davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1898-09-19
AMERICAN GUNS
Some Remarks on Their Emcioncy By One
Who Knows Them.

Some Remarks on Their Emcioncy By One
Who Knows Them.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: There
appeared recently on your editorial page Q let
ter on American naval ordnance which criti-
cised our guns. I have Just been discharged
from our navy and speak from experience.
II the gentleman cares to 20 deeply into the
matter he will learn that our Amerioan-built
guns have no superiors anywhere.
If foreign guns are 80 greatly superior 10
ours. let him tell us why they all sag at the
muzzle after being fired few times.
Why. too. do British naval officers authorities
on naval ordnance. freely admit that they do
not think their heavy guns would live through
an engagement like that Of Manila?
The gentleman has been deceived. eGre-
giously deceived. presume that It Is because
foreign guns of heavy calibre are so superior to
ours that the new Japanese ships. the finest
specimens in the world outside OF our own
fleets. are not to be armed with them. No. Of
course notl The Japanese Government likes
them than for English or German guns. and is
Take. for example. the o-inch guns on ono
Of our monitors. One Of those guns is now
seHs nd mas essR fsa
as when It left the foundry. except that it
u
great Krupp gun was taken from a British bat
tleship a few years ago: Why? Because It
sagRed at the muzzle. the recoil mechanism
worked SO poorly that the shock off1ring. threat
ened to tear the decks to atoms. and because
ityas feared the gun would burst.
Experts Of other countries have examined
their greater muzzle and initial velocitieS.
penetration, stability. tensile strength and per-
fection making them far and away superior to
any others.
Your correspondent says the e-inch and
S-inCh TIf1pa N
do not know the speed with which foreign
hred. but do know that the more rapidly q
large gun is fired the less accurate Is the aim
and the more danger OF bursting the gun
through oyerheating or carelessness.
Finally. 1t Is crying shame that any one who
calls himself an American, or even one who
earns his living In the only free country In this
world, should make inyidious comparison with
other lands. or otherwise try to belttle his own
nation.
: II the gentleman wants to run down the
United States let him 60 abroad, renounce his
allegiance to us and throw al the mud he
NEW YORK. Sept. II
The sun., 1898-09-19
NAY USE rHr xnupP ARMon.
Probability That Our Coming BattleShips
Nay Have the New Protection.

Probability That Our Coming BattleShip0
May Have the New Protection.
wAsHNoToN. Sept. 1e-In all probability the
three now battleships for which contracts were
awarded last week will be protected by the new
Krupp armor. experiments with which at the
naval proving station, Indian Head. have de-
monstrated It superiority in touGhness and
armor-resisting qualities to the plates treated
with the Harvey process. Until there have been
additional trials OF plates to which the Krupp
process OF manufacture and treatment have
been applied no formal decision will be reached
BY the Ordnance Bureau as to what character
Of armor will be contracted for to supply the
large quantity required for the ships, and the
four monitors as WELL which are to be started
The experts IN ordnance matters are salts
fed that the krHpp armor is superior 70 the
hat P Se Il fnsss -
chased. The plate to be tested is twelve inches
Of that which showed such remaTkabie re-
ttbhs middle oii simmer: Three shots dEed y
that test II was proved that o-inch plate Of the
KrTpp type w wSs equal in resisting powers 70 M an
navy. The greater strength Of the new armor
will permit more protection to the now battle
oRp S az
- Capt oNeil. the ordnance ohief, says that II
the Harvey variety he win recommend that
SnsicIpateS that It win cost more and Congress
view Of the long controversy which was waged
as the outcome of the prices paid by tho Gov.
ernmept for all armor now on the sides OF its
The sun., 1898-09-19
War and the Color Sense.

