New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-12
THE NEWEST BATTLESHIP.

The war vessel which has Just been launched
at a British dockyard might we'll be named the
| Marvel instead of the Dreadnought. She is In
/ many ways an advance on any other battle
/ ship. She is being built for the nation which
has done more than any other to develop the
art Of fighting at sea. She was designed to
embody the lessons taught by the latest naval
conflict the world has witnessed. And for the
study of these matters representatives Of her
owner had unequalled facilities, for to Great
Britain alone was conceded the privilege of
putting trained observers on Togos ships.
The chief military principle which the war
between Japan and Russia emphasized was that
the best fighting is TO be done at long range.
Properly to embody that idea, the men who
planned the Dreadnought have given her ten
12-inch guns and discarded everything smaller
for her primary battery. What an innovation
this is will be appreciated better when it is
remembered that battleships of the Lord Mel
son and King Edward VII classes-the imme-
date predecessors Of the Dreadnought in the
British navy-mOunt only four guns of that
calibre, and supplement them with ten 9.2-inch
rifles 4 necessary incident to this first change
is an increase in size of the ships in order to
afford thoroughly stable platform from which
TO do execution with so much heavy ordnance
The King Edward VII displaces 1880 TONS
the Lord Nelson 1880 and the Dreadnought
$4,000
At present the United States has under con-
struction and nearly ready for commission six
battleshps displacing 10000 tons each. Ad-
miral Dewey and some of his associates have
wanted to alter the design of the Michigan and
the South Carolina (Which have been author
lied but not put under contract that they
should closely resemble the DreadnOught in
size and armament. For an increase in dis
placement the sanction of their superiOrs could
not be secured, but it has been announced
within few days that their wish to employ
big guns only for the primary battery has been
granted. The tonnage of these vessels is not
adequate 10 the support and use of as many
12-inch guns the batteship launched on Sat
urday will carry, but they are expected to
mount at least eight Japan is already COM
mitted 10 the practice which the Dreadnought
represents Though she wisely withholds de-
tails of her plan, 1t is known that two battle
ships have been projected for her navy which
viii displace at least $4,000 tons.
Having become convinced that quickness in
manGuyring IS another requisite for which
proper provision has not hitherto been made
the British Admiralty has determined to effect
a marked increase in the speed of battleships
From the Lord Nelson and other ships of her
class only eighteen knots expected On her
| official trial the King Edward VII developed n
| small fraction over nineteen knots 1t is be-
neVed mat the Dreadnought will be able to
make twenty-one knots the employment of
steam turbines giving some assurance that this
| result Will be attained. At present the only
| British war vessels In actual service which
| are provided with engines of that type are
destroyers and one small cruiser the Amethyst
Or course, until a test is made 1t cannot
| be known whether the hopes which are enter
| tanned regarding the new ship will be realized,
| but 1t is significant that her designers intend
| that she shall be able TO demolish a foe at
| a distance Of from three TO six miles and also
be able 10 walk around the enemy in order to
perform the feat.
| Not the least wonderful thing about the
Dreadnought is the unprecedented rapidlty with
which work on her has been pushed She was
| launched in four months from the laying of
her keel In this country, if not in Europe,
| iauhchlng usually marks the middle stage in
battleship's history. Such will probably not
be the case with this latest product OF naval
| architecture A year more may possibly be re-
| CURED TO finish her. Even so. the achievement