The morning times., 1895-12-29
HERBERT HAS A HOME NAVY
Secretary Inspects Warships
With His Little Grandson.
WHITE SQUADRON ON A DESK
Every Afternoon Mrs. Micou's
Boy Spends Several Hours
With His Grandfather.

Secretary Herbert's Christmas presents
began arriving some tiue ago. 1t is fully
a month since a great truck drove up to
his door and, with much mystery and a
great Juggling and straining, there was de
posted upon the sidewalk a long, bulky
piece of merchan ndise that took half dozen
men to move it and half a dozen more to
convey it into the private office of the
Secretary.
The bulky merchandise was the model
of the newest great warstip, and the Christ
mas element in ii was more sharply de-
fined from the fact that the first ship was
O surprise to the Secretary, and that il was
placed where 1t could please not him only,
but the smallest member OF his household
The miniature battleships DOW in posses
sion OF the Secretary are as great Is the
number OF the new warsliips. The little
Columbia is just being completed. the tiny
Indiana has been done and is now In his
private navy yard" and the other war
ships, cruisers rams, aud members OF the
White Squadron are pleDtifully represented.
To cali upon the Secretary OF our navy
now would be a great treat for any hoy,
great OF small.
WHY SHIPS ARE MADE.
The reason for the making Of the tiny
warships is one not clearly understood by
people Iu general. Upon the face OF the
matter 1t looks like a piece OF extravaganza,
the hunoring Of a fad and the sending of
money TO waste. The cabied notice tuat
the Secretary has ordered another model
ship built at q cost OF $500 is received
by many people with a shaking of the
head. -
As matter OF fact. the ma king of these
small warships is almost necessary as
their original construction, and without
the ''home navy the navy of the sea
might as well go into retirement until
certain things could be learned about it.
From the miniature navy the speed OF the
great war vessels is ascertalned- If
small model OF warship, constructed
precisely like the big ship, will go at a
certain speed upon the water, the big ship
Will go at the same speed. IL
costs only $50 to ascertain this fact from
the little ship, but 1t would cost $3.50 to
ascertain the highest rate Of speed with
the big ship.
Everything about q warship costs money,
ei.ormous sums. A single fire from big
CTn costs $500, this being the actual cost
OF powder, balls and ammunition OF what
ev. kind is put In, smokeless, explosive
She or whatever may be selected. With
q / lie gun IN q model ship it is different.
Fir,. dollars will fire off all its guns, and
from the firing the navy officer can learn
what VIII be the resistance OF each cha rye,
and how the speed of the big vessel viii be
affected by 1t. This is one reason and it
Is the simplest one explanatory OF the max
ing OF the models.
Secretary Herbert, besides having these
model ships, is going to have very soon a
private ocean upon which to sail them. He
is going to have a tank like the one with
which the Kaiser aInuses himself, and
similar to the tanks of the English navy
yard.
HERBERT's PRIVATE OCEAN.
Secretary Herbert's private ocean win
be about 500 feet long and 25 feet wide.
This Is about the size OF one "block" of q
city street, say from crossing to crossing.
with the middle Of the street for the tank.
1t Will be about ten feet deep. as even the
baby warship draws considerable water.
The Will soon be an appropriation for this
priv, ocean. and then 1t will be quickly
built; ior in making an artificial ocean one
docs rot have to wait for the "little drops of
water" to accumulate. The watersupply is
turned on and you have an ocean at presto
notice.
The size of Secretary Herbert's "home
navy" is about five feet for each warship,
and the others small In proportion. A
warship as it is sent to him Is about the
length OF q feurteen-year-oldg girl. If she were
TO lie upon he floor. and about the same
width. A least this is what the warship
Indiana 10, led like as 1t was being borne,
wrapped in sailcloth. into the navy office
upon the shoulders of many men: Looks
as If !; girl had tainted away and stretched
herself stiff out" said some one in the
cror-i watching the burden being carried in.
TIL, great guns of the little ships are most
int -estlng. They are the length OF your
nj, lie finger and the size around. They
arr ike bolts off q storm door. In the
center there is hole bored, and later all
fhe little accoutrements Of the Maxim. or
whatever gun may be used upon the ship.
are added When completed and in place
they are very cunning little things. and a
warship loses its terror when once you take
1n all the workings of its guns at short range
and upon an easily comprehended scale.
I Not the least admirer of these war