Tho papers In tho case Of the Texas regi-
ment which refused to take its pay from q
colored paymaster have been sent to the
President by the Paymaster-G General. It is
safe to assume that Mr.. MCKINNEY will
hold that the color OF United States money
is not affected by the color Of the paymas-
ter, and that sensitive Caucasian con-
sciences should be content with taking alofty
moral ground as to financial complexion,
and should not expect to have scruples
and pay too.
Is 1t to consider too curiously, to consider
how far these writings Of this supersensi-
tive Caucasian regiment goi The labor Of
colored men in the mines and mints, in tho
paper mills, In the Bureau Of Engraving
and Printing and other offlces Of the Treas
ury, has contributed to make the money Of
the United States. That money cannot be
regarded as a pure Caucasian product
Ought naughty Lone Star regiment to ac-
cept the ambiguous tokens, even at tho
hands of white paymasterp
Another query. Would these Lone Star
purists take any favors from colored Of
flcers or soldiers The Ninth and Tenth
United States cavalry regiments, for in
stance those "smoked Yankees" are pow
erful fighters, but, being black fighters,
could their assistance be honorably accept
ed by high-minded Caucasian regiment,
with proper chronological ideas and q rigid
color scheme2
The sun., 1898-09-19
Stability and Grandeur.

The Troy Press sees clear way to Demo-
cratic victory In New York this year. Here
are the specifications:
"Tho thing 10 do Is to put up Democratic can
didats who may well challenge comparison with any
Republican that shall bo named. This can be done.
and doing it will be . work Of incalculAbls oonse-
qusncs In redseming New York and placing IL once
moro stably and arandly st the head Of the Demo.
cratic column Of states."
The only thing omitted is the name Of
tho challenging statesman.
Some OF the friends Of the Hon. ROSWELL
PETIBoNB FLOWER think that they can
supply the name.
Some Of the friends Of tho Hon. RoBKRT
AUGUSTUS VAN WYoK think that they can
produce the statesman.
Some of the friends Of the Hon. WILLIAM
RHADAMANTHUs HEARST do not hesitate
when they are asked to name the man for
the occasion.
But what are the views OF these three
statesmen on the fundamental article Of
Democratic faith in the year 1898? Arethey
sound on free silver? New York will never
be placed stably and grandly at the head Of
the Democratic column Of States under the
leadership of hereto.
The sun., 1898-09-19
A Forty.nlntn Street Corner in oat..

n FOrty-nlnIn SJroOB OOEuOE IN Ont9s
To THE EDrToR OF THE suN-.Sir: Since Joe
Letter nghtened the pAternal purse in bis attempt
to corner all the wheat crop Of the Northwestern
States OF the Union the grain market has remained
comparatively quiet in Greater New York.
But few days ago = ripple of excitement disturbed
the calm and quiet Of Forty ninth street. near
Broadway. The string OF feed-bag broke. preoipi-
tating avalanche OF oats to the newly ASphAltSd
street for tho distance of several yards unnouoed by
tho sleepy driver OF the unfortunate horse, which
undoubtedly was compelled TO go supperless TO bed
in consequence of the accident.
Scarcely had the horse and wagon disappeared
around the corner before "StArch-box wagon" and
four small boys came rumbling along from the di.
rection of Helrs Kitchen" and the boys quickly
espied the rich that spread ont on the
asphalt before them.
fhe largest boy was evidently the owner of the
wagon and indsputably the boss" Of the gang He
drew line across the struggling oats with his bare
big toe, and shook his dirty little nst at his eompAn
II is needless 10 remark contained more than three
fourths of the spilled oats on his side Without
little boys went quietly to work and soon hlled their
pockets with oats and dust, which they scraped up
wagon box. almost niilng irwin his Hons share OF
The quartet of small rogues then retired to the
In conversation The result was that each emptied
his pockets into the wagon containing tho oAta.
Inquiry Want to buy any oats ~ until a junk
dealer came along and bought whole syndicate
The biggest boy took the coin. mounted himself
into tho Starch box" wagon, shook the reins and
the three other little drew him along At
ceremony which the occasion demanded.
As gazed on tho fast disappearing urchin1
the 81 Apasr great
NEW York, Sept. II.
The sun., 1898-09-19

