Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-10-05


power had been fully tested. and its
surface was deeply indented with the
marks of the solid steel shot which
had been hurled against it with all the
power of modern rifled ordnanc. The
missiles which had been fired at it were
placed on top of the target. We noted
one, particularly-a steel conical shot,
whose point was sharp almost as q
needle and surface as bright and smooth
as if it had just come from the lathe.
| There wasn't mark or break on it
yet it had been buried fully two-thirds
of it's length into this steel plate-leav'
ing hole as smooth and clean as il
the work of drill and reamer in skilled
hands. Thus, while human ingenuity
is being taxed on the one hand to make
engines of greater destructive power
on the other its utmost skill is exerte6
to render nil it's efforts in the first
instance. Perhaps, after awhile, we
may practically solve that trying ole
problem as to the result of an irresisti
BILE force meeting an immovable body!
We went aboard of the war-ship,
whose hull is built of bricks and is
safely and quietly anchored within easy
reach of terra .frma. On her upper
deck gapes a big thirteen-inch gun,
while numerous six-inch rifled breech.
leaders peer from portfolios on either
side. While we went through her,
and took in her decks and divisions,
seriatim, we're not going to attempt a
detailed description. The apparatus
for the loading the big gun is an
epitome of ingenuity and utility. The
cartridges, which are about three feet
long and thirteen inches in diameter,
and also the projectiles, weighing we
don't know how many hundred pounds,
are stored way down in the hull, far
below the water-mark. When the gun
Is ready to receive the charge, its
breech is lowered toward the ammunition
| room, the projectile and cartridge are
placed in an elevator, and the steam
engine does the rest!
We staid aboard about one hour,
viewed the mems quarters, the officers
state-rooms, the culinary department,
etc, etc.-all of great interest to a
land-lubber, but of whose technique
he is wofully ignorant. Consequently,
his descriptive power is handicapped
with ignorance on all sides, and a
hasty acknowledgement of this exhib-
it's peculiar interest is about all that
can be consistently expected from him.
1t was sweltering hot aboard the
war-ship, and we gladly left it to seek
the less confined air outside. The
change was greater than we had ex-
pected, for just about that time cool
air set in from off the lake, and the re-
mainder of the day was delightfully."-
cool. We picked up our better-half
and again sought diversion in the ag
gregated exhibits. We went first to
the Agricultural Building, and, having
an Illinoisan with US, it did us proud
to show that our own commonwealth
was not overshadowed by her rival
sisters.
The display of the grand old State of
Missouri shows up in great shape. On
some stalks of cane about twenty feet
high, we observed the name of Charley
Langdon, Dunklin county, -
In the Horticultural Building (while
we think of iD may be found a good
display of Missouri's fruits, and espec-
tally those grown on the Olden Fruit
Farm in Howell county.
Thus we occupied our time, in a des-
ultory way, Skipping from one object
Of interest to another, until the shad-
ows of the huge buildings had greatly
engthened, towards the east, and the
lst day of July, 1898, had well-nigh
merged itself into the ever-lengthening
sternity of time passed. A singular
entity, this Eternity! Without begin
hing, without age, without ending, and
yet ever growing older! The Worlds
Fair is big thing, and yet how con-
emptible side-by-side with the works
If Him whom we attempt to glorify by
he petty tributes of our finite hands!
We took our departure about five
o'clock, and, by the cable line, rode into
he city-a distance of nine miles, all |
or nickel. We hear lots o. kicking
bout monopoly and the expressions of
and no doubt but there ;
ire grievances; yet, aggregation-en-
roaching aggregation, if you will-of
apital has made it possible for the
poorest to enjoy some of the extras OF
ife unknown to that class in days of the
bus and dstage-coach, when railroads and
rusts and combines were unknown.
But public economics are, to us at least, !,
t all times more or less mystifying. {
AS we were going to his suburban
lome in Lagrange to spend Sunday
md go to church, we put ourselves un-
er the exclusive guidance and control