Morris tribune., 1901-06-01
ENGLAND's FIRST SHIP.

/ l----S- . 49, {
Great Harry Was the oOuntry's Pre-
/ mier Fighting Machine.
OF the first ship, properly speaking,
Of the British navy, known as the
Great Harry, the following particu'
lars are given in an old number Of the
Mechanics Magazine, dated Oct. 81
1923:
The Great Harry was built by King
Henry VII at cost Of fl4,000, and
was burned at WoolWich, through acct.
dent, in 1853. ~
Though King Henry, as well as
other princes, hired many ships, ex-
elusive Of those which the different
seaports were obliged to furnish, he
seems thus to have been the first king
who thought Of avoiding this incon-
venience by raising such force as
might be at all times sufficient for the
service Of the state. Historians tell-us
that he caused his navy, which had
been neglected in the preceding reign.
to be put in a condition to protect the
British coasts against all foreign inva-
sions, and that In the midst Of pro
found peace he always kept up a feet
ready to act. r.
In August, 1912, the Regent, ship
of 1000 tons, which was at that time
the largest vessel in the British navy.
was burned, and to replace it the
Great Harry. or, as it was also known,
the Henry Grace de Dieu, was built in
1915. +.
The vessel, of about 1000 tons bur
den, was manned By $40 soldiers, 301
marines and 80 gunners. She had four
masts and portfolios ON both decks and
in other parts. II
Before the time OF her construction
the cannon were placed above deck
and on the prov and poop. One De.
charges q French builder at Brests is
said to have invented portfolios.
In a list Of the British navy, as It
stood on Jan. s, 1913, the Great Harry
is said to have carried 10 brass and 103
iron pieces OF ordnance
The name Of the ship is supposed to
have been changed in the reign Of Ed
ward VI to Edward, which, on Aug.
26, 1852, was reported to be still .'in.
good case to serve" and was ordered:
ito be grounded and calked once. q
year to Keep it tight. Casters Maya
zine.
GFasping 1t . s1nbean. f.
It's common enough thing for chill.
dren to try to pick up sunbeams, but
the aarnasfnnaa with which this at
tempt was made by q small boy in an
elevated car attracted the attention Of
the other passengers.
He was very small boy, not more
than 21s years old and still In dresses.
The seats in the car were all taken,
and the small boy stood up with his
mother.
There came into the car over one of
the blinds slender sunbeam, which
fell diagonally downward across the
little fellows dress, and when his eye
fell upon this he reached down and
carefully closed his hand over 1t and
then raised his hand to his face and
opened his fingers, But there wasn't
any sunbeam there.
The passengers who saw this were
as much interested in It all, in their
way, as the small boy was in his, and
presently they saw him try it again
Looking down, he saw the sunbeam
still there, just where It had been be-
fore when he had tried to grasp it, and
he made that effort again.
Reaching down, he closed his fingers
around it once more, and once more he |
raised his hand and opened itand look
ed inside for the sunbeam, once more
to find-nothing there.
Then taller buildings cut off the ray,
and the small boys mind was diverted |
into some other channel.-New York
Sun.
f .. :. " s.