, 1880-03-06

spee0 IL surpassed Dut II 1t shOuld not
mean nautical mills, there is some margin
for reaching the highest estimate in the
use OF mcxlmum engine power.
Such ia the wonderful battle-ship that
Italy exhibits to the worlds applause.
The effect CT the Du:Ho and ti.e Dandolo
sEeaming with hostile intent into some
harbour Oh our coast whose channels a-e
deep enough to allow their eatraace-say
Portland or Boston-mav be imagined.
They weuld be accompanied " creepers
and other appliances for cutting or explo-
ding defensive torpe1o-boats, ard lorpedoes
for offensive operations. Their eight 100
ton guns throw bolts, erch one OF which
weighs 1000 pounds (; they have thrown
pio9fshots weighing 7,5OO pounds. but for
practical purposes the lighter missile will
be found heavy enough. Their projectlIes
can be hurled . distance of nine miles so
shat tGese huge ships could establish them
selves out OF the range OF the heaviest gu0s
III the harbours spoken Of, and destroy the
cities beyond. But they need not be out
OF range, siuce no gun existing in this coun|
Try c0uld penetra(e their armour at orGl.
nary range. Not satisfied even with these
"twia thunder bolts of war;" Italy is
engaged on two monsters surprising the
Du1lio and Dandolo. The Italia, building
at CasteIlamare, aad the Lepanto, at Leg
horn, are sister ships, 400 feet long, "a
broad, 30 in draught aft, with o displece-
meut Of 10 $50 tons, and are to De driven
by engines of is, 900 horse power. A
speed of l6 knots is expected from them,
and, as dpublernrreted vessels, they will
carry four guns each while if there should
be any ca lore greater than the 100-ton in
IN existence al the time of the completion,
the heaviest will DE used by these stupen-
dous vessels. One Of their features will
be a great number OF water-tight compart-
meutS above the double bottom, as we'll as
forward. air. aud below 1t.
What is the moral tor us2 That we
must begin to build Dmlios and DandO!os
I.ahas and Lepantosi Not AT all. 1t YET
remains 10 be seen whether in her auda-
rious naval ambition, Italy has not gone
beyond the line of safety in use in con
Struc lGg these monsters. 1t has yet to be
seen what the effect will be OF using these
pr0digiOus guns both on the DVilio herself
aud on her crew but above ali, the cost
OF building aud rqnlpplng sucn a vessel.
ard then OF maintaining 1t, is out OF the
question tor our country. Exclusive OF
armament and outfit, the Duilio Gust n little
more than three million dollars. Fully
equipped, as she is to-day, she has cost four
millions. Her consumption of coal Is
enormous-her hunkers are fitted to carry
1,2S0 louisville every gun fired costs
5000 for the powder and the projectiIe.
Will the money expended on one DuiliO,
u fleet of fast. light-lrmured, heaviIy-armed
cruisers, less costly TO maintain and far
more useful. could be built. Should we
go to the Italian dock-yards for hints, we
should iud them rather in the swift cor
vettes Italy is providing, designed to give
extraordinary speed, and abandoning the
hopeless strain at impreguability. In
these, and in her tremendous ordinance,
useful for harbour defence, and in her
attention to torpedo vessels, we might
better discover examples to follow, or
rather results to surpass.-N. Y. Times.
1st FEB.