The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-11-15
STRUGGLE FOR NAVAL
SUPREMACY TURNS
The Next Step May Be Attempt to Con-
struet Torpedo Boats to Destroy
the Big Dreadnoughts.

Washington, Nov l5.--The feverish
struggle for naval supremacy which has.
mp to the present time, eentefed upon the
construction Of fast battleships 81 the
Dreadnought type, may shortly yeer to
the problem 81 torpedo attack, o. the
next best method 81 destroying the big
vessels which are being launched from
the shlpyards Of the world powers The
present large battleships win probably
be outdone in sfxe BY those now being
designed, but IL is the opinion Of naval
constructors that the limit has been
nearly recalled Military experts are
now devoting themselves to other quail.
ties, which may make them still more
formidable oY leks formidable, Az the
ease may be.
There Is stili something to be done in
the way Of biz guns. To this end, the
United States navy il making ready for
its experiments with the new fourteen.
inch rife, which is 70 be tested At
Indian Head. thn naval proving grounds
This huge piees of armament i now
due at the naval gun factory at Wash.
ington, whore it Is 10 BE- rifea and where
tho hrpech mechanism il to be attached
At steel plant near Washington, the
huge sixteen hundred pound proieefiles il
will Gre are being finished
The particular value Of the new gun
is not IN its increased range or increased
size essentially It's muzxle velocity Is
less thar that 81 the present Ten and
twelve inch guns rs trajectory, the
line of flight Of the shell. win therefore
Be much higher. The higher the she'll
goes TIE le2 likely II il 70 ricochat when
Il strikes the water. On the contrary.
Il Is more likely TO continue its down
ward fight through the water. Nith the
possibility of striking the ship II II
aimed ct below the armor belt To Of
set this possibility, the United States
has recently followed the practice of
ether nations ii building longitudinal
bnlkheads the entire length Of the shin
70 prevent sinking in case tbs side were
penetrated
The probability 81 getting under the
enemys amor belt Is somewhat en-.
HANGED. therefore. hy the larger. lower
powered guns II these are satisfactory.
s. the forthcoming tests viii deternine
they viii probably Be- installed on tho
next big battleships 70 be built for the
American navy. The other method III
penetrating ships ritals By getting
below the waterline IS the use III the
torpedo The old type Of torpedo, which
II little more than she'll with 4 drsn.
tity Of gun cotton which exploaes on con
tart, Is not necessarily fatal to q battle.
ship. The hulkheads protect the vitais.
and. sare for compartment cr two be-
ing filled with water. the vessel i as
dangerous as ever. Increasing the guam
tity of gun cotton only slightly Increases
the effect OF the explosion.
Commander Davis III the United
States navy. conceived the idea al pnt
ring gun inside the torpedo which
would. On eontaet, IRE a she'll into the
ship which would penetrate the bulk.
head, btmkers and whaterer might lie
III its path ard explode iii the interior
81 the ship. where il would do tremen.
ious damage. either BIZ disabling the en-
gines or IN airing magazine. This
weapon i stili II the experimental stage.
but the navy department has perfected
il, except for q few minor details. and
1t Will BE ready for tests, very likely.
within few months.
n principle. she new Davis torpedo
Is practically q ann within eiin. The
torpedo II fred or launched from she
tube and in turn shoots the she'll o.
contact with the target. As its course