Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-03-29
OLIVE GREEN SQUADRON.

OAAtO S4OOA Will 10 ullO LIZ AUAhS
color of the new ships of the navy of
the United States.
This is the decision arrived at for
the present by navy department Of
ficials, and were war now to be de-
clared, every cruiser and battleship
in the feet would be dressed in an
olive green tint inside of 36 hours.
The color selected is the result of a
series of tests with the torpedo boat
Gushing and the Ammen ram Katah
din.
The Katahdin is at present lying at
the Brooklyn navy yard, and she is
bedecked in green from the water
line to the top of her signal pole.
Every visible spot of the hull
of the Katahdin has received an
application of the fighting color, and
the ugly craft looks all the uglier in
her war paint, particularly when
viewed side by side with the hand
some Montgomery and the Columbia.
Olive green has been found to be
the color least visible at sea. There
Oh . OUIlCA COAOAO WAAASIA WOoAA No AAOl .
suitable for certain operations, but
for all round work the shade selected
is deemed the best adapted.
The Cushing demonstrated, under
the powerful rays of the searchlight,
that white was readily picked up. On
the other hand, black object was
less easily detected by the search
light than a white one.
A black object is probably the least
difficult for lookout to discover
when scanning the water on a dark
night and when depending entirely
upon his eyes.
In the late war the ships of the
Union fleet were, during the closing
years, painted drap. The idea was
taken up from the blockade runners.
The latter, in steering into the mouth
of harbor, were often able to dis
Germ the black hulls of the blockade
vessels before the runner could be
made out.
For day work at sea drap color
has many advantages. 1t more close
~ approaches to the shade of the at
mosphere and to the tone of the hori-
zon backing the ship. But at night
the searchlight readily makes out a
drab painted object.
The olive green which has been Sc
lected for the new navy ships is not
only difficult to make out by day, but
experiences shows is the hardest
known color to discern at night,
when under the searchlight rays.
The torpedo boats commanders are
particularly interested in the subject
of ship paints 1t means much to
them, whether or not their vessels
are discovered by the enemy's search
light when at distance of 1900 yards
from the enemy or at 700 yards.
The earlier the charging in torpedo
boat is discovered, just that much
longer will she be under fire.
During the fight with the insurgent
Admiral Mello- in 1894 the loyal ships
of the Brazilian navy were painted
greenish shade. The torpedo boats
which attacked the rebel admiraPs
flagship, the Aquidaban were enabled
by reason of their green tinted hulls,
to approach within 400 yards of her
before being discovered. The re-
naming charge home was of
such short duration that the Aquida-
ban was torpedoed before she could
beat off her assailants.
The shade of paint now on the Ka-
tahdin is believed to be as near per-
feet as can be produced. Unless one
is or the sharp lookout, one will pass
down East river, with the cookbook of
the navy yard in full view, and fail to
detect the Katahdin lying along its
face, and that, too, at not over 700
yards.
The new paint color is not to be ap-
piled to the sides of the warships by
any method of guesswork. The ex-
act proportion of the mixture has
been accurately determined and is SO
issued to the commanders of warships.
The white squadrons are conspicu-
Gus, pretty objects in peace; but,
presto, all will change when it comes
to war.