to whom all were Kr mach
indebted. They include :--Captain Wilson, Commander
&whites Holland, FLU-Lieutenant Gibeon, to whom the
thanks of the Preis are specially due, Second• Lieutenant
Minter, Third- Lieutenant Stuart, Pourth-Lieutesc
ant Miuwideis ; Staff.Coninsuider Jackson, Fleet-Surgeonranagen, Paymaster William; Chief Engineer Nott.
Lieutenant of Marines. Shakespeare. Sub-Lieutenant
Press, Surgeon 0-ircoren, Amistriax Perm/war hk
Mr. Meredith, Mr. Styr,, Mr. Kite, Ac.
Al ter • most instructive visits, returned to Weymou,
sad fogad that the Princess had left the to about f
...sack, being cocirteaUlly attended at the Rallereyetat::
by the Mayor of Wevaiouth (Mr. Lundiel and a number
01 the principal inhabitant., including Mr. J. Landis (the
Meyers eon), Mr. J. G. Rowe, Mr. Collett and Mr.
Taigett (the Great and Soeth-Western statiomeseetere).
As the Mein moved it fired, by mews of fog
delsnetora. • royal salute, and moved out of the station
amid loud cheers.
The Bridgwater Heroin :—" Our reporter, and the
gs companions with whom he had started from Bridg-
water in the morning, haring lost boarded and invaded
the turret-ship Gorgon, carrying four 18-ton guns, and
Kayla, a crew of 151 heads. bait proceeded to the yacht
Fenny which they had chartered for the day, to the
Thuuderee, aid 10 1* the largest arid mod us ear.
risee They were received on nosed in the most
kindly Manner by Mr. Stroud( formerly a irides.. ofßridgwater, where he is knoen, and who has for
es. time occupici the high and hocourable position of
master itt-arme. Recognbing and cordially greed., some
of his old acquaintances, he at once began to escort them
over the ship, and exclaimed in detail the manner in
which her termite and guns and gmmoilil machinery are set
In motion. It will afford the reader • little insight with
sigard to the dissensions, de. of the Thunderer when it
I. crated that .be is about 9,000 tons in weight, her length
is 300 feet, and below the waterinerk, which is indicated
by • red line on tb inside, she in 27 feet in depth. Her
crew ease Ste of 300 men, and she carries four gunk two
of 35 tons each in on. turret, and two others, in the
grwed tweet of 35 tons, the former being worked and
own Inds,/ soidroli.by gooohloorT. sad Wo two Mt4r
=" hood An lbw as • stokes ono ea-
, amplopod as herd. Oho "low." ar immobir

swims, foe die introduction of freak air Ws the MOW I
different compartments below barbell to he Italie wh''
tinually at work day and night The use with which the
machinery for loading. diaep.estog and shirting the '
position of the monster gun. can be worked is smell
astonishing to the uninitiated, to whom it seems that the
utmost perfection has been attained. For the carrYilte of
Palliser and other kinds of shot and shell wood in action
lines of iron rails, known on board as the railway, ore laid
down upon the lower decks, which are lighted by means
of 775 lamp., the latter being always kept burning. The
guns sod projectiles before referred to are not the only
weapons for defence, for in soine parts of Lb. ship WO" to
le aeon storm of Itartinilleary Mies, sad •OPPliee of
Adams' six-chambered revolvers, and cutlaeleA the letter
intended for 001 when boarding and for hand-to-hand
encounters. All the doors sad ketches, fte., are mad.
water-tight by means of India rubber faateninge at the
sides. Amongst numerous other objects of interest to
which the attention of the "-mimes oo b isird wee directed
may be Isentioned the fah-torpedo, 14 het In length. and
produced, it wee stated, at a Out of Cdoo ; the part of the
ship where the disastrous exploaioo took place off Porta-
mouth, reoulting in the loss of 46 livee, wee el.° shown."