The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-17
COULD SWEEP
 THE OCEAN
BATsrLEsHIP DESIGNED BY AMEHI-
 CAN WOULD BE POWERFUL.
Admiral Bowles'n Fore River % Fer Cent Better Than Dreadnought' His PIans May Be Adopted for
 Two New ships.


 Done into steel battleship recently desfRned at the yards of the Fore River Shipbuilding Company in Boston liar bor would be the superior of anything affoat She would be the mistess oi the Dreadnought, personnel. markman- ship and general skill being equal Sne would outright the pride of the Japa- nesa navy. the Satsuma. She mo rf be as much the superior Of either oI those vessels as either one Is superior to anything in the United States navy.
 Rattleships completed five years ago would be rendered anachronisms anu poweriess by comparison. Vesseis oA | the Majestic type, built ten years ago, would be battered to pieces without having an opportunity to strike back. The flower of the French, German, Italian and Russian navies would De blown to pieces in no time.
 Tn short. it looks to one of the most if ship builders would say, in com pleted battleship of the Fore River type, the last word on naval proves. The designs have been prepared under the direction of President Francis T. Bowles formerly chief constructor and Rear-Admiral in the United States nayy.T M -a4 Exceed Dreadnought by 4,O00 Tons.
 This Fore River battleship, detaiis of which are here published and illus  shot further than any other vessei afioat. the Dreadnought not excepted. She would have larger displacement than the Dreadnought by about 4.VVV tons; she would be longer by thirty 1. feet. broader by Six feet and a haif, iuat as fast more steady, of smaller draft and of unquestionably greater general efficiency
 Y Not even the new vessel of 20.0Qo tons which the United States has au- thorized and which has already been done Into figures and blue prints would compare with her and she would relsn queen of the seas, says one expert un- l til something astounding In the way of new inventions had come along
 She is a consequence of the Russo l Japanese war. The naval engagements in that war sounded the knelf on large | equipments of guns Of comparatively small catibre. It was learned in that war by the Japanese and by the Eng | fish naval attaches aboard Togo's men, l of war that the vessel that could strike | the hardest at a distance from the en- 1 emy was the best boat. The Dread nought and the Satsuma were ahons | the first consequences of the war ana l inc Fore River ship-call her the Fore | River after one of the best shipyards 1 in the country--would be in type prob- | ably the last.
 sets Improvement Limit. After the Fore River, says an expert l there will not be any further improve ments except that of refinement or what economists under similar conditions would call intensive development. IT more heavy guns are to be added 10 one of these great floating fortresses 1t will be only at the sacrince or speed. Although the Fore River is distinct improvement over what 1t was thought would be the model for all times, the Dreadnought, there Is more or less close following of the type or the Dreadnought. It is justifable pat terning, however, for what surprlseo naval engineers when the Dread nought's plans were made public was the close following of a type origin ated by an American. The Fore River would simply be a case of this gentle man. who saw foreign country adopt his battery plan, improving on tnat plan after the traditional fashion or the master.
 As to the life of the Fore River, there would probably be little difference or opinion among experts. One man com petent to speak on the subject has said that the Fore River should be good Tor twenty years ships of smaller dis placement, he states, will probably make thirty knots an hour once the advantages of the turbine system Of propulsion are utilized fully, but sucn vessels Will not be able to stand up ana exchange blow for blow with pattle ship of the Fore River type or the Dreadnought or Satsuma type. All, however. will have the 12-tnch guns.
 If DreudnOught Were Met.
 What would happen if the Dread nought and the Fore River each man ned, officered and maneuVered wltn all the efficiency of the two nations, were to meet in battle2
 Taka inc force of the broadsides, for example. The Dreadnought can uth- ize eight of her 12-inch guns abeam at once. The Fore River could reply with twelve. The best ship of the United States, the Michigan, coould answer with eight
 Take the efficiency of the guns that could be brought to bear astern. The Dreadnought could employ six The Fore River could spout fire from ten, the Michigan four Ahead the Dread nought can work six, the Michigan four and the Fore River eight
 That is, the Fore River would have S3 per cent more strength ahead than the Dreadnought, 50 per cent more abeam and 66 per cent more astern. It makes the satisfying general superb ority of just 50 per cent
 The highest 2-inch guns of the Dreadnought are thirty-five feet above the water line. The highest of the Fore River would be forty-two feet and there would be four pairs of guns thirty-four feet above the water line.
 It was thought astounding that the problems of gravity could be so ham, dled by the British constructors that guns could be placed safely as high as thirty five feet. The Fore River would set a new record in that line. The superior elevation of her highest quns which are those just forward of amidships, would give her an immense advantage in range.
 Great Change in Ten Years.
 .sren years ago." says scientific pa- per of England, "the Majestic type were the finest ships in the world. To- | dav there Is no question that the Dreadnought could lie at 10000 yards | 1about five and fve-sevenths miles) | and sink an entire flee tof Majestics ss easily as the Japanese fleet sank | the Russians at Tsushima. Indeed, the Maiestics would practically be una | ble to reply, their guns not really be- ing effective much over 5000 yards. It Is probably no exaggeration to say l that the Dreadnought could nght a