The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-03-27 00:00:00

ROCKET•FLOATB.

The Rev. Mr. Ramus's invention of rocket-floats,
which the Admiralty have now for the second time
undertaken to consider, will lead to a complete revolu.
tion in naval warfare. It may, in somewhat the lame
language as that used by Sir William Congreve of his
own rockets, be described briefly as the goal of •
naval armament without ships. A rocket-float is
simply a float (carrying a charge of explosives lance
enouzh to destroy a nhip) with a rocket laid hori-
zontally upon it and securely attached to it. When
the rocket in fired its combustion supplies the propel.
ling force that drives the float over the water in the
direction required. The chief peculiarity of the in-
vention lies in the constniction (,f the float, the
bottom of which is formed of three or re connects.
ties inclined planes, which enable the float to pans
evenly over the surface of the sea at a rate of speed
hitherto considered impossible. The Admiralty
engineer has shown thas the unnont resintance which
the water can offer to vessels f this construction can
never, at any assignable rate of npenl, exceed one.
eighth of the entire weight of the vessel. And it has
been further ascertained, by immortal,' experiments
made with rockets on hoard H.M.S. Excellent soul
years ago, that the combustion of a rocket will nuhply
' a propulsive fon.s prodigiously greater than is uecess
nary for overcoming the resistance of the water to •
rocket float, so that there will always be an immense
surplus force available for the acceleration of the float
as long as the rocket burns. Au exact computation
has lately been submitted to the Admiralty by Mr.
Ramos, showing that a rocket-float ,sf 50 tons can be
driven over the water at • speed of VI miles an hour,
and can be propelled to a distance of nearly four
mike. And this can be done without taking into
account the fact that rockets can now be made much
more effective than those used by the Admiralty in
their experiments " some yearn ago." The rocket.
float is guided in any desired course by a fixed richer
of thin metal, so that it can be projected against •
ship or any other object ,in or near the sea with
perfect precision. The cost f a 50-ton rocket-float
will not exceed 1:1.21-X1, and that of a 10-ton float (the
most serviceable size) will be about 1..250; yet a few
,1 these inexpensive implements, well directed, would
in • few hours destroy a fleet (d iron-armoured ship*.
Sr, simple and effective in the invention that it seems
improbable that it will ever be made further use of
than to demonstrate its power. It may, in fact, be
the means of obliterating naval warfare altogether.
Considering the present critical state of affairs, the
Admiralty will do well to perfect the new projectile
without delay, for it has been too long talked about
not to be well known to foreign nations, and if it
shred.' be used against us in the first inntance, our
shore* might in one short day be left totally defence.
less. The plea that has enabled tbe Admiralty to
delay the realisation of the project was that rockets
would not give a sufficient propelling free; but this
assumption has lately been proved to be so utterly
groundless that the Admiralty have at length decided
to reconsider the question.
WATERE. QUININE WINK for Sixteen Years has been
universally admitted to be the best tonic known, and
• useful and agreeable accompaniment to Cod Liver
oil," We can bear personal testimm to its value
as a tonic."—Stendard.—Agents for Weymouth, I),
rtnizgoe and Son. Grocers; Shaftesbury, G. Knasine,
Wine and Spirit Merchant; Sheri-erne, Cann. Bros.,
Grocers, &c. Cheap-street ; Lyme Regis, W. H.
Beane, Family Grocer, Broadsstreet • Wholesale,
WATION and fios, Bute-heap, London ;and Lawn
and Co, Worcester.

HUNTING APPOINTMENTH.
Cattistoek Hounds—Wednesday, Doiberry•gate—at U.
Blackmoor Vale Hounda—Tueaday (this day), Holiest
Pound: Thursday, Green Men, Pulham—st
Mr. Radclytfe s Hounds—Thursday, Buekland Newton
Village—at 11.
Lord Portman's Hounds Thursday, Chaos Penn;
Monday, Eltublsampton—at 11.311

GIRTHS.
March 15, at Wimborne, the wife of Mr. George Lock,
hairdresser. Sec, of aeon
March.lo, at Longfleet, Poole, the wife of Mr, Pepsi'
King, at a daughter.
March 21, at Derbyetreet, Weymouth, the wife of Mr.
John!. Hawking, of a daughter.
March Zil, at Dumirateetreet, Dorchester, the wif• of
Mr. Maniere, L. é 14.W.11, of a daughter.
March 21, at 1, West-walks, Dorchester, the wife of
Mr. Joim Damen, of a daughter.

MARRIAGES.
March 15, at theosarish church, Martinstown, by the
G Roy. .L. YAwar John, sixth son of Mr. Charles.
Samuels, of Mehra to Harriett, youngest daughter of
Mr. Joseph Trevett. of ,Martinstown.
March 15, at Blandford Church, by the RR,', C. Fynes-
Clinton, Mr. John Foot, to Miss Elizabeth Meatyard, of
Child Okeford.
March 15, at the parish church, Canford, by the Rev. A.
J. W. Thornlike, Thomas James Meaby, of Canford. to
Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. James Price, of Castle Martin.
Pembroke, South Wales.
March 17, at !Banbridge church, by the Rey. Carr 3.
Glyn, Homy, youngest son of Mr. J. Gill, of Gran.
Wimisome, M Emma, youngest doeghter of Mr. G. Cull,
of Hinton Parra,
March 2D at Blandford Church, by the Rey. C. Fyne's-
Clinton, It George monies Stokes, of Poole, to laial
Emma Gib ,of Blindford.
DEATHS.
March ii, at Southampton. Tom_, eldest son of Mr James
Allen, and grandson of the late Dr. Allen, of Weymouth,
Moor rears captain of the Jamaica Volunteers.
March 15, at the Parade, Poole, Mrs. Williams, aged 63

years. • ,
March 111. at Blandford Rt. Mary. Er. }Award Blanchard'
aged 51 years. Denesscd was for more than 3O years Prin •
cited ban in Mr. Eyre's champion brass band, and waa
much respected.
March 17, at her residence, Fordington, Dorchester,
Ann, widow of the late Mr. T. L Arnold, aged AO.
March 17, at the Vicarage, Piddletrenthide, Dorchester,
Jane, eldest daughter of the late Mr. Carlyle Bell, Wit.,
Edinburgh.
March 19, at fiod=n, Elisabeth, wife of Mr. T.
lobineonellate of
at High-glaeset, POOL, Mr. John Gore,
aenyous.
111. at litaleelreet. Peels, the wife of Mr. Owiata
Wertheim. aged 71 ream