The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-03
A NAVAL POSSIBILITY
HOW AN OCEAN LINER MIGHT BE
CAPTURED BY ONE of OUR SHIPS.
The New Columbia After the Campo
nia-The "Greyhounds" Cannot
Escape the "Pirates.o

triple screw Commerce destroyer" to
the contractors Mr.. Charles H Cramp,
the ship builder. christened the craft
the Pirate, because her mission was to
capture the merchant vessels of an
enemy and destroy them. Incidentally
she would fight if she had to, but the
destruction of unarmed ships would be
her chief duty. When the Pirate was
baptised the Columbia her nickname fell
into disuse, but at the Cramps's ship
yard she is best remember under her
old title.
1t is one of the peculiar eccentricities
of modern civilization that private prop
erty on the sea is treated in different
way from private property on land
The troops of civilized nations are not
permitted to despoil the inhabitants of
an enemy's country. but nothing afloat
is exempt from confiscation or destruc-
ton at the captor's will. Consequently,
among the needs of modern navy are
steamers fast enough to overtake all
other vessels.
Up to date the Columbia and her twin.
the Minneapolis, are the only war ships
in the world which could run down the
war should make their capture desirable.
Great Britain has designed two enor-
nous craft--the Powerful and the Ter
rible-which are expected to have the
speed necessary to hunt down the CO.
Iumbia and the Minneapolis, and the
battery to destroy them; but at the
present time the American triple screw
commerce destroyers have the heels of
all sea-going war ships afioat.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
Now suppose that the Columbia
should be called upon to capture one of
the first-class ocean liners. What would
be her plan of action?
1t may be assumed that if the United
States were at war with Great Britain
the liners would not be running to our
ports. but might, perhaps, make Hall
fax their western destination. Know
ing then. in general, the route of the
merchant steamers-say the Campania-
the Columbia would leave New York
with her bunkers full and with as large
an additional supply of coal as could
be slowed on deck. Reaching a spot in
midocean, approximately on the track
of the ships she sought, the Columbia
would steam back and forth on a me-
ridian of longitude, covering range of
perhaps thirty knots on each course, at
a fifteen-knot speed, keeping the sharp
est kind of lookout all the time. Hav-
ing range of vision in clear weather
of at least fifteen miles, she would be
almost sure to sight the enemy if the
latter passed in the daytime.
Assume then that the Campania is
sighted in the forenoon at distance of
fifteen miles, and that the Campania is
equally quick to spy the Columbia.
Probably neither will be a BILE to recog-
nize the other accurately beyond
greater distance than ten miles. The
Columbia. having the heels of every
thing, will run straight toward the
stranger, but the Campania will not
change her course until she suspects the
Columbia to be a foe.
At the first glimpse of another steamer
the Columbia will spread the banked
fires under all the reserve boilers, will
put on the forced draught and start
all three engines at work. BY the time
the Campania takes alarm and changes
her course in flight the Columbia's three
screws will be revolving at their high
est speed, the ship will be stripped for
action and the long, stern chase will
have begun. Let us assume that ten
miles separate the two ships, and that
each is in a condition capable of doing
her best.
On board the Columbia there is no
excitement save such as naturally ac-
companies the exertion to it's full ca
pacity of enormous power. Furnaces
are at white heat, while half naked fire.
men methodically shovel in additional
Iuel, ana the great IdnS WHIT 1nc6S-
sanity as the air is driven into the fire
rooms and is sucked up through the
glowing CRATE bars. AS the steam pres
sure touches ITO pounds in one set of
boilers the safety valve lifts, and on
deck a roar is heard like the rage of an
Imprisoned and tortured giant. From
end to end the mighty hull rattles and
quiverS with the thrObs of the pro-
pellers, sharper and more staccato-lilxe
as the bow plunges and the stern lifts
49, H. -
tiers not what may be the direction of
the breeze, the ship makes her own
wind as her speed rises above twenty
two knots. and the showers of hot Gin
ders sweep the decks abaft the smoke
stacks.
A STERN CHASE IS A. LONG ONE.
Every eye on deck is leveled at the
distant steamer, now in full flight, dead
ahead. There is no question as to her
identity, for no other craft likely to be
in that neighborhood could hold such
tremendous speed. Far distant though
she is, the Companies officers on look
out aloft have been able to recognize
her distinguishing features of rig, hull
and smokestacks. The occasional CLEAN
of foam glancing from her bow as she
plungeS into wave shows that she, too,
is going at no ordinary speed
Steadily the registers on the Column
bias engines CLICK on the revolutions.
A weird voice is heard in the engine
rooms what number of revolutions
are you making?" And the replies pres
emily explode in the silence of the con-
ming tower: Zone hundred and thirty
six a minute, starboard engines, SIR
lone hundred and thirty-five, port en-
gines SIR: Zone hundred and thirty
two, midship engines, SIR
THAT means twenty-three knots
says the captain, with an anxious look
. ahead .'If we can hold that gait six
hours we shall have her within easy
range"
What do you give the Campania ?''
asks the executive officer.
We'll, she is probably making be-
tween 81 and 21.4," replies the captain.
"She has start of ten knots. 1t is
now 10 o'clock, and if we can gain a
knot and a half an hour we shall be
within a mile of her at o'clock. and
can take her before dark, but if we
gain less than that it will be an even
chance that she gets away after night
fall"
Thenceforward there was no change
until noon except that the revolutions
fall off five or six turns per minute and
then pick up again a little. But there
is evidently an equal decrease in the