New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-25
TURBINE BATTLESHIP.
On Experimental Var Vessel That
Man Be Revolutionary.


age near Cape 81. Vincent but not impropaoiy
s a safeguard against German aggression IL
he Morocco Conference happens 20 end Win
sitical situation 1t is the most powerful naval
demonstration ever made under any flag; ana
easily and how effectively could these SiA
uuadrons be massed in the North Sea against
termanvr Yet a new Dreadnought has been
Aunched at Portsmouth and viii be commits
soned a year hence. which may condemn All
hese proud invincib%e leviathans as oDsoie'e
nd worthless. SO quickly passes away 'no
aory Of sea power when new naVai coz
tructor, profting by actual experience in war;
Establishes a fresh record in defensive resources
un fire. sea speed and maneuvring efaciencyi
a combined feet Of fifty Dreadnoughts would
pst not less than S437. $4,000 Sea power is
othing cheap in the struggle for the survival
2 the fttest in types Of naval architecture. Yet
ne revolution must follow another when naval
ngineers and ordnance experts are altering
heir standards and SURPRISING their own
achievements every decade. Within three years
4 mile has been added 10 the radius OF effective
un fire. and the substitution Of turbines for
eciprocating engines has opened the way for a
Material increase in speed and defensive armor
b comes the DreadnOught with the promise or
ntclassing every other battleship ahoat' ana
he costliest and most efficient navy is behind
nd rearmed in order TO remain abreast OF the
ew warships under French. German or Aneri-
an flags. The martinets will not be denied
ghen they propose increased burdens and fresh
ecrfices for taxpayers: for has there not been
! naval war. in which many things have been
Eoved by experience? Were not British ex-
erts Hospitality entertained on Japanese ships,
nd did they not witness what happened when
he Russian battleships were battered by gun
re and Admiral Togo won his great victory by
uperiority in maneuvring power? There must
e a new, less vulnerable and more formidable
Httleship. cost what it may; and it must have
he speed requisite for keeping out of the danger
pne and the resources for fighting an enemy
Nth irresistible force from distance Of over six
hiles II is now hoped that Sir John Fishers
hasterworl, designed and built by Sir Philip
Watts. Director OF Naval Construction. will be
he ideal battleship. Yet who viii guarantee her
bore than a decade of pre-enllnence as a fight
az machine at long range?
The Admiralty lords have much confidence
? the Dreadnought that they do not want TO
ave the secrets of her construction prematurely
nown and the model reproduced for foreign
iavies There Is no official information, but
nany details have been disclosed irregularly. a
Jig ship of 1900 tons and % feet draught. she
; 500 feet long and So feet in beam. and with
urbne engines in place Of reciprocating engines
much space and weight have been saved
hat there is a high platform for ten 12-inch
runs so arranged that eight of them can be
red on either broadside: and there is armor of
increased thickness, carried all the way TO the
COWS. with maximum protection for the maya
ines machinery, guns and mountings. Supe-
dor both in gunfire and defensive power TO any
attleship previously designed. she will also be
lnrivalled in speed and manRuvring qualities,
{ the expectations of the experts fulfilled
With eighteen boilers low down, fitted for oil
ue as well as coal there viii be a high steam
PRESSURE Of 80 pounds. indicated horsepower
23,000, and an average sea speed exceeding p
nots. Originally turbines We're designed for
ligh speed ana these We're TO be supplemented
" reciprocating engines for ordinary cruising.
gut the successful construction Of a vessel by
rarrow with two sets of turbines has Influenced
he Admiralty in repeating the experiment on a
anger scale. 1t is now understood that there
Fill Ice pair of high pressure and another
air OF low pressure turbines each with its own
haft and a turbine astern. The ship will have
mechanism for economical cruising, low speed
nd maximum speed. The stern is also doubled
mder water 50 that there can be two rudders
Wenty or more feet apart, and there can hardly
all 10 be a great gain in effective turning and
nan9uyring power.
Admiral TOgo's experience in sea fights won
y superior mobility and by massed gun fire JUS
Ines these remarkable experiments with tur-
line mechanism and steering gear. The Rus
fan ships sunk of Port Arthur were shattered
heavy shot and splintered by shell from
mailer guns; and the experts who compared
he results We're convinced that twelve-inch
Uns rather longer Than those ordinarily used
gould be the most destructive weapons for Of
ensive warfare. So the Dreadnought is TO
ave ten Of them, each taking $50 pounds in a
roJectile and all distributed so as TO produce
q maximum broadside effect. Six are forward.
NO in barbette in the forecastle and two on
ach side Of the upper deck; and four are aft
NO Of them being available for firing astern:
nd the magazines are fore and aft where the
uns be most readily served. The battle
hip will have most powerful battery with a
sngle class Of ammunition; and the service and
lighting apparatus viii be uniform The only
uher guns in use will be quick firers carrying
hot weighing eighteen pounds which will be
he chief defence against torpedo craft Sir
William White. who was responsible for the
ornament Of earlier battleships is not con-
nnced that secondary batteries can be safely
dispensed with and dependence be placed on the
Nelve-inch guns alone; and he considers that
erious limitations and drawbacks will arise
rom strained attempts TO increase broadside
ga DOW hre. The velocity Of these guns has
teen greatly increased in recent years until they
low have double the power Of nine-inch guns:
rad the cumulative effect when eight are fired to-
ether In broadside viii be terrific The Dread
Fought is designed for long range fighting
against armored ships, and with the improve
henis In gunnery its battery can be accurately
tehted and effectively used at a distance NJ
tx miles. The ship viii also be armed with
Noinerged torpedo tubes Wonderful has been
DE Improvement of naval guns in Inuzzle We
pony ana Preventative power Of projectiles: but
Z Is by no means certain that the increases =