The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-21
a GREAT BATTI,ESHIP

a GREAT BATTLESHIP,
The United States of America is to be
the second, if not the first, on the
waters of the world. Threatened for
eign complications Of late have aroused
the country to realization of the fact
that this government needs a great
navy much more than it needs a great
army. America can whip any nation
or combination of nations on the globe,
on her own ground. But no nation is
going to declare war against US which
would neceSsitate America for the bat
tle-grOund. Having the Venezuela
and the Cuban and the Behring sea
misunderstanding upon our hands,
with possible complications, the thing
to do is TO strengthen the navy. An
napolis, therefore, is becoming more
important than West Point What
with this c0untry's unbounded re-
sources, with the Atlantic washing one
shore and the Pacific the other, and
with our Yankee push and ingenuity,
the United States in very few years
can have a navy greater in effective
ness than any that floats.
Little knowledge Of the dimensions
and speed Of steam vessels Is required
to enable landSmen to understand that
a remarkabl record has been made
by the new United States battleship
Oregon in averaging 1885 statute miles
an hour for almost four hours when
on the regular official trial trip, near
Santa Barbara, Cal. The mere figures
show that quite plainly.
Most people Of ordinary intelligence
know that 10 miles an hour is high
speed for a steamer. They understand
that battleships are heavy and massive,
and it is not expected that armor-clad
fighting ships will be so fast as lighter
and less ponderous craft. But COM
paratively few persons are aware how
greatly the shape of a floating fort like
the Oregon differs from that of bust
ness steamers which fall far below the
new battleship in point of speed
The length of the great fighting ma
chine, which is the pride of the Pacific
coast and the latest formidable addi-
ton TO the American navy, is 34S feet.
The vessel is over 60 feet in width.
Good freight steamers on the great
lakes and the ocean alike have not more
than 40 feet beam, at most, for 34S
feet of length. They are about eight
times as long as they are wide. The
Oregon is hardly five TO one, in the
same dimensions. That means very
great difference. Ocean passenger
line steamships as wide, or nearly as
wide, as the Oregon are about 600 feet
long.
Batueships must be built with great
breadth of beam in order 10 give them
strength TO withstand the strain of
their own batteries and to prevent such
rolling in rough weather as would Grip
pie them if called upon to fight under
such conditions. They must be wide
in order to carry their heavy armor
and guns easily and with proper sta
bility. Therefore, the only way TO
make them fast is 10 put tremendous
engines in their massive hullS
Engines are sort Of American spe-
cialty. The shipbuilders OF this coun-
try are remarkably successful now in
getting power and speed out of ma
emery for steamers, just as they used
to be in rigging sailing ships. That is
why the new battleships Of the United
States navy are the fastest vessels of
their power and fighting ability in the
world.
When broad, heavy bull like the
Oreson's is forced through the water
st the rate of19 miles an hour il means
wonderful work by a tremendous bat
terry ofboilers and engines that reflect
much credit upon their builders. IT is
as impressive an exhibition as can Wen
be found of the power Of modern ma
chinery at its best. California NAV
well he proud that such a ship and
such machinery have been constructed
IN that state. IL shows what changes
have been wrought on the Pacific coast
since the sui lrecent days when I; was
known Is little more than a Mecca Of
thegold seekers. trappers, and other
Adventures OF the frontier OF civiiiza-
lion
incidentally the performances Of the
Oregon viii serve notice on all the
world thar the western coast Of the
United States Is well able 10 take care
Of itself if threatened with attack By
any Zoe.