The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-07-31
COL. RICE'S GREAT SCHEME
he Has Invented a Ship That Will
Smash the Foreign Iron-Clad Navies.
It Is Armored with India Rubber, and He
Calls IL "The B0undcr"-Shot and Shell
Will Rebound from II.

Small wonder that there is dullness on
the Democratic side of Indiana politics
lust now. Col. James Henry Rice. proprie-
tor of the Legislature and general fac totum
of the Democratic party. Is devoting his at
tention to other things this year. Just at
present he is in New York exploiting re-
markable invention of his. designed for the
purpose of smashing all the naval equip
ment of Europe and that of the tight little
island" thrown in. He thus unfo1ded his
scheme to bright young man In the en-
ploy of Col. Elliott +. Shepard, who is be-
iieved to be Colonel Rice's side partner In
this great invention:
II propose TO revolutionize naval war
fare by the introduction of certain kind
OF India rubber that Will send the biggest
cannon ball skipping back to the lr0n-clad
or fortress that sent il, !" said Col. James III.
Rice. ex-AuCitor of the State of Indiana,
to n Mali and Express man who had been
invited into the Colonies rooms at the
Fifth-avenue Hotel the other day.
Colonel Rice has no patent and SAYS it is
simply idea of his which Uncle Sam is
free TO use.
81 Will give you n general explanation of
my device" said the Colonel, provided
you agree not TO class me among the flying
machine cranks. What l soy may sound
woodito and cellulose In srmored cruisers
and iron-clads q generation aRoi The fight
between the Merrimac and Monitor rcvo-
lutionized the construction of naval vessels
and relegated to the past the big wooden
hulks with their upper and lower decks"
The Colonel got some papers. Throwing
them down on the table he pointed to the
picture OF n ship and said: That is one of
my full-armcd IDdia rubber cruisers and
close-quarter fighters. 1t is not ready for
action, but Is supposed to be under full
steam going toward the enemy's armored
vessels When the vessel Is in action it is
not handicapped with outside rigging In
Btead of having armor plate TO resist can
non balls the vessel Is completely protected
10 the water line by India bier eight feet
thick. Tho top of the vessel is covered
with the same composition and the two
turrets fore and aft, are completely pro-
named the vessel the Bounder, and In or
der to fully illustrate the idea of the new
protection against cannon balls will de-
scribe her.
"She is just one hundred feet in length
and twenty-five feet wide In the center.
The smokestack Is in the center and when
action begins it can be drawn down to the
level Of the deck. On each turret there Is
lookout mast. which can be taken down
In Just one minute. These masts are put
moro effective and quicker. However,
these masts are not essential and can be
dispensed with.--Sogether. The turrets have
three port he'ss Tor lannon's, but only i've
cannons are in each turret. and they CO.
be suddenly dropped beneath the deck,
loaded and sent mp for discharge. India
rubber, or prepared naval India rubber,
foar feet thick, ps>eects tho outside of the
Sz<yz4A which are srEde of steel.
- sal striking q turret would bound
of and have no more effect than O ru bier
ball thrown against a stone wall. 1t ia q
well-known fact that annon-b balls cannot
60 through bales of impressed cotton.
Well. this India rubber will have the re-
sisting power of many bales OF cotton COM
pressed, and an elasticity that will throw
back any projectile."
But suppose sharp-pointed projectile
should strike the Bounder amidships, would
It not go through like a rihe-bsli through =
psne of glassi'
mo. IL would not But in the first place
, conical shell fired from cannon does not
strike with the sharp point. lie turEs oyer
and over en- route, and the heaviest end
Usually goes first But even the sharpest