To: craig crawford who wrote (1106 ) 3/17/2002 7:40:56 AM From: maceng2 Read Replies (2) | Respond to (OT) re the "Turbina" mentioned in the link...In 1887 and 1897 Victoria had celebrated her Jubilees, when Britain’s power and wealth were displayed. Her relatives sat on every throne in Europe, her empire was one on which ‘the sun never set’, covering more than a quarter of the world, and in 1897 visitors to Portsmouth saw her review a Home Fleet consisting of more than 30 miles of warships drawn up in lines each of which was more than six miles in length. Britain still revelled in ‘splendid isolation’, but many of her leaders were realising that though strong and rich we did not have a friend in the world, and indeed some countries positively hated us. At that review in 1897 there appeared a small ship moving through the fleet at more than 30 knots: "The Turbinia", using new turbine engines showed the future - all that mighty fleet was, in fact, now effectively out-of-date. Britain’s great Naval lead over her rivals could now be eliminated. Britain faced the new century with some misgivings: the former confidence was weakening - she would not dominate the new century as she had done the 19th. siliconinvestor.com
