The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-20

The United states do~ublc-turreted
monitor Terror, which has been as
signed TO duty in connection with the
defense of New York ha-bor. is one of
the most powerful fighting ships in the
world.
There is nothing just like her in any
foreign navy. she is essentially an
American product. and as such is a de-
velopment of the original Monitor OF
the civil war. The Terror embraces all
that modern skill and ingenuity a de-
wise. While the original monitor car
ried a couple of old style muzzle-load-
ing. smooth-bore cannon. the Terror is
provided with four formidable great
guns, each one weighing % tons. |
Thes rifles throw projectiles weigh
ing $50 pounds, and which are uppos
to be capable of piercing. at point blank
range, the thickest armor carried by
any ship afloat. The shells from the
original Monitor. although weighing
about $50 pounds each. and having a
diameter of nearly 10 inches. were un-
able to pierce the four-inch armor car
ried by the Merrimac. At h same
time. it should be remembered. the
shells of the Merrimac were unable to
pierce the armor of the Monitor. The
Merrimac's armor consisted of railroad
iron laid on in a diagonal fashion. The
armor of the Monitor consisted of IL
one-inch iron plates bolted through and
through
The armor of the Terror consists of
11h-inch steel plates, treated by the
Harvey process. The thickness of ar
NOR is found on the turrets. The side,
or belt armor which protects that por-
ton of the hull showing bow the
water line is seven inches thick.
Steel armor is the most formidable
resisting medium known to-day to ar
til1ortctG oy,I not rffhc Of a n6in0 tho ra-
suits obtained on the proving grounds,
ordnance men are generally of the
opinion that in time of action the ar
NOR will be proved to bear test of the
gun. This was conclusively shown in
the action of the Yalu between the
Chinese and Japanese fleets. The ar
NOR of the Chinese battleship Chen
Tuen was struck by shells from the
heavy Japanese rifles which. under all
conditions of proving-ground rules,
should easily have pierced the metal.
AS a matter of fact. the japanese shells
only entered the armor To a depth of
from three to four inches.
The trouble is. artillerists say. that
the powder used in service is not al
ways up to the high standard grade of
that used in armor tests. and that II is
very seldom in action that a shot is
able to make a direct hit, such as is
possible in armor trials.
II is perfectly safe to say that under
the ordinary conditions of battle, the
armor on the Terror will be able to
keep out all but the very heaviest pro-
~jectiles fired at her. Like all fighting
ships. the Terror cannot hope To escape
hard knocks when she enters battle.
The most she may hope to do is to
cause greater injury to her opponent
han the latter can infiict.
The principal dimensions of the Ter
ror are: Length, 249 feet 4 inches;
hZo., ~ fnaf a fn,hng aud lHaff Of
water. Ia feet three inches. The latte.
figure is based on the assumption that
all stores. coal n munitions of war
are on board. When in fighting trim the
Terror displaCes 3.S15 tons. The meas
ure of displacement is the weight of
water displaced by the ship. All yes
sels-of-war are measured after this
manner Merchant ships are rated ac-
cording to the interior capacity for
carrying cargo.
The Terror is provided with two en-
gines. working twin screws. The col
lective horse W Of the engines is
put down at 1000. This is not much
horse power for a vessel of the Terror's
size and in point of fact the machinery
is he weak feature of the ship. Instead
of being able TO move about at a speed
of at least Is knots per hour. the Terror
is doing well when she makes II knots.
Her engines are Of the old horizontal
compound type. They were fitted into
the vessel early in the EOS. at a time
when steam engineering was in a very
packard state in this country. Doubt
less If the Terror were to be built over
she would be provided with high-pow-
cred triple-expansion engines. but the
cost to reboiler and re-egine her would
be very great and for hat reason the
authorities have never asked for an ap-
preparation.
The Terror, in common with the Puri-
--I oil
monitors, was commenced early in the
EOS at the yards of John Roach on the
Delaware. For lack of money from con-
gress all work ceased after the hull and
engines were finished. In 1884. when IT
was decided to rehabilitate the navy.
money was obtained to continue the con-
struction on these monitors. The money
was mostly expended in providing armor
and heavy guns for the vessels, with
the result that despite their slow speed
the dou~ble-turreted monitors are to-day