The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-12
How Work on Naval YES
sells is Progressing.
Calculations of Power Exerted
BY Heavy Ordnance.
Several Methods OF Muscle Building.
Mrs. Reynolds Loyalty.

Chief Constructor Hichborn Of the navy
has prepared very interesting statement
showing the progress OF the work on the
various naval vessels now in course OF
construction. From this report 1t ap-
pears that the Iowa is IS per cent COM
plcted, the Kcarsarge 17lS per cent. and
the Kentucky 169l per cent OF the three
most recently authorized battle ships, the
Illinois is 211 per cent completed and the
Alabama 3 per cent The three gunboats,
the Nashville, Wilmington and Helena
are nearly up TO the 100 per cent mark.
The Wilmington is further advanced than
the other two boats, being rated as "a
per cent. completed. She has had her
trial trip and is now at Newport News.
She will shortly be ordered to Norfolk.
She will be ready for her officers and crew
within month. She is destined for
the China station. The Nashville and the
Helena are not far behind the Whining
ton Each is said to be 93 per cent. COM
pleted In about three months they ought
70 be ready to be turned over TO the gov
eminent.
Work on gunboats Nos. 10, II, 12, 13, IA
and Is is proceeding satisfactorily Nos.
IL and 12 are near the point of compile
ton The construction work on each is
given as "a per cent. completed. No. 10 is
IS per cent. completed; Nos. IA, and Is,
~ per cent. each, and No 13, 40 per cent.
The Government has under construction
fifteen torpedo boats, known as Nos 3, 4,
:, 9, z, s. 9, 10, III, 12, 13 II, 10, 16, IL and
IS. No. is SO per cent. completed; No
20 per cent and No. 20 per cent. No.
recently had her trial trip, and developed
wonderful speed. No. will shortly have
trial run. No. s is put down by Chief
Constructor Hichborn as 6912 per cent
completed The following per centagcs of
work done on the remaining torpedo
boats are given in his statement as: No.
g. zero; No. 10, zero; No. IL, zero;
No. H. 6per cent. No. 13, 8 per
cent. Nos. IA, 15, 16, II, and IL,
zero. The Holland submarine torpedo
boat is said to be 40 per cent. completed.
Some interesting calculations have
lately been made TO determine the power
excrtcd by heavy ordnance The 10o-ton
gun, with a 550-pound charge of powder,
throws projectile weighing 2020 pounds
at an initial velocity of Ills feet per
second. 1t communicates to it, there
fore, a live power or kinetic force of o.
997, 900 foot pounds. The thrust exerted
by the gases due TO the ignition of the
powder lasts less than hundredth of
second The result is, that during the
active period of work of the powder in the
gun the mean power is greater than
", 000 600 foot pounds per hundredth of
a second, say s, zoo, 600, 600 foot pounds per
second. This represents power of IL
700, 900 kilowatts, or 17,000,0 900 horse |
power. Although large guns are extraor-
.iinarily powerful, their active life is es-
sentially ephemeral, since, after 100 shots,
they are generally out of service They |
have then worked actively one second.
Now that physical culture has come into |
such general use many different methods |
for muscle building have been brought |
forward. The naturally "big" man, with |
heavy dumbclls, long runs, and vigor-
GUS, hearty diet Exercise tears down old |
tissue and nature supplies new. II in the |
process Of selection, the cells are compelled |
to work too quickly, they take anything
that offers, usually sthe coarser matter
which has less tensile endurance Another
system employs light dumbells and chest |
at<vbf b,tf xxytth ba
ingly repeated many times. The result /
is good supply of compactly arranged |
muscle OF great elasticity but of slow
growth. Its hardness is due to the large
amount of silicon deposited in the tissue.
BY the slower process the cells are given
more time to select good materials An.
other method has more philosophical ba-
sis the principle that the natural lines OF |
force are lines OF grace hence graceful pos
lures are assumed and sustained, combined |
with an endeavor to bring the mind To "A |
correspondingly forceful attitude. Sur |
prising results have been attained One
woman who practiced it could lift her
husband who weighed over 200 pounds. |
and run with him for fifty yards Other
Professors teach pupils only to flex or un-
flex their muscles, or togo through the |
mental operations, keeping the will tense
Any method which develops and directs
the mental force has more consistency |
moro regard for the principle that mans |
physical and mental natures work i'm |
unity. None of these exercises should be |
undertaken when the stomach is heavy |
with food.
The recent death OF Mrs. Jane NJ. Rey- |
nolds at Glasgow, KY, leads to the telling |