| Show FAST t-FAST BA BATTLESHIPS States es navy Davy has hag taken the front rank with fast faIt cruisers as al shown n by the performances of the Columbia in pa passing the 2 knot 26 knot mark markIt It is 1110 l Boar expected that this Ibis week will witness another triumph in the line of fast war vessels on this side Bide of the Atlantic This time it is i not a cruiser Which from its light armor can be of rapid movement The new vessel ia is the heavily armored battleship Maine the second of her herol class ela ss built for Jor the navy and expected when de designed to be the fastest battle battle- battleship ship afloat alloa In the test teat of her machin- machin V egy e y made a few tew days ago she Ibe developed A spee speed of 1765 1755 knots per perI I hour bour which already places her be- be beJ be J jond ad any vessel of her class olasa either here or abroad The he Maine Mallie was built at the Brook Brook- Brook yard and her exploit l shows owl capability of the na naval val officials In charge of ot her ber construction It remembered by those who fol- fol followed fol followed lowed the details ef of the Brazilian trouble rouble that the be steamed with Impunity past the enemy enemy's lort Jn the harbor of ot Rio Bio de Janeiro her heavy beavy armor turning aside the great shots bots any aDY one of which would ibave sunk eunk the he largest I and fastest cruiser had bad it hit bit her fairly amt ABut the battleship was eo so well incased In steel that she ste was comparatively uninjured i iThe The Maine is a Vessel os Oi the same lame type in armament and armor in AD machinery she Ibe is il much the contract being that bores power po er be developed Which it t was estimated would drive her ber through the water at a ra rate te of teeD sixteen and nd a half bait knots knot per hour Hw a trial already has haa shown hown over a knot better ban that so 80 that if It all aU is II tOIl found safe and aDd sound Bound upon the official and teat test te the United Sua Staw navy will UJ have bave a vessel that in chase can overhaul any ailS battleship oar cloy float and Baird in ID a oon contest teat at aea sea can com oom- compel compel pel t the e retirement of the largest oroa This construction e of fast tut war vessels indicates that bat the contests of 01 the future are to be fought along still sewer ewer ewer lines linea than those recognized a decade since The great navies In number Dumber of ships in the old nations are re being rendered comparatively valueless for tor aggressive warfare With battleships such Buch as the Maine the great areat war fleet of of less lees than a score of years ago could be pounded to pieces at sea in short order with with- without without out even the opportunity of running away while no combination combination tion of them could overhaul their agU agile antagonist The fast tast cruisers and bat bat- battleships are outranking all else in ocean ocen warfare except for tor defensive purposes where the former great war vessels must drop to the position ot of merely advanced fortifications In war as u well as commerce at sea speed 0 of Qa movement is becoming the most important factor in the cot bf f vessels |
