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Show SHIPS BUILT OF CONCRETE. Even Reinforced Concrete Armor May Be a Possibility. Reinforced concrete has actually been employed In shipbuilding. In the first Paris exposition, In 1S35, a small boat made of reinforced concrete was exhibited by Lambol. This vessel, which was constructed of wire netting covorod with cement, is still afloat and will soon be Installed in a technical museum. In 1896 Gabelllnl of Rome built an experimental vessel of reinforced concrete, con-crete, which Is still In service on tho Tiber and In excellent condition. The same firm has since constructed a large number of concrete bridge pontoons. pon-toons. An Italian engineer has been led by the success of concrete land fortification, fortifica-tion, as revealed In the Russian-Japanese war, to construct armor plates of reinforced concrete covered with thin plates of steel as a protection against the immediate effects of tho impact of shrlls. The substitution of reinforced concrete con-crete for steel armor on a first-class battle-ship would effect a considerable saving. Tho practicability of the substitution sub-stitution will be decided by the results of experiments, soon to bo made, on the effect of shots on the reinforced concrete plate. Chicago News. |