The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-16
view of affording some protection
against boat attacks.

a view of affording some protection
against boat attacks.
She is ram, pure and SIMPLE. and moth
ing else. She is not intended to cruise or
to capture prizes or to bonlbard cities and
forts. Her single missioneis to sally forth
from threatened home port and to at
tack the hostile vessels, sinking them by
means of blows from her deadly beak.
Lying low in the water che offers poor
target for the enemy's g3ns, and even if
struck she is impervious to projectiles,
which would be harmlessls DETECTED from
her curved "turtle-back'' deck, clad with
thick steel armor.
Upon sighting the enemy, the captain of
the ram would enter his coming tower,
the walls of which are forEled of eighteen
inches of solid steel, and in this safe re-
treat he would direct the movements of
his destructive craft, his attention I'M
diverted by guns or torredoes, and his
confidence and GOODNESS strengthened by
the knowledge that his vessel is practically
invulnerable to hostile gsns. He would
dash at his foe relentesSly. seeking to
strike him fair blow, which, when prop
eriy delivered, would ALMOST surely dis
able, if it did not at once sink, the most
powerful battleship.
1t is, of course, not to be expected that
a single ram like that Just launched
could disperse a large feet. She could IN.
doubtedly create considerable havoc single
handed. but it must not be forgotten that
she herself is liable to be rammed or tor
pedoed, and, while she is so constructed
that injury sustained in that way would
proba bly, be less serious than in the case
OF ordinary vessels, she IL never theless
exposed to these dangers.
Admiral Ammen, her designer, does not
claim that the ram Is invilTcibe, however
lmperviOus she may be TO shot and shell.
What he does claim, however, is that, for
tense are to be obtained frem these rams
than from any other class q vessels, He
does not deprecate the building of other
classes, for every class has its own func.
tons. but he insists that by providing our
selves with number OF. these vessels.
which are intended exclusi gelv for harbor
defense. we may be secure against hostile
aggression with a much smaller fleet of
battle ships than if We did got possess the
rams.
The tactics suggested by Admiral Am
men with these rams Is to send them for
ward at the beginning of the battle, letting
them bear the brunt and take the first
shock of the conflict. Wen they had
performed their mlssion-<hat is when
they had sunk or disabled az many of the
enemy's ships as posslble:-the reserve
squadron of battleships and large cruisers
would come up and comple5e the victory.
Admiral Ammeu has devoted many
years TO the important and complex prob
lem of national defense, and. is an ardent
advocate of the use of rasns as a factor
therein. He draws his CONCLUSIONS as to
their efficiency not only from sound
theory, but from his experience during the
civil war, and from careful Consideration
OF the various accidental collisions which
have taken place in time Of seace between
armored vessels. In designing the ram he
aimed at the greatest praC- icable struct-
ural strength, in order thae the hardest
blow might be delivered aCan adversary
with the least injury TO the Eam. The eff
forts that have been made 20 attain this