Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-05-10
by the Navy Department and the ore

by the Navy Department and the Ore
CONS commander informed.
Press dispatches from Rio de JSneir
say that the Oregon and Marietta lief
there on Wednesday last. The dist
| ance from Rio to St. Thomas is 3.72
| miles. At the rate of Is 1-2 knots al
! hour, the rate maintained by the Ore
| gon and Marietta in the long run up tn,
east coast of South America to Rio, 4
! will take them twelve days to get I,
st. Thomas. Accepting the press re-
| ports Of their departure from Rio ~
| true, they cannot reach st. Thomas be
| fore tomorrow week. Admiral Samp.
| son could meet them, provided n.
maintains an equal rate of speed
about "a hundcr,i miles east of Barba-
does and about i thousand miles from
the limits of the danger radius be-
tween Cape st. Rogue and Para. Thus
1t will he seen that the strong squad
ron under Admiral Sampson cannot
reach the Oregon ana Marietta before
they leave the waters within which.
according to the belief Of the strate-
sisls, they will be the most accessible
to attack by the Cape Verde squadron.
All this is based on the assumption
that the Spanish ships will cross the
track of the two American warships
(which may have with them the third
vessel. the cruiser Buffalo, formerly
roy) between Cape st. Rogue and
Para.
But there is the strongest probabi.i-
ty that Captain Clark Will fool the
tour big armurclads of the enemy il
they are lying in his expected course
Hints given by naval officers confirm
the suspicion that somebody is going
TO be mighty mistaken if the Oregon
is caught by the Spanish ships on the
Ordinary route between Rio and the
West Indies, and even if she is COM
'eiled TO engage in battle with the
tHcaya. Oquendo. Colon and Maria
Teresa. let alone the three destroyers
That are supposed to be with them
many naval experts will be greatly
surprised if the crack shooting for
Nhlsh American Scamen are famous
VIII not throw the scale of battle in ia
Nor OF the Oregon, leaving the uttla
sion. d
~ is curious circumstance that the
dynamite cruiser Nictheroy. purchasa God
~ the United States government from,
i'rhzil and now on its way to Newnort
news IN company with the battleshin
o.egon and gunboat Marietta, Should
lstuth 70 the Service of this govern
nent after having been sold to Rrazu
n hcr time of serious need.
F! he vessel was the American steam
snip 1 Ei Cid, built by the Newport News
shlpouildinE and Dry Dock Company
! = a sister snip to the Dixie Gel Rio),
! nrsli,i'e 'nl sud- and Yankee (El |
Sorte), and was sold to Brazil when
ne provisional war fleet was organized |
!, 1888 to quell the rebellion in thu
'outh American republic
litr late arrival, however. precIuded !
ne testing OF her dynamite gun in ac- |
uore formidable than the guns of tha
Fesuvius.
inns gun has bore OF fifteen inches
no throws projectile carrying so. 100.
" and 900 pounds OF nitro gIycerine
ne ~ ranges OF fire varying according to
his gun is able to swing it aro11r1a q s,<s L
s as, c thfie are intsiitllliiery. =
The dynamite guns-s;I the vesuvius
re fired by the officer in the coming |
over, because they are fixed in the
null and must be controlled by the one
y ho steers.
The Nirtheroy is a steel vessel. and
YER one screw propels her at the rate |
= nineteen knots an hour Her engines |
md boilers are protected by coal, and |
her armament consists of one Zalinski |
a-inch pneumatic gun. one 4.T-inch |
ma Two 3.9-nch rapid firing rifles and |
our Howell torpedo tubes.
The efficiency Of the pneumatic weap- |
m is beyond question. Her other guns |
are all OF the latest manufacture on |
he most approved pattern.
In battle the crew of the Nictheroy |
gould embark on their errand With |
many chances against a safe return. |
She carries an enormous supply OF dy- |
lamiie and :: hostile prnjectile correct |
y aimed would explode this. leaving
40! :, trace OF vessel or men. She will |
either ht,rl sudden and dreadful death |
II her enemies or suffer annihilation
perhaps both
Should Il rapid movement be made
against any rort the Nictheroy would
proceed in advance of our feet. eXplod-
in.s all the mines and craft she could
reach Her three 15-inch guns will dis
tribute explosive shells 100 feet apart.
the fuses bein- regulated so as to eN-
plode Only after the bottom of the
channel has bean touched.
Every hidden torpedo. mine or sub
marine battery within fifty feet of each
explosion will be destroyed. and at each
discharge of the three
OURS there will be cleared a safe chan
mel 600 feet wide and 100 feet long, over
which our warshins may safely steam.
This sub marine blowing, by the way.
costs $50 900 Il mile. -..s-
The terrible guns can. moreover. drop
1, 10O-pound charge of gun-cotton into
a fort two and one-half miles away. or
a 500-pound charge the distance of one