Arizona republican., 1892-02-24
UNCLE SAM'S SHIPS.
WALTER WGLLMAN WRITES ABOUT THE NEW AND IMPROVED NAVY.

Build and Man n Modern War Vessel. Guns and Armor Plate.
 Cores pondenee of TIE REPUBLICAN.
 WASHINGTON. Feb. 15.--Now that there are rumors or war wItn chm, would like to have you step into the navy department with me and take q look at the models of the new ships. Of these there are seven or eight, stand- ing in their glass cases always sur rounded by visitors. Each is a master piece of workmanship, every onea thing of beauty. No wonder we hear from all sides such exclamations as wonderful" grand" majestic" Each model is an exact duplicate in miniature of the ship which it represents. The smallest de- tail is reproduced, and everything is in precise proportion.
 The people who come to look at these beautiful models gain from them bet ter idea of what a modern naval vessel is than they could by visit to a man-of- war itself Here the entire craft is un- der inspection at one glance of the eye; here all details and proportions are brought into easy comparison. And it is satisfaction to note with what pride the visitors behold those miniature dupli- cates of our new naval vessels, with what enthusiasm they speak of the new found ability of Uncle Sam to protect his subjects and his honor in the utter most quarters of the earth. These mod els kindle the enthusiasm and the patri- otism of people who don't want to fight, but by iiugo, etc., in remarkable manner. l was looking at the models the other day when Secretary Tracy came up with a young woman, She had not seen the models When her eyes beheld them she lifted up her gloved hands and exclaimed, with just q trace of bitterness in her tone:
 "Oh, 1 wish were a man-how l would like to be manT
 Why" asked Secretary Tracy.
 "So might be a sailor on one of those beautiful, those majestic ships, was the reply "l would rather be a sailor on the New York than-than"
 Secretary of the navy, you were go- ing to say" interrupted General Tracy with smile.
 "Yes, or president of the United States either" added the enthusiastic young woman,
 "This only goes to show the value of those models as object lessons" com mented Secretary Tracy "'l have been advised to send the models to all the large cities of the country for exhibi- tion Senators and congressman tell me if 1 would do so a public sentiment could be created which would demand the expenditure of hundred millions of dollars year for the new navy. But have no authority to send the models out for such purpose; they will, how ever, all be exhibited at the Worlds fair"
 Visitors to this hall of models see the very ships on which we depend for the humbling of the arrogant Chilins. They learn at a glance that the old navy is a thing of the past The day of wooden walls and smoothbore guns. fired by loose powder and using spherical projec- tiles, is gone forever. The old time sailor has disappeared, too, and the TO- nance of navigation, of jack tars strung along the yardarms in peaceful review, or cutting away the rigging in storm oi battle, belongs to the past. The man-of' war of the present is a big steel and iron machine. and the men on board are ma chinists rather than sailors. With dou ble sets of great engines, twin screws steam pumps, elevators and hoists, power tackle, electric lights and signals, steam and hydraulic hoists for shot, and hy draulic apparatus for turning turrets ant shifting guns. the modern man-of-wal is simply series of machines.
 The ship itself is floating machine the high power gun is machine, thu crew is organized and disciplined into ; machine which moves like clockwork without much sentiment or display O bravery until some part of the physica machine gives way; then the man come to the front. In this multiplication anC elaboration of machinery we see what { perfect and costly piece of mechanism what triumph of human skill and in genuity the modern fighting ship Ina become 1t is said there are in a com plete new ship, like the New York O Philadelphia, thirty distinct machines No one fact could better illustrate tn idea that war at sea is now mechanica rather than heroic. ltis even thought b, some critics that the development of tn mechanism of fighting has gone too far that the offensive machines are too com plicated and too liable to derangemen in whole or in part, which will rende them useless.
 As looked at tho models was struc with the fact that shipbuilding iugenui ty has not yet devised protection for tn ships boats. Everything else is pro tected. The coal bunkers, containin when full 800 to $50 tons, are range alongside the boilers and engines, s that shot to reach vital part of tn ship must pass through thick walls C coal besides the eight to twelve inches C steel plates. The decks are all curve and of steel from two to five incht thick-thickest where the most protet tion is needed. Along the hull on eithe side runs broad belt of steel, from te to fifteen inches thick. adding add tional protection to the boilers and ei zines.
 These protected cruisers-for. mint they are not battleships-are built 0 the theory that wherever shot can g' through them not much damage woul lo ln,,a and ,yhara tha Ha,n.lra ruu |