The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-04-14
DEFENSEON THE LAKES.
TWO STEAMERS NOW USED TO
CARRY CARS.
But Could Very Easily BE Converted
Into Men-of- War--They Would
Make Powerful War YES
sels-The Inventor.

sels-The Inventor.
In 1917 q treaty was made between
the United States and Canada, the
terms of which forbade the entry of
war vessels on the great lakes, writes
L d. Marshall. Each government,
however, was permitted to float three
revenue cutters on the 'akes-one on
Lake Ontario and two on the upper
lakes. The armament of these boats
was not to exceed one 18-pounder gun
each.
Not long ago the English govern
ment entered what to Uncle Sam
looks like gunboat on the great
lakes as revenue cutter, and this
has caused great deal of discussion
in the United States. 1t is only fair
to say, however, that the Canadian
government claims that this gunboat
comes within treaty requirements
and that the United States has no
cause whatsoever fo4' objecting to its
entry as a revenue cutter.
Uncle Sam, however, has been up
and doing. To Offset the entry of this
gunboat and the fact that Great
Britain can at short notice introduce
gunboats on the upper lakes from the
lower St. Lawrence and the gulf,
where number are constantly in
commission, and where they may be
sent from England at any time, the
United States has put two ''lake de-
fenders"-Ann Arbor No. / and Ann
ArbOr No. 2-into service. The
Canadians do not like this. and they
cry out quite as loudly against these
two boats as the United States pre-
viously cried out against the British
gunboat.
The new vessels have peaceful
mission to perform, however, during
peaceful times. They are to be used
to carry freight cars across Lake
Michigan for the Toledo, Ann Arbor
and Northern Michigan railroad from
Frankfort, Mich, to Kewaunee. Wis,
but they may be converted into war
ships in two hours time
The defenders" measure 267 feet
in length and fifty-two feet beam. Each
draws normally twelve feet of water,
with a displacement Of 1850 tons.
Each ship has three screws, placed
one on each quarter and one in the
bow. The lower tips of the propeller
blades are flush with the keel.
and this renders it impossible for the
propeller to touch ground below the
keel. The three separate engines of
the horizontal compound type with
which each vessel is furnished are all
placed below the water line
The forward screw is designed ex-
pressly for crushing ice, and the
hulls Of the ships are shaped with
especial reference to rising above and
breaking down the ice in order to en-
able the work of the boats to con-
tinue during the winter. The hull
construction is of oak up to two feet
above the water line. At the water
line belt of iron extends all around
the vessel, having uniform width of
six feet. In the bow, extending aft
to the distance of fifteen feet, is a
massive backing of oak. There is
extra oak backing under all the
beams along the water line, and
steel cord running entirely around
the vessel, '.nipping' together the.
oak backing, adds strength longi~-
tudinally.
The battery of these two ships may
be made up of as heavy ordnance,
rifles as may be desired by the navy
department, owing to the decks be-
ing very much stronger than those of
the majority of lake vessels. In the
opinion of the naval boards, rendered
after careful inspection, twelve six
inch high-power ordnance rifles, or,
four fifty-ton breech-loading guns,
may be mounted on either of these,
vessels. If the six-inch rifles were.
used, one would be placed on each
bow and quarter and eight amidships.
If fifty-ton guns are used, they will
be placed in turrets.
In case there is ever occasion for
the use of these vessels in warlike
manner that plan will be decided.
upon which will admit of the quick
est and most efficient conversion.
1t is proposed to build three more
ships of the same type, making five
in all Owing to the remarkable
maneuvering powers which these
vessels will possess because of the
three screws and their heavy arma-
ment, it will be next to impossible for
any ordinary gunboat to successfully
oppose them. AS hammers they will
be well nigh invincible, especially
when pitted against any one of the
unwieldy propeller type of vessel
which the British government pro-
poses to convert into war ships.
The new "defendersn would be able
to run entirely around one of these
big vessels, which would also labor
under another and serious disadvan-.
tage, owing to the fact that their
decks are not strong enough for the
mounting of anything in the artillery
line except light rapid fire guns of
small caliber. It was j. M. Ashley jr.
who originated the idea of making
these ships readily convertible into
war vessels.
Great Expectations.
key Goldstein-Papa, vOs eighdt
wears Oldt TO-DAY.