People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-09-08

have seen there l0-inch gun knock
into flinders the strongest and heaviest
plate that is at present produced.
All Of the recent naval engagements
prove that the very best armor and the
heaviest armor upon the battle ships of
this day cannot resist the tremendous
power OF the guns We now hsv. in our
possession.
So after this very large expenditure
we shall probably fiud, with the inyen-
tions with regard to dynamite and tor
pedos and different explosives, that the
Government will have expended a large
amount of money for useless pile of
iron and steel, that will not meet mod
ern requirements. | think it is very
dangerous course to pursue, in the light
of what is transporting, to tax the peo-
pie OF the United States for what | con.
siGer so very large and useless an ex.
penditure Of the public funds.
Mr.. Ray. II the gentleman will per-
nit me, following the line of his argu-
ment, it would be just as we'll not to
have any ironclads az all, would it not,
according to the gentleman's view?
Mr.. Simpson. | said, that in the be-
ginning, recent events have developed
the fact that the light-armored cruiser
has proven more than match for the
battle ship, and that under our peculiar
conditions, with such a long coast line
to defend, think if We need anything
at all we neee more of the light, swift
cruisers that can enter ports where
ships Of light d. aft can obtain entrance
Mr.. Ray. Following out your argu
ment that you make, what is the use O.
any armor at ALP
Mr.. Simpson. do not see that there
is very much use in it.
Mr.. Ray. The way that it struck mi
was that your argument tended to show
that armor Of any kind on the vessels
was useless.
Mr.. Simpson. Tread an account o
the battle between the Chinese anC
Japanese at the Yalu River, and ther,
was one Japanese gunboat which wa
unarmored which stayed in the fgh
throughout. There we're more thai
forty holes shot clear through her, ant
yet she remained in action. The mel
on board plugged up the holes as fas
as they were shot through her, and sh
continued in action all through tn
fight.
Mr.. Talbot OF Maryland. Does tn
gentleman know that one OF the Chin
J ese battle ships received over fou
hundred shots, and none penetratedI
Mr.. Simpson. Yes;l and torped
boat came along and struck her an
sunk her, and the account said that sh
turned over and went down with he
propeller wheel sticking up in the all
And that is about all they are good fol
Mr.. Ray. AS the penetrating powe
OF our guns is increased, should we no
also proportionately, as far as we car
increase the power OF resistance fror
the ships themselves?
Mr.. Simpson. There seems 10 be n
limit to the increase in the force {
J propelling proiectiles from rifled car
non. We have gore on increasing tn
thickness Of armor, until today
! seems that we have about reached tn
limit. There is limit to the carryin
capacity OF ships. All the armor
} placed above the water line, or yer
nearly SO. 1t projects but very ittl
below the water line, and therefore tn
enormous weight must necessaril
} rest upon the top OF the ship. Any ma
who is familiar with vessels and tn
things pertaining thereto knows tina
a ship must have part Of the weigh
t she carries down below the water line
Any thing else makesi her top-heav
and unseaworthy.
We have, as | say, apparently reache
the limit. We have gone on increasin
the thickness Of this armor so that
makes such an enormous weight tina
!: these ships seem now to be unable
: bear 1t. The history OF the sinking Of tn
! British ship OF war Victoria shows ths
! she was top-heavy, and when hol
was cut in her and some water got
which ran over TO one side it gave he