The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-12
DREADNAUGHT IN
 SPLENDID ORDER Mighty BattIeShip Leads the
 Portsmouth Fleet HER RECORD UNRIVALED Dreadnaughts 10000 Mile Voyage and Fierce Tests Described. England Proves H CT Sea
 Power.
HER RECORD UNRIVALED

Jondon.-The Heralds naval eorre- spondent writes that the Colonial pre- miers. members of both houses of Par lament with other guests of the -Adm- ralty, witnessed an imposing naval review at Portsmouth Friday. They traveled from London on d special train and were met at Portsmouth by Admiral Sir Day Hort Bosanquet, commander-n-c chief. and Rear Admiral C. c. Robinson, the admiral superintendent of dockyards and other naval and military officers.
 Guests to the number of some five or six hundred were divided into smal. groups, each having a naval officer as guide and cicerone for the day. They at once oeeedoI on board the Dreadnousht and after a look around the ship assem- bled on the upper deck to witness the exhibition by the destroyers and subma- rines.
 History of the Vessel.
 Much has been already written about the Dreadnought but the first ship of her type it is worth while recalling the main facts of her history. The first keel plate of the vessel was laid on Octo Der 9 1905, and she was launched by King Edward on February 1O 19O6 thus beat ing all prevlolls records in battle-ship construction. She was placed in commits sion by Captain Bacon on September 1, 1906, and after undergoing a series of sat isfactory trials at the hands of gunnery experts she started her first long cruise on January g. 1907. a marvellous feat, when it is remembered that less than eighteen months before net rivet had been driven into her,
 On January 2S this year she left Gibral- tar for Trinidad, a distance of about 3500 miles, where she arrived on February ,, having accomplished the run at a speed of more than seventeen knots. After un- dergong further trials in the West Indies she left Trinidad on March IF and in ten days arrived at Portsmouth, her average speed on the homeward journey being slightly less than that on the outward voyage.
 In every respect she is said to have satisfied the officers in charge, and the slix!lt mIshaps that occurred, such as the burstllng of boiler tube are not grave matters. Her water tube boilers were repaired on board by her own arti- ficers with their own appliances.
 In Splendid Order.
 To say the Dreadnought is in splendid order is merely to say she Is a British battleship in commissson. From the re- marks made by the visitors they appear to have been most struck by the admir- able arrangements for the accommodate ton of officers and men and the ample space found in her Conditions which governed the design of the monster yes sel are gunpowder and speed, and as- sociated with these is protection both above and below the water line. Her main armament consists Of ten l2-ineh guns, each of which generates in firing energy approximately 10000 tons As eight of these can and have been fired in one broadside- the total energy Is equivalent to something like 100000 tons. Each shell weighs $50 pounds, and is propelled by the explosion of more than three hundred pounds of cordite. the mug gle velocity being 2900 feet a second. At the official trials each gun was tested singly then in pair of guns in each of the five barbettes were fired simulta- neously Next three pairs of guns in the forward barbettes were fired ahead, and lastly the maximum broadside of eight guns was fired on the beam. Her sec ondary armament. that for defense against torpedo attacks, consists Of twelve pounders, which have a penetration of little more than two inches of steel at three thousand yards range, but it has been questioned whether these guns would stop destroyer outside of the effectiVe range of her torpedoes. The Dreadnousht has an armored belt or ten lncneS lilcN- ness, as well as other protection, includ- ing a special arrangement of the inner and outer skins of the ship to render her as nearly as possible unsuitable rom the explosion of a torpedo or submatlne '1nine.
 Victors See Mimic Attack.
 Moreover, there are no openings in her watertight bull1head, obviating the dan ger of open doors or leakage through de- fective appertures. This reference to pro lection seems necessary in view of the mimic attack prepared for the entertain ment of the visitors, for an addition to the network the crinolne had been placed on the outer or seaward side of the ship as an additional defense. The adequacy of this was soon to be tested for on signal being made twelve destroyers in three divisions dashed into the harbor at high speed. the boats being in one long single line with but two hundred feet separating each pair of boats as they nassed the Dreadnought.
 Keeping a magnificent station, every alternate destroyer discharged torpedo into the Dreadnought's net. The contrast