The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-05-07
CLASS OF 'O7.
Continued from page 8.

The breech loading system, after severe
struggle. has at last gained recognition and is
the only system now used. Very few men are
needed to fire modern ordnance and in mos
cases these are protected by shields.
Three styles of projectiles are used. The one
used in piercing armour is made of chilled
steel 1t is long, slender and sharp pointed.
The second style of projectile is short and car
ries a heavy charge of powder. 1t is used for
the purpose of destroying Notifications. Med
ern Notifications are partly invisible and are
covered in front with a screen of earthworks.
In order to strike this sort of fortifcatiOn eec-
lively, a curved fire is necessary to land the
missile over the crest of the screen. The third
style of projectie is used for the destruction of
troops. This is called shrspnell and consists
Of thin shell filled with bullets which is
exploded by a time fuse.
The big guns of to-day are immense, weigh
ing from fourteen to one hundred tons, while
the largest ones are over forty FIVE feeti length
and have q striking force of sixty -one thousand
two hundred foot tons. The proiectiles which
these guns throw weigh over eighteen hundred
pounds and travel with great rspidity and
accuracy. Is there any resistance great enough
to withstand these prodigious balls? Any
strength firm enough to throw of these i'm.
mense prejectiles?
The modern armor plate cannot only stop
these mighty bullets in their mad fight, but
can also utterly crush them. Ever since the
invention of the first armOr plate over fifty
years ago there has been fight for supremacy
between the gun and the srmOr plate. But to-
day the plate has gained an apparently COM
plete victory over the gun. The largest gun
II hat xrff
age the great CRIMSON Amor Shield. This is
made of chilled steel and presents cylindrical
face to the enemy 1t is imbedded in wall of
natural rock before which is a screen of mason
~ A detachment of men behind such shield
would remain uniniured in the most severe
bombardment 1t is used for port defense and
has two openings in its sides for guns, The
old time fort has been supplanted by this and
similar shields and by the disappearing turrets.
Very simple machinery is used in their manlp-
ulation. They are operated by small squad OF
men. This style of defence is arranged as fol-
lows A large gun is mounted on movable
platform and lowered into a cellar prepared for
it and covered by a steel turret While in this
cellar the gun is loaded and aimed. Then it is
raised above ground and fired. The recol
causes the platform to sink to its former posi-
ton leaving nothing but the turret exposed TO
the fire of the enemy, the whole operation re-
curing but a few seconds. a steel srmor sim
liar in texture to the Crimson Shield, is placed
on all modern warships, ranging from nine to
fourteen inches in thickness. This is practical
ly impenetrable.
Another means of naval warfare is the torpe-
do boat The rapidly repeating guns which
arm these boats are not expected TO do more
than pierce the thin shells of boats of their own
size while their torpedoes are intended to blow
ND an enemys big ship, even at the cost OF
their own existence.
In 1883 torpedo boats were considered fall
ure: their power was so limited and the num-
Der of lives lost was so great that for some time
their use was abandoned But since the inven-
ton of submerged torpedo tubes, their destruc-
tive power is enormous. while the risk to life is
small. The English navy, which is the largest
in the world, carries one hundred of these
boats.
The British battle ship, Magnificent, is an
example of the finest warships on the sea,
She is three hundred ninety feet in length,
weighs in water fourteen thousand nine hun
dred tons. drains twenty-seven and one half
feet of water and carries fifty seven terribly de-
strucuve guns.
Among the Russian men of war, perhaps the
most interesting is the Dimitri Douski She is
one of the vessels on which was tried the eX
pertinent of placing sheathing of copper out
side the steel of which her hull is built but this
idea has since been abandoned.
The Germans have devoted considerable at
tention to the construction of protected ships OF
light weight and high speed, These ships are
not expected to do the main fighting ina naval
battle, but are valuable as scouts and in attack
ing vessels of like size.
The Italian navy carries two of the most
formidable fighters of the sea They have an
armor of eighteen inches and their speed is
seventeen knots, about twenty miles, an hour.
Their largest guns weigh one hundred and FIVE
tons each, throwing proiectiles which will
pierce almost any armOr used on modern war
ships.
The Spanish navy is small, consisting mostly
of unarmored vessels. Spain has but one battle
ship of any character. but one port defence.
about nine first class cruisers, two second class
and twenty-six third class; butthese are in poor
repair and would be of no value in naval
battle. In case Spain should declare war
against the United States in connection with
the Cuban affair, our Atlantic squadron alone
could completely demolish the Spanish navy,
while our entire feet is three or four times as
effective in warfare.
The Indiana, of the United States navy, is
the highest type of modern war
ship. Mr. Batty in speaking of her says;
There is no ship sfoat of her size and tonnage
which could whip the Indiana in a fair fight
This is a sweeping statement it means that
American designers, ship builders and engin-
GERS have turned out the finest vessel Of her
class afioat. But this is substantiated by the
opinions of too many well known naval experts
to be doubted" This ship cost little more
than three million dollars. is three hundred and
forty feet in length, with speed OF fifteen
knots an hour. She carries fOrty-siX guns, four
of which weigh sixty tons. Each Of these guns
throws a projectile weighing one thousand one
hundred pounds. over eleven miles piercing
steel plate OF eight inches at that range.
These guns are so arranged that the broad
side of the ship at one discharge can hurl near
" six thousand pounds of metal.
The New York and Massachusetts, hold sec
ond rank in our navy. The New York being
lighter than either the Indiana or Massaehu-
-. ;s sr,1a N voove much more rapidly.