Evening star., 1897-04-10

placed on the main deck, shielded within
armored sponsors and further protected
by heavy splinter bulkheads Of steel,
while the two remaining, protected only
by fixed segmental shields, are placed upon
the after bridge deck. where they com
mand a very wide arc of fire and would
be particularly serviceable against torpedo
boat attack. From these rifles and the
smaller rapid-fire guns of six and one
pounder denomination could be maintained
a perfect storm of explosive shell. before
which the lighter parts of foe would yield
like reeds before storm, and through
which it would DE Impossible for a torpedo
boat TO approach near enough to inflict in
jury-if seen in time.
From any one CT the four torpedo tubes,
two of which are on either broadside, a
mass OF i2e pounds of gun cotton could be
sped on its errand of destruction, and no
ship yet fabricated could withstand the
force of that shock if the blow were fairly
placed.
Source Of Command.
Just below the pilot house, behind ana
above the forward main turret, is the com
ming tower, within whose narrow compass
and behind whose curving walls of ten
inch steel the captain caa control the mar
Veious forces at his command and guide
his ship into action. Within this citadel
OF his and upon its walls are speakin;:
tunee telegraphs. electrical buttons and
teii-tales of ali Sorts, besides the steering
gear, all leading below through a seven
incn armoreJ tube of steel on their sey-
eral missions of communication and re-
sponse- There before HIM he can read the
SPEED OF his ship. know to nicety the
angle of the rudder; read his orders an
sWSred; follow the pointer that tells the
distance of The approaching foe, and know
the readiness of every division of that
great organism below him. Thus safely
hodsed he Will take his ship into action
and ne that would question him there and
challenge the honor OF our flag must come
VITA rap of 5000 foot tons and more be-
fore those walls will yield.
Al the captain command the massive
machinery begins to turn, and present,y
When the great engines are making d hun
dred and more revolutions a minute, and
the two screws churn the water aft with
all the energy of 1000 horse power, the
snip moving mass of II ,410 tons, is fore
ing her way along at sixteen knots an
hour. To stand liz her way then means to
take a blow of 10000 foot tons from her
murde rouS ram, before which the thick.st
armor would bend like grass before a gale
As last resort, with her own guns incap-
able OF further fire. the Iowa might strike
sucn a bloW, but IL would conform better
with her captains own notion of glory 10
Dring his VanGuished into port rather than
TO send her inevitably to the bottom.
Destructive Force.
No single mind can compass the awful
powers OF modern battle ship; and only
a faint notion of what the destructive
force OF her guns can mean can be had
from the shattered fragments about our
proving grounds. There We see great
masses of battered and broken arrnor, but
we miss the bruised and bleeding bodies
that must form the unavoidable accom-
panlment 20 tangled steel work, blazing
decks. and the wholesale havoc OF oh
strGoting parts.
The construction of the Iowa was au-
thorized by act Of Congress, approved July
10, les3 On the 11th of February, 1899.
the work was awarded to William Cramn
G Sons, and on the 9TH of August follow
ing, her keel was laid. She was launched
ON the 18th of March. 1896. The contract
called fcr speed of sixteen knots an hour,
with promised bonus of $4,000 for every
additional quarter knot As a result. the
contractors have won 100000 over and
beyond the contract price of S3010,OUO