The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-15

/ new OEl6dI1S. ISuL as soon as Cl6 rev
| Orleans affair was officially called to his
| attention, MIR. Blaine, in note to NJ. Ru-
DIM, publicly and feelingly expressed the
| regrets of this government that such a
crime had been committed on American
soil The subsequent contention between
| Italy and the United States was not over
the principle involved, but as to the al
legged lack of promptness in pursuing an
investigation of the affair If Chill were
to express her regrets for the unfortunate
| occurrence in the port of Valparaiso she
might have all the time she wanted in
which TO investigate with view to fixing
the amount of indemnity, and the United
States would be compelled to hold her
peace.
1t appears, therefore, that we have had
wars and ruinors of wars''-for what?
Because civilized government, the most
progressive nation Of South America, the
so called Yankees of that part of the henri
sphere, are too proud to say 1--WE pro-
foundry regret" an affair which was par
ticipated in only by the lower elements of
society, and which was at best a mere
street brawl which government might
as quickly and naturally regret as if it
were a confagration or an earthquake.
Governments are but human after ALL
must not forget TO mention one of the
most encouraging developments of this
season of war clouds-the universal pride
in our new navy, the almost universal de-
sire to have the navy made greater and
greater till no other nation on the face of
the earth can boast stronger. Every day
during this war furry crowds of sight
seers have surrounded the models of the
new cruisers in the main corridor of the
navy department. These models are In
closed in glass cases and look like magnifi-
cent toys. There are models of the Charles
ton, the Boston and other vessels that help
to make up the fighting strength of the
new navy. Each model is only seven feet
long, and yet it is an absolutely accurate
representation of the original down to the
smallest detail. Though it would seem
impossible to reproduce in miniature the
complicated rigging, guns and parapher-
MALTA of a modern war vessel, with every
thing made to scale, it has been done in
these models.
Guns, shields, carriages, spars, steel
masts, tunnels, even the flags at the main
truck and the rapid fire gun in the foretop,
are all represented in size precisely relative
to the dimensions of the vessel. Imagine
yet with the details so perfectly preserved
that life buoy by the side of the vessel is
not only properly placed, but of the same
relative size as in the original design. Even
the line which holds it is there in miniature,
bearing the same ratio to the life buoy line
of the actual ship that seven bears to 300.
The projectiles ranged along the deck be-
hind the batteries will exactly fit the min
Soft ha fLoe oil
are precisely 7-350ths of the oars in the
Boston. All this is fine work, requiring
great skill and perfect calculation. 1t
is matchmaking applied to shipbuilding.
These beautiful models cost s., 600 each.
We are slowly but surely accommodating
a navy. 1t is significant that the latest
ship to be launched, the double turreted
monitor Miantonomoh, IL q return to the
principle which startled the world when
first eXemplified in steel and iron in the
Monitor, which whipped the Merrimac
The hero of that famous battle, Admiral /
Worden, now lives in Washington, an old |
decrepit man. We have afoat the Chi |
cago the New York, the Newark, the Bos-
ton, the Charleston, the Miantonomoh, the !
Philadelphia, the Vesuvius the San Fran |
cisco, the Atlanta, the Baltimore and the |
Yorktown, steel cruisers or gunboats, /
which surely is formidable list; but the /
biggest part of the American navy is still |
in the docks.
The Puritan, Amphitrite, Monadnock, /
Terror, Texas, Maine, Monterey, Massa-
Indiana, Oregon, Cincinnati,
seven numbered steel cruisers and
two gunboats, all Of modern type and
heavy armament, are in process of con-
struction, besides several dispatch and tor
pedo boats. We shall have a really great
navy some of these days, and rumors of
war shall not alright US.
ROBERT GRAVES.