ii4 Book of Steamships 



Our next date is 1888, when we find 

 another ill-fated ship put in service. This 

 was the Victoria. Here was still another 

 change in design. The barbette had come 

 along. Resembling very much the turret, 

 the barbette had this difference, that, 

 whereas the turret revolved with its guns, 

 the barbette was fixed with its guns run- 

 ning round on what we might term a turn- 

 table. 



Two huge guns were fitted in the 

 Victoria and her sisters. These weighed 

 101 tons each, and were the last monsters 

 to be made of that description. From 

 their position in the barbette they could 

 rake an opponent, whatever his position. 



I should mention here that the Victoria 

 followed the Admiral class in being steel- 

 built. 



These battleships were supposed to be 

 extraordinarily safe ships, having no less 

 than twenty watertight compartments, a 

 double bottom, and the whole of the hold 

 was covered by a platform, which should 



