The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-12-25


surprises decisive victories over foe
at all equal in numbers and general
ship become almost impossible.
The heavier than-air flying ma
chine is not the only Yankee no
ton" which is playing a big part in
the present war. The Wright broth
ers, who invented the flying machine
in the intervals between their regular
job of repairing bicycles have had
many predecessors. There was Rich.
ard J. Gatling.a native of North Caro-
lima, who invented a machine for
pewing out bullets, and the improved
descendants of his death-dealing gun
are responsible for thousands of wild.
ows and orphans. This year marks
the centenary of the construction OF
the first steam war vessel, and the
inventor was Fulton, an American
who thus became the father of the
great navies of the present day. The
repeating rifle, the torpedo. smoke
less gunpowder. the Hotchkiss shell
the revolver, and hosts of other de-
vices for wholesale and retail muir
der, are the creations of American
inventive genius.
Another Yankee notion" which
promises to revolutionize naval war
fare is the submarine. John =. Hol-
| land was a native of the Emerald
/ Isle, but an adopted son of Uncle
Sam. His first underwater craft was
a failure. and il now lies at the bot
| tom of the Passaic river, but Holland
persevercd until he had succeeded
From an American visitor to Eng
land, just returned to New York. who
through the merest chance was af-
forded exceptional opportunity to in
spect the vast naval plant at Devon
port the New York World has OBJ
tanned a close range description of
the secret fruition of the British
admirality's most closely guarded
plans for the crushing of Germany
on the high seas.
What is going forward at express
speed behind the walls of Britain's
navyyards. if it were known to the
German authorities. would dispel de-
miral Jellicoe's fleet intends to re-
miral Jellicoe's fleet intends OF re-
strict it's activity to blockading the
North Sea and keeping the Atlantic
and other oceans clear of enemy
vessels.
More Big Ships.
Within six months the lists of
the royal navy will be augmented by
six super-dreadnoughts and eight
battle cruisers from its yards at Dew
onport and Portsmouth alone. All
of these ships will be equipped de-
fensively and Extensively more power
fully than any men-of-war of their
respective. classes now afioat. At least
one of the super-dreadnoughts. for
example, has an arrangement of tur-
rets which is quite new and which
permits big caliber guns to be fired
broadside or straight ahead with
equal facility. Probably all of that
class have the same equipment, but
the Worlds informant personally saw
only one during his visit to Devon
port.
Recently in the House of Commons
Winston Churchill, First Lord of the
Admiralty. stated that Great Britain
could lose super-dreadnought every
month for twelve months without her
superiority over the German navy
being affected, even if during that
period Germany suffered the loss of
not a single ship.
Six New DreadnOughts.
1t is easy to understand the First
Lords meaning when one realizes
that within six months there will be
six super-dreadnoughts ready to go
out of Plymouth and Portsmouth har-
bors into the battle line, and furth-
ermore that from the time plans
for the construction OF such a mon
ster are drawn up until the day she
sets out on her trial only eighteen
months must elapse. Incidentally,
every part of a super-dreadnough ex-
cept her guns can be built in the navy
yard.
II is not generally known that the
tremendous eXpanse recently added
to the Naval Barracks-as the Devon
shire plant is known officially-in- !
cludes six dry docks capable of hold
ing the biggest battleship yet de- |
signed by the Admiralty's draughts-
men. It's close fit, to be sure, when
a giant of the Queen Elizabeth or
Iron Duke class squeezes into one |
Of these docks. Quite recently, the
American visitor was informed. such
A ship came back from the North Sea
TO have few repairs made. After
/. IA oil |