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higher, 'and. the night the boilers, the 'engines: were let out 'almost: 'to their limit and ~-she drove ahead: into the :wind and sea. It was a wonderful' sight. The huge ship, with a great bone in her teeth, was stripped of all deck fittings so that she looked like a sleek racehorse' prepared for the. race. Ploughing along through © the waves which mounted over bow, and with the bleak northwest wind dead against her she not only came up to the speed requirement*of: 18 knots, but exceeded it, and that such a record _ 'was made under stich circumstances of 'course redounds more to her glory. At the conclusion of the speed test she was started on the 24-hour endur- ance run. Back and forth from Mt. - Desert-island to Matinicus: and Mon-" -hegan eshe paced. Night \ set iit, thes gale increased, till it blew at. times*40 - 'the seas rose was dark as pitch. On, on, she rushed, quivering yet steady as though sailing in a calm sea. Perhaps. the most remarkable feature of the. new mistress of the navy is her steadiness .in aj-+heavy. sea. Although and 50. miles an. hour, 'other battleships.-have;.exceeded her was put quitted- herself nobly: TAeE Marine. REVIEW "speed" none hae éver shown " stich" abil 'ity' im the 'face. of. stich. a sea. * None "have " ever "been put through' Stich | an' ordeal, Had the. Vermont been favored with a. light . wind and a smooth. sea 'there 1 1S little doubt but that she would have done far better. T° complete the test the. ee 'The-- steering test comprising a series of manoéuvres including the figure' eight' and 'circle was also very ener et 'The ICE ON GUNS, TURRETS AND BRIDGE OF BATTLESHIP VERMONT. trial board officials was: loud in their: 'praise of the ship's steering gear. It worked ~ turned - beautifully. She 'around in her own fete: F, QO. Wellington; of 'the. Fore River 'Ship Building Co: was in- charge of he: battleship, and .she' was manned entirely from men from 'the 'Fore Riv- er yard, numbering - 'in. all about 400. Capt. 'Fhomas ° Evans; of. the Boston Towboat Co., had charge of the navi- gation of co ship, and Chief Engineer _ Page;, of., the ; Fore Riyer Co. was in charge of the engines. The keel. of: the 'Vermont was, laid May 17,.1904. The ship. -is one of the ~ full speed astern -- and ac- - 'small ~ 29 'largest and most powerful in the navy, 'and the general dimensions are as fol- "lows: Length of load water line, 450 ft:; breadth, extreme at load waterline, 76 ft. 10 in.; displacement, 16,000 tons; 'draught, 26 ft. 9 in. The hull is of steel 'throughout, fitted with docking and bilge keels. In the main battery will be four 12-in. rifles, eight 8-in. rifles. 12 7-in, rifles; secondary battery, 12 3- 'in. T4-pounder rapid-fire guns, 12 3- potinder and semi-automatic guns, six I-pounder automatic _ two | I- guns, poundér semi-automatic guns, two 3- inch field pieces, two machine guns and six automatic guns, caliber 30. The hull is protected at the water line by a complete belt of armor 9 ft. 3 in. wide, having a maximum thick- ness of 11inches for about 200 ft. amid- ships. Forward and aft of this the maximum thickness is 9 in. within the limits of magazines, from which points the thickness is gradually decreased to 4 inches at the stem and stern. The 12-in, turrets have a front plate 12 in. thick. The 12-in. barbettés have 1o in. of armor plate in front, and 'the -con- "ning tower and shield are each 9 in,