Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-07-04

UNITED STATES DISPATCH BOAT DOLPHIN.
1t is expected confidently, at least Mr..
Roach expects that the Dolphin will go
quite seventeen knots when she is fully lin
bered up. Moreover, there is not at present
u vessel in the United States navy which
can travel seventeen knots an hour So
much the worse for the navy, but it is
fact.
The newspapers that slur the slowness of
the Dolphin quite overlook one point To
get speed In steamship, there must be
high rate OF power in her engines. The
contract for the Dolphin's engines only
called for 1880 horse power. She had to be
built according to the specifications If
the government had wanted faster boat,
it should have ordered more powerful en-
gines
This same point is to be observed in the
construction of the new twin steel cruisers
the Boston and the Atlanta, now receiving
their machinery.
There is not at present in the United States
navy double-screw steamer, except the In
Hep1d, and that is not either, not as vet
She is an old torpedo boat that is being re-
lifted with a twin screw in the BROOKLYN
navy yard. There are four new naval YES
sells now nearly complete, the Dolphin, the
Boston and Atlanta, and the Chicago. Of
the four the Chicago is the largest. She will
be double-screw steel cruiser of A. 500 tons
Moreover, If We have luck in a few years
more we may have yet other steel cruisers to
tackle up our poor, shabby navy. Last
winter an act was passed requesting that
plans be handed in for the construction of
yet other war vessels. Two of these are to
be double-screw steamers of large size-over
1900 tons. Anybody may submit plans and
compete for the contract. Some govern
ment naval officers themselves are among
those evolving models from the depths of
their consciousness.
knowledge of military arms and weapons is
told in connection with the Hotchkiss re-
volving gun. Hotchkss, the inventor, was
an American, Connecticut man. He had
labored over this cannon, spent his best
force and means in inventing it. At last he
thought his dream OF a perfect gun was
realized. He secured his patent and laid the
invention before the United States govern
ment asking them to take hold of it.
Here was his cannon, the best thing in guns
ever made. Take it, said he to his country.
Pay me for my time and labor, and the in
vention is yours, in all time to come. He
labored with the experts, the chief cooks
and bottle washers, and the grand gold
sticks, weeks and months. He labored in
vain. The chief cooks and bottle washers
and the grand gold sticks had not clean
mother "gumption'' enough to know a
grand mechanical invention when they saw
it, They refused to take the splendid
Hotchkiss gun. In disgust then the
inventor sped over sea to France
French military officers knew a good
thing when they had it. The almost dis
oouraged man received from the French
government every guarantee necessary to
proceed with the making of the Hotchkiss
gun. He obtained capital to erect a great
factory in France. England bought his can
non, and France and all the other civilized
nations across the water, as fast as he could
turn them out. When the Russian corvette
Strelok was in port at New York the chief
objects of exhibition on board, the great
gun" of the show, SO to speak, were three
magnificent cannon, which the Russian
sailors called the "Oach-kees" They pointed
the weapons skyward and earthward; they
showed how they would shoot seyenty-five
times minute and how, when ready to be
tired, baby's fingers might touch them off
ANA every blessed gun of them, on the
brass plate at the breech, was labeled
"Hotchkiss, Paris Oh, yesl Volumes of
walking naval and military lore are our gov
ernment experts. Hotchkiss, the American.
made guns in France to supply the navies of
Cne world. He became millionaire and
uied lew weeks ago at peace with all man
KIND. AND now the United States govern
meht comes sneaking in, and buys his guns
10 equip her ships, and pays stiff royalty
on every gun. What retributions there are
In this lifel