ITALY'S WONDER SHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1917, Page 5

ITALY'S WONDER SHIP.

SPEED FOUR TIMES THAT -OF OCEAN LIN'ER. The naval engineering correspondent of the Giornnle dltalia, in n recent article, furnishes the following particulars concerning a new. type in the Italian fleet:— The speed is so great that during navigation the ship appears to be continually enveloped in a kind of rainbow. It throws up mountains of water, the form of which extends to a of ten miles behind the screw. During the journey the air pressure is such that 'on deck it is necessary ;o k«ep one's body bent forward in order to avoid being knocked over. Tli'e combined noise of the air and the water render, all attempts at fpcaking useless. The engines are working by means of naptiiol, producing a beat of ISOOdeg. The usual boilers are replaced by ovens of a.special t.vpe. There are three such ovens, each capable of developing SIOO horse-power.

The ship did not attain its maximum speed during its trials It is, however, expected to reach a speed, of four times as high as that of any ocean liner.' It is held that no torpedo could hit the ship, because tlio mountains of water thrown up by it would hurl it fai away. The passage of such a ship near a submarine would cause tin: latter to turn turtle. Finally, the new craft carries tile heaviest known type of cannon.