The evening times., 1896-02-22
The double-turreted monitor, Monadnock,

The dOuble-turreted monitor, Monadnock
| is read for service.
After twenty-five years in building, She
is at last completed andin commission.
| This vessel is peculiar in having been con
| structed unlike any other ship in the navy
| The original ship was taken around Cape
| Horn years ago from the east coast, the
| voyage being accomplished under great
| difficulties.
| No monitor had ever before attempted
such a long sea journey and ii wa squestion-
able whether she could make il in safety.
Commander Bunce, now admiral, com
mandinc the home station, was the officer
selected for this pcrilous trip. and he sue
cccded in his mission with comparative
ease, aud without the slightest danger to the
ship at any time.
He afterwards reported thai the crew We're
as safe in the monitor as they could have
been in a larger ship designed for extensive
cruising.
PRACTICALLY REBUILT.
After reaching San Francisco the Monad-
mock was surveyed and condemned, but in
order to secure Il vessel Of her class for the
service,it was determined to practically re-
build her. This could not well be done IT
that time on The Pacific Goa ST. so acontra ct
was made with an Eastern firm to construct
the vessel in parts nd ship them across the
continent IL he there put together.
In this way the Monadnock was begun.
and after fifteen years work had been car
ried on. the department decided TO build
her on different plans. and to make her mod
ern in all respects. Then, in $50, author
ity was secured to give the ship modern
rifled guns. armored turrets and new ma
chinery. and since then this work has been
conducted. Now the Monalnock is one OF
the finest ships of the monitor type afloat;
the superior, il is claimed by Officers to the
Miantonomah and Amphilritc and the equal
of the Monterey.
Her station will probably always be on the
Pacific coast. as il would involve great ex-
pense To bring her around TO this side, and,
moreover. vessels of her class are required
for the protection OF the principal ports on
the western side OF the continent.
The commissioning of this ship gives the
Pacific coast 4 formida bic array OF fighters,
and when the few cities requiring protection
are considered, il is safer from attack than
the Atlantic seaboard. Besides the Monad-
mock. there are the Monterey. another su-
perb fighter; the great battleship oregon.
fast approaching readiness for service; the
first-class cruiser Baltimore. out OF com
mission. but available for service on short
notice; the Petrol soon 70 reach port from
the far East; the Philadelphia. and the wood
en- vessels Adams and Marion. Exclusive
OF the naval strength OF the station, San
Francisco is better protected with coast
1nf hu m .ifN an he
EXPLOSIVES AND MODERN GUNS.
1t is considered important to the navy
that the question whether high explosives
can be fired with safety from modern guns
should be determined and ordnance Off
GERS are hopeful that the $4,000 appro-
priation asked for with which TO conduct
experiments may be secured.
There have been some attempts made to
discharge high explosives from guns, but
while the experiment was successful IL is
deemed dangerous on the whole. Some
time ago a siX-inch gun was used in an
and gun cotton fired without
disastrous results TO the piece, but, on
account OF the danger OF conclusion through
the friction of the rifling il is not con-
sidered prudent TO make further expert
ments until some means is found TO insure
greater security from explosion 10 the gun.
Several inventions have been submitted to
the department which the ordnance off
GERS wish to experiment with. One of these
provides an inner shell to, the outer COW
ering. fixed to the latter on a pivot so
arranged that as the projectile revolves the
inner shell containing the explosive will
remain i'm one position. and thus avoid the
charge tring disturbed by The shock of the
shell in running the rifiing.
If the ordnance officers can find some
way TO lessen the danger OF explosion pre-
there may be another revolution
in naval warfare. for it is conceded that no
could stand the explosion OF a
,hirieen-inch shell charged with several
hundred pounds of gun cotton.