The Blakes were designed when naval engineering still advanced in large steps. Early steam development offered gains through moves from single to double and then triple expansion machinery. Boiler tube arrangements, boiler shapes, and operating pressures also changed quickly, improving power for a given machinery weight. Armour and gun technology advanced at the same time, so a balanced design could become dated within half a decade. Late-nineteenth-century warship design demanded repeated rebalancing because no formula remained stable for long.
Chapter · 3:16-6:10
Rapid technology change reshaped cruiser design
Steam machinery, boilers, armour, and guns improved so quickly that a sound cruiser design could become dated within a few years.