Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-11-17
A VERITADLE DEMON
A New Lightning War Ship
Which is Being Built by
Uncle Sam.
To be Known as the Ammen
Ram, and viii be Practi-
cally Invulnerable.
She VIII Easily PlOw Her Way
Through the Enemy's Big
War Ships.

Chicago Times: A novel fighting
machine for the new navy is now III
process of construction at the iron
works in Bath, Me. Nothing else Of
earth, or air, Or sea very much reSem-
bles this new demon of naval warfare.
for she is neither gunbOat, cruiser nor
torpedo boat. She is, in fact ram.
q pOnderouS steel boat of high engine
power and very little exposure above
water, the intentions of the creator
being for her to jab her pointed PROV
clear through the mailed or unprotect-
ed sides Of any possible enemy she
may encounter in the defense Of the
American coast line.
The new vessel is called the Ammen
defense ram, after her inventor, and
is the first Of her type ever construct
ed She is not yet finished, but is well
uLder way, and could put to sea in
a very short time if eXigencies Of na-
tional relations demanded.
In designing her every feature that
would tend to adapt her the better to
her single mode of attack was careful
~ considered and developed to the
Slips, it is true, have powerful ram
bows, and the reader has doubtless
not failed to observe the dangerous
spurs projecting from the bows of all
our new cruisers. The value Of ram
ming in modern naval warfare is not
overlooked in any of the vessels now
built But other war ships also carry
powerful batteries of guns, and, as a
rule. torpedo outfits. The gun, the tor
pedo and the ram are the three great
marine weapons, the greatest import
ance being usually attached to the
gun.
The Ammen ram, however, will have
no torpedoes, nor will she carry any
guns, save four small, rapid firing
pieces, added to her equipment as an
aftelthOught with Il view of atfording
some protection against boat attacks.
She is a ram, pure and simple, and
nothing else. She is not intended to
cruise or to capture prizes or to bonn
bard cities and forts. Her single mis-
sion is to sally forth from n threatened
home port and to attack the hostile
vessels, sinking them by means of
blows from her deadly beak. Lying
low in the water she offers a poor tar
get to the enemy'S guns, and, even if
struck, she is imperviouS to projectiles,
which would be harmlesSly 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 formed of eigh-
teen inches of solid steel, and in this
safe retreat he would direct the move
ments of his destructive craft, his at
tenton umdiverted by guns or torpe-
does and his confidence and GOODNESS
strengthened by the knowledge that
his vessel is practically invulnarable to
hostile guns. He would dash ut his
foe rclentleSsly, seeking to strike him
a fair blow. which, when properly de
livered, would almost surely disable,
if it did not at once sink, the most
powerful battle ship.
1t u.s. of course, not to be expected
that Il single ram like that just launch
ed could dispense a whole fleet. She
could undoubtedly create considerable
havoc single-handed but it must not
be forgotten that she is herself liable
to be rammcd or torpedoed, and, While
she is SO constructed that injury SulS-
tanned in that way would probably be
less serious than in the case of orGin-
airy vessels she is nevertheless exposed
to these dangers.
The tactics suggested by Admiral
Ammen with these rams IS 10 send
them forward at the beginning of the
battle. letting them bear the brunt
and take the first shock Of the con-
fict. When they had performed their
misSion-that is, when they had sunk
or disabled as many of the enemy S
ships as possible-the reserve squadron
of battle ships and large cruisers would
come up and complete the victory.
1t is the admiralS belief that it would
be much more economical and sensible
for the United States to construct a
fairly numerous fleet Of such rams for
purposes of coast defense than to make
heavy ortlays for the larger and more
costly battle ships, although he con-
cedes the Necessity for a certain num-
Der of the latter He holds that five
rams could be built for the cost Of
three large battle ships, and, for re
pelling an attack from hostile arInOr-
clads, they would be quite as efficient,
if not more so. He thinks that a given
number of rams of his design could
defeat twice that number of an enc
my's battle ships. The contract price
of the ram is $4,000; the cost of q
first-class battle ship is over S3,OoO,0Oo,
to which must be added an expensive
armament of guns and torpedoes. The
rams are comparatively cheap to MAIN
tain; the battle ships extremely eX
pensive.
Yet, on the other hand, the rams
have but one sphere of usefulness
They are useless for cruising purposes
for bombardnent, for commerce de
struction. The battle ships are not on
" of immense Importance in coast de
fense. but they are adapted for the
three forms of naval operations named
Described in semi-technical language
the rams most important features art
as follows: Her extreme length, Over
all. is 251 feet: extreme breadth. 4;
feet inches; total depth. from bottom
of keel to crown of deck. % feet II
inches. Under normal conditions sht