swered forthwith In the affirmative. Eng
land being the greatest Of maritime pow
ers every improvement In oceanic COM
munlcation must needs help her and her
commerce. The Suez Canal did this, and 80
would1ts counterpart connecting the Atlnn-
tic and Pacific oceans. tits pointed out that a
straight line between England and her
Australaslan empire passes through tho
Isthmus Of Panama. Unquestionably, a
waterway cut through the American 18TH
mus would increase the wealth Of the world,
and England would get her share Of it, II
not more than her share Passing from
commercial to strategic arguments, the
Spectator admits that, II the United States
was at war with England, the Nicaragua
Canal would place the latter power
at an enormous disadvantage, as We
could use the waterway at such a
conjuncturo and she could not. We
could effect a junction between our Pacific
and Atlantic fleets while Englands rein
forcements were steaming around Cape
Horn or through the Indian Ocean. On the
other hand, IL England were at war with
one or more Of the Continental powers, the
existence Of Nicaragua Canal would be OF
signal advantage to her. for, in that case,
the United States would be neutral, and the
canal, II under our control, would be part OF
our neutral waters. Moreover, we should
be strong enough to make our neutrality
respected, which could not be said Of q
Spanish-American republic. 1t would not
be true for instance, Of Nicaragua or Co
lombia, IL either Of them were the nominal
owners OF an interoceanic canal.
The Spectators conclusion is that while.
commercially, a Nicaragua Canal con-
trolled by the United States would be a
good thing for England, it would also be
strategically a benefit, except only in the
case OF war with the States. So that Eng
land is brought faceto face with the ques-
tion, "Are the chances OF war with the
United States great enough to make her re-
fuse the benefits which the making OF the
canal would certainly confer on herr"
The Spectator, on its part, does not hesi-
tate to say that, on the whole, England had
better not worry about the possible risk
OF an Anglo-American war, and had better
abandon the veto on a Nicaragua Canal
which the Clayton -Bulwer treaty practically
gives her. 1t believes that the British pub
lie will ultimately take this view, and 1t
holds that the British Foreign Office ought
not to wait until our State Department re-
quests the abrogation Of the Clayton -Bulwer
treaty, but should itself propose the substi-
tuition OF another convention by which Eng
land and the United States should mutually
bind themselves to allowno power ercept the
United States to make or control any canal
across the American isthmus, and to de
clare that, il and when the United States
shall make such canal, it shall be open on
equal terms to the ships of all nations at
peace with our republic.
1t has long been the opinion Of THE Sun
that the Clayton-Bulwer treaty ought to be
torn up, and it is at once with surprise and
satisfaction that we find the opinion shared
by an English newspaper Of weight and
influence
The sun., 1898-09-19

FrOm hs st. JdHsfs Castle
Avery singular incident was brought to my notios
during recent visit to Lake Vyrnwy. in North
wAles. kyeAr or two ago the breeding ponds were
being cleaned out. and when there was but little
water remaining the man In charge-trom whom
heard the story-observed . peculiar looking nah
swimming about II was captured with tho aid Of Q
lAndng-net and proved to be trout OF nearly half
. pound in weight ClaSped firmly around its back
and shoulders live frog Of ordinary size; the
belly of the frog rested the back OF the trout jusI
behind the gills. and its legs extended round
and under the hsh. gripping It closely. Consider
able force had to be exersd in order separate the
pair when the frog hopped away and the trout dieA
few seconds later. Tho scales of the trout were
dark and dscolored where this novel old man of the
had rested tracing out distinctly its shape; 90 10
ia probable that the nsh had been troubled with this
unusual incumbranoe for several days. Tho hAbita
OF frogs peculiar in various respecs and students
OF natural history may md food for reelection in thS
incident. My informant IL exceedingly intel.
ligent man. on whose word place implicit reliance
The sun., 1898-09-19
Dn. rCCrEsror nnsreMs

