The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-01-26

smooth bore guns.
Tho greatest sensation of modern times in
naval circles is this Vesuvius, which has just
made such satisfactory trial trips and which
Is now ready for work 1t is little bit of
boat, but to the naval experts of Europe it
looks as big as mountain. They marvel at
It, dread it, are trying to initiate it. The
dynamite gun, which is about all there is of
the Vesuvius, has sent a shudder around the
world
''In case Of war with France over Panama,
with England about the fisheries, or with
Germany on account of Samoa, or Canada,
what would be likely to happens"
"With the vessels already built and author
lied we shall be able to defend our ports
and sea coast against any navy in the world.
But for the next two years our only hope is
in the dynamite gun without this Gun first
class naval power like England or France
Franco now has the best navy in the world
could destroy or levy tribute on our seaboard
cities. Our navy, which is building, not
built, will ultimately enable US to protect
ourselves against all corners, and to attack
anybody who steps on our toes. For the
present, while our great shi ps are on the
stocks, the dynamite gun is our safeguard.
The Vesuvius, with that gun aboard, alone
and unaided. can protect any OF our ports.
1t can destroy feet in half an hour. There
Is no commander of an ironClad who would
for a moment think of keeping his vessel in
proximity to the Vcsuyius If he had reason
to believe this little terror was within 200
miles OF him he would get away as fast as
steam could carry him. 1t would be suicide
to remain. That gun throws explosives equal
to thousand pounds of dynamite, and at a
miles distance can destroy or utterly disable
the best ship that floats There is 10 man-of-
war, no feet of fighting vessel, that would
dare menace or approach "a port protected by
the little Nesuvius."
''But we have only one Vesuviusln
"That is very true. But if war should sud
denly come on us, there would shortly appear
dozen Vesuviuses. These dynamite guns
can be turned out in twomonths time. They
can be mounted on anything. Ideally, Of
course, they should be carried by small, feet
cruising boats ike the Nesuvius The Eesu-
vius is simply rapidly moving gun carriage.
But if we Were pushed to it by the cry Of var
we would press into service tugs small steam
ers, anything that best suited the purpose.
Just as we did in the war of the rebellion. In
q few months we'd have our coast bristlinr
with dynamite guns.
''The Americans are the quicket moving
people in the world when once reused No
better illustration of this could be found than
in the building of our new navy. Five or six
years ago we were laughed at by the world.
Now we are feared. In few years moro
believe we shall have tho best navy aloat.
No such progress has ever been made in ship
building as we have made in the last five
years, and not only in the building Of ships
but in guns, steel, marine engines, powder.
We are making the best guns III the world
and building the best ships to carry them.
Six years ago, when we were contracting for
steel for the Chicago and Boston, steel was held
at II cents pound. Now we are contracting
for better material at 81 cents pound.
This shows you the progress that has been
made"
''Is American genius doing all this2"
eyes. American inventors and mechanics
have always taken the lead in naval work us
in everything else Americans built the first
clipper ship, they made the first machine
gun, they built the first ironclnd, in the Chi
cago they revolutionized ship building by
making the first unarmored steel cruiser, and
now they astonish the natives with tho first
successful air torpedo The instinct of our
nearer right than that of the inventors
and designers Of other countries. We
SEQ quicker, think quicker, turn -srrers
quicker. When we built the nouuGs, in
which the central idea was no danger to the
crew, floating forts in which the' gun Gcnds
could Wort, il perfect security, the foreigners
caught on, but OF course went to the ridicu-
lous extreme. They have built dozens and
dozens of heavily armored vessels which
must go to the bottom of the sea as
soon as t,loy are pierced, though they
can carry 10 better guns than lighter
vessels Americans, on the other hand, have
SWUNG baCl; from the extreme Of heavy, no
danger vc-11s to a high point Of Eoatation.
We are building war ships that can have
their tops all shyt or and still float CEd carry
on the fi-ht It was the same with the tor
pedoes. We took the lead on submarine tor
pedoes. The 70. ilnegs have ruE cry after
submarine !olTeloss. Americas quickly
swing back TO tho best line AMI maze tor
pedo that gocs through the air instead OF
through TIE water. 1t is easier 70 manage q
torpedo il tla air than in the wa,cr, and the
dynaIuiFe gun VIII perform more e1lectiye