Battle of the Gauges

A controversy, of particular interest from 1830 to 1850, as to the most economic distance, called the gauge, between the two rails of a railroad track. Gauges of 7 ft., 6, 5, 4 ft. 84 in., and 4 ft. 6 in. were in use, and each was claimed by its advocates to be the best. The battle was finally practically decided by the agreement arrived at in England ab. 1848, that all new roads should be built with the standard gauge of 4 ft. 8 in. Battleship. Name given to that cla or type of warship which is the largest and most powerfully armed. It is practically a floating fort. They may have their primary battery, or heaviest guns, either in barbettes or turrets; the former is now the more popular form. One of the most recently-built battleships is of 15.000 tons displacement, 12,000 indicated horsepower, protected by 14 inches of carbonized steel armor on her U. S. Battleship Iowa. barbettes and 9 inches on her belt, which extends from 10+ feet above her water line to 5 feet below; her armament will con sist of four 12-inch 50-ton breech-loaders and a secondary battery of twelve 6-inch and twenty-six rapid-fire guns of smaller caliber; five Whitehead torpedo-tubes, four of which will be submerged; estimated speed 17.5 knots; cost $5,000,000. The horse-power under forced draft, highest speed, and caliber of gun carried by the most powerful battleship of each nation owning or building warships of this type: IMG:content-0453.jpg:[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][merged small] 1878; important for its exportation of petroleum, brought from Baku on the Caspian by a railway completed 1883. Pop. ab. 27,000.