The Duke of Edinburgh's Costly Fad.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 211, 16 July 1887, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Duke of Edinburgh's Costly Fad.

LoNj;ox, May 3.— The Duke of Edinburgh li.'i been guilt}' of a piece of senseless cx-*-i a\ agance for which he ought to be sharply reprimanded by tho Admiralty. An im mrii-c boom was lecently constiucted in the Ma'u dock^a'd by tho duke's orders at a wry consider iblc exjjcn.se, iind it was shipj;ed on boaid the Temeraire for conveyance to Ai go-toli, as tlic duke had conceived the idea thai it would bo a tine thing to place this boom at the enhance of the harbour there, and then to test the powers of I he Volyphemu-, by making her burst it. Just as this cia/y experiment wa.s on the p' tint oi: being hied, it was pointed out to the duke by some oilicers, who were more practical than himself, that if by any chance Lho Polyfchcmus did not cut the boom clean in two a fe.irful catastrophe would be th« result. Tho duke leluctantly abandoned tho idea. The boom was one of the largest and mo^t elaboiate that have ever been seen, and it has now been returned to Malta, \\ heie pie^umably it will bo told fora triiie, beinji peifectly useless