Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-02-12

Usually when ships are building a
bUar1 IS placed at the head of the slip
giving her name, displacement, princi-
pal dimensions, horsepower and speed.
III the case of the Dreadnought not an
item in the design is revealed, the
beard containing the simple sentence
'l1is Majestys ship Dreadnought,
commenced Oct. II, 1905"
When ready for sea the ship will dis
place 1880 tons. but this is the least
remarkable thing about her for be-
sides the ideas Introduced as result
OF the Far Eastern war. Britain is
placing on her new fighting machine
the heaviest armament ever carried by
a ship. In the past British vessels have
carried four 12-inch guns throwing $50
poul'd smells; the Dreadnought will
have 10 of these weapons of a new type
vitn q muzZle energy of 1865, as COM
pared with the 32.622 Of the guns car
rled III a, recent battleships as the Ma
jeStic'o class, an increase in power of
% Re" cent. In i great sea fight the
Dreadnought will be able to discharge
every minute 10 projectles weighing
$500 pounds with sufficient velocity to
send them % miles or TO penetrate
about 1G inches Of the hardest armor at
Il range of about two miles.
Unlike all British and foreign battle
ships built in the past so years the new
addition to the fleet will carry no weapon
smaller than the great Pinch piece ex-
. cept IS 3-inch quick-firers for repelling at
tacks by torpedo craft. She will mount
neither 92-inCh, 1.5-inch nor 6-inch guns
she viii be tie biggest wlrship afioit add
she will have only the biggest and most
powerful guns. The secrets which VIII
he incorporated in the huge hull are still
hidden. but i, is known that they tend
to economy as well as efficiency. The
Dreadnought will cost 10 per cent per ton
less than recent battleships British built
although she will repro sent the last word
in all details of her construction.
In another respect the Dreadnought
will be unique. she will be the first bat
tleship in the world to be driven by tur-
bincs. These engines will supply the pow
er for four prcpcllorS, two more than any
previously built British blttlcshirs, which
should make her the fastest ship Of her
class aflCat. Another advantage of the
turbines, as shown by the performances
of the Carmania. is that the gunners
will have a steadier deck from which 10
handle the guns.
The guns, armor, machinery. boilers
are ready to be placed in the Dread
nought so there should be no difficulty in
having her ready for sea in u months
when she will join the Atlantic fleet,
based on Gibraltar thus being placed
midway between the channel and Mediter-
ranean fleets. AS trouble threatens on
the one side or the other the ships of the
Atlantic fleet are moved. making them
of the greatest use in the time of war
no matter who the enemy might be.
Writing of this feet as it will i've when
the Dreadnought joins. naval expert
said: Nothing as devastating as this
concentrated destruction has ever been
conceived in the brain of man. 1t is i'm
ute's well-directed fire at an enemy
ships, and when one minute is followed
by others the effect would be too terrible
for words. presumng the gunners get the
range and fire as at target practice. To
this length has the contest for sea power
gone and this is not the end, for the time
is not far distant when the British ensign
possible to picture the result Of one min
will fly over fleets and squadrons OF
Dreadnoughts. vessels costing G1.'00,000
sterling CT mere, each with 10 or j. Finch
guns. which will engage an antagonist
when three or four miles distant, and
will pour in a succession of shells each
weighing 500 pounds. carrying wholesale
destruction in their wake