Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-23
AN INDIA RUERER NAVY.
The Ex-AuditOr of Indiana Thinks Iror
Must Give Way to Rubber,

The Ex-AuditOr of Indiana Thinks Iron
Must Give Way to Rubber.
From the New York Times.
AS the man was going out Of the big hotel he
whispered to ne in sepulchral tones: "CoI.
Rice is not right in mis- upper story-he 10 clean
daft"
In few minutes saw the full-moon, iocuud
face Of Col Jas. H. Rice, ex-auditor of Indiana.
coming from the elevator. Helooked perfectly
sane, and asked him who his friend was that
had just departed. THAT man," said the COL
onel, lis promoter and has not given me a
moments rest since arrived in the city. I've
just let him in on the ground floor of an idea
OF mine and nave shown him illustrations of it,
offered to have him elected vice president of
company that is not formed. II nv idea il
put into execution it will revolutionize naval
warfare and an ironclad will be as harmless as
IL barge carrying load Of Sunday school ex-
cCrsionists.'
The colonel invited me to his room. uhere
saw number of illustrations in the rough Of
Queer-looking ships. / asked him to explain
them. His eyes beamed with pleasure as he
proceeded to elucidate his ideas. THE cuts !"
he said, represent war vessels armored with
tough india rubber. Each vessel ia protectc5
with rubber seven feet in thickness and with
enough give or elasticity to it to send the larg-
est ball ever fired against it bounding back
into the water. admit that the common rub
Der is not of sufficient toughness to resist the
impact OF the ordinary cannon ball. but mind
you tho rubber intend to use is not common
Every man who makes an innovation and rele
gates established methods TO tho past is in the
beginning considered crank. But I do NOT
mind any little eplthet Of that kind"
What is the tall spire in the vessels?"
That, said the scientific colonel, sis tho
lookout. 1t Is tower that can be telescoped
in second to the surface of the vessels deck
and erected in the same space of lime II ia
800 feet high. There is only one smokestack
and it can be taken down in a minute. Can
mons? All that is secret but shall tell Won
because you are not q promoter. In the rear
OF the vessel there is q turret tower with four
destructive guns. You don't sec it, eh? Well
neither DO i, but II the enemy appeared by
manipulating machinery there would rise from
the hull of the vessel turret, protected by
india rubber and ready to sink fieet of IRON
clads. Everything on the deck of nv india
rubber vessel can DO dropped below in q few
moments"
Have You ever studied that branch of
mathematics which treats Of trajectory
The colonel had, and added: MY boy. ball
dropped on the deck Of one of my vessels would
bound mile high. There is absolutely no
into tho rubber
"Ono moro question, colonel. How long
have you had this peculiar elastic idea?''
1T came to me as an inspiration five years
ago. was in Chicago and q weakened faced
mar with voice that sounded like the noise
made by tearing calico made life miserable to
me. He had scheme and for q week he be-
came my shadow, trying to get me to 60 into
it. worked out the india rubber vessel and
for three hours I earnestly explained to him
the fortune in it il he would accept the vice
presidency. From that time he has never said
scheme to me again. / havo shown 1t to
dozens OF promoters and have talked so much
about it that really think some kind Of rubber
can be made to resist and throw back cannon
balls"
.'Havo you mentioned your idea to Gen.
Tracy. Secretary Of the NavyY'
II am q democrat" said the colonel proudly.
''You wait until . democratic President il
elected"
Col. Rice IL spoken Of - the probable nomi-
nee for governor of his state next year ON the
democratic ticket He u . humorist and Q
practical Joker,