The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-15

opponents say that she would be rid
died by her opponents quick-firing
guns before she could get within
range. One shot in her unprotected
magazines would wreck her. That is
undoubtedly true, but the same thing
is true of every other torpedo boat.
The Vesuvius is nothing more than
torpedo boat She l1urls her torpedoS
through the air instead sof through the
water. She has high speed to avoid
being struck by projectiles. She would
nave an even chance in a fight and If
could approach near an antagonist
with comparative safety. If only one
of her thirty shots hit the mark, even
Though she might be lost herself, she
would be a success in an engagement.
Open hostility has been shown in the
navy to this boat. Certain naval OIL
GERS have declared that the use of gun
cotton and similar explosives belongs
to the army. Wholesale butchery
work such as the use of these eXDlo-
sives suggests, is not to their liking.
There can be no doubt as to the sue
cess of the "dynar7ite' guns on land.
but why the government should reject
their use on a moving platform, sim
ply because they are not as effective
been explained. Many persons who
are familiar with the facts as to the
opposition in the navy to the Vesuvius
do not hesitate to assert that it arises
from motives which are highly dis
creditable to any man whose profession
is that of warfare. The Vesuvius draws
only about eleven feet of water. has a
speed of nearly twenty-five knots and
3. 500 horse power Darling about a
harbor with but little regard to chan
nelS and with enormous powers of
destruction in her hold there is no
telling the probable limitation of her
power and value. She is useful in time
of peace in blowing up wrecks along
the coast and in time of war would be
of great value, for any agency of de-
struction is valuable then.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE
RAM
The ram Katahdin does not rest on
speculation merely as to its value. The
loss Of the Victoria in collision with
the ram of the Camperdown in the
Mediterranean sea three years ago
showed the effectiveness of the ram.
There were instances of it in our civil
war. Numerous accidents at sea have
shown that collision blows are the
most fatal to ships. The Katahdin is
built for that purpose solely. She has
a thick steel deck of armor capable OF
the attack of ordinary guns.
Her prov is of solid steel and weighs
fourteen tons of itself. Her ram is
slender as we'll as sharp. The idea of
that is that she may draw away when
she has struck her antagonist a blow
and not be carried down when the in
jured vessel goes under The Kathadin
carries two small rapid firing guns for
use in case of attack by torpedo boats.
Her speed is about fifteen knots. She
will not hesitate to attack any vessel
that floats. She has more than 70 water
tight compartments and numerous
pumps for use in case of injury to her
self in collision. She draws only Is feet
of water and thus is in some measure
of channels in harbOr de-
Tense. Numerous descriptions of her
have been printed recently.
1t is only within short time that 1t
became generally known that this coun-
try was building a submarine torpedo
boat and that within a year the craft
would probably be in service. The sub
marine boat is as yet unnamed. She is
to run on the surface at the rate of Is
knots an hour, awash, that is with only
the observation turret and smoke stack
showing, at the rate of Is knots an
hour; submerged completely. at the rate
of knots an hour for six hours at a
stretch. When running under water
storage batteries are the propelling
power. When running awash or on the
surface steam is used. When about to
dive the smoke stack is dropped inside
the craft and all openings are made
light Compressed air furnishes breath
ing atmosphere. Paddles that resemble
in principle the feet of duck are the
means by which the diving is done. The
boat can be made to dive twenty-five
feet in twenty seconds when running
On the surface and in ten seconds when
running awash. 1t carries five torpe-
does which are to be discharged against
a hostile vessel When it is not de-
sired to come up in the presence of an
enemy camera lucida, which is no.
thing more than pipe about eight
inches in diameter with lot of mir
rors in it, is polled out of the water
and a view of the surroundings is OBJ
tanned. The vessel has satisfied every !
of the navy department. |
If she is the success which it is reason |
able to think she will be, no man-of- |
war in existence would dare come into |
| harbor she was known to be guarding. |
Thus there are four types of vessels |
that the United States have that no
other nation possesses. They all grow
out Of the policy that this country
needs navy chiefly for defense For |
his purpose these vessels cannot be |
equalled; for offensive purposes they
ire of little value. That of itself tells |
L story of the policy of this nation to- /
ward others.
Much has been said about the posi- /
oility of bombarding New York by a |
hostile fleet lying off Sandy Hook. This !
S practically impossible. Owing to |
he difficulty of elevating the guns
sufficiently, the largest OF them could /
lot be made to shoot more than eight |
niles. That would be from eight to ten I
niles from New York City If the We |
'uvius, Kathadin or the Holland boat |
we're in the harbor not one beat of a |
hostile fleet would dare to venture in
side of the harbor.
FRANKLIN MATTHEW'S.