The Rootor of &c. Johns p. n. Church ~
Clifton, q. T., Insistb Upon Retiring y
On the 1st Of last May the Rev. DR.. John O.
Eccleston. who for the past forty yoars mas
boon rector Of st. Johns Protestant Episcopal
Church. clifton, Staten Island. tendered his
resignation owing to his advancing yeare ana
III health. A Joint committee Of the wardens.
yestry and congregation OF the church prevailed
upon DIR. Eccleston TO reconsider his reslRna-
tion and accept an eight months vacation, ana
at the end OF this time to determine whether
he considered himself ablo to continue bis
work. Or. Eccleston has been at APhury Park
during the summer. One day. while walking
on the veranda OF the hotel where he was liv-
ing, he slipped and broke the lower bones OF
his right leg.
Although less than half the term Of HE vaeA
ton has elapsed. Dr. Eccleston has determined
that he must resign. and letter telling Of this
decislon wns read to the congregation yestog-
day by the Rev. Sidney H. Treat. who is ilIlng
the pulpit in DIR. Eccleston's absence. The let
With great sorrow I am constrained TO say
that, while my general health has In some re-
Gs rdREsS sSv not nsa y sSs Pnys
decided change in The future lsuch as would
duty duty. 70 for The sake Of the churSRs spiritual in
mind. TO bring the matter to . DECISION at at once,
and ask for. release from all ofacial care and
p%.dSm q s sssp 20 painful 5 g %s As Y
feel constrained 70 take By anticipating tho
full period Of the vacation You so kindly granted
election Of q new pastor before the winter sets
S E the tRss BsSoS % Rs re. Esa9 saea. 5
that tho honorary title Of rector emeritps @ight
poSS6y IS Se SSDs9 qRGn %S RosoT saop
should be proud to receive II. II would atleaht
be q link uniting mo to you, my beloved friends
will never cease to ascend TO Almighty Godp
No action has yet been taken upon the matter.
The sun., 1898-09-19
Work That Democrats Cannot Do.

Aside from the obvious financial and
economic reasons for electing Republican
House Of Representatives this fall, there
are two special reasons arising out Of the
war with Spain.
form OF government is to be provided
for the annexed territory, for 1t Is hardly
probable that the present Congress will
have time to settle the many questions
arising from the passing of the Spanish
conquered territory TO the United States
The Democratic party as whole is not
heartily in favor of retaining the new ac-
Quisitions. It consents to those In the
Caribbean, but 1t is opposed to those In the
Pacific. 1t began by opposing the annexa-
tion OF Hawaii. 1t seems almost wholly un-
aware Of the Importance OF acquiring the
Philippines and striving to develop Ameri-
can commerce in the East. To many Of
the hide-bound belated Bourbons still num-
bling about 16 to 1, the great national pa
triotic movement for the expansion Of the
United States seems only a trick Of the
Robber Barons and the Money Power.
American interests in the East will be
served best by the election Of a Repub-
lican House. There Is a strong and able DEM
ocratic minority that agrees with the Repub-
licans as to expansion, but the mass Of the
Democratic leaders and, apparently, Of the
Democratic party. hangs back and tries to
block the wheels Of progress.
In spite Of the lessons OF the war and the
extent OF territory that has been added or
will probably be added to the United States as
part OF the fruit OF that war, Democrats are
declaiming In the old-fashioned buncombe
style against the dangers Of a standing
army and promising in their platforms to
resist the enlargement Of the standing
army Of the United States. A few months
ago these same windy citizens were bowling
against the "dudes" of the navy and pro-
claiming the folly and uselessness of a
navy. They don't dare to tackle the navy
any longer. but they still retain their
unreasoning prejudices against an adequate
army. The work Of reorganizing the army
and making it little more proportionate
to the new demands upon it and to the
growth Of the country, will not be done by
Democrats. They have learned something
on the water but on land they are still
behind the times.
The sun., 1898-09-19
WEST END oHU1oH's NEW PU1Pz4

DauEhtor's Memorial to the Late M.
and Mrs. Robert Marshall.
Al new pulpit was dedicated in the West End
Presbyterian Church yesterday. The Rev. DR..
shaw. the pastor. referred to It, in part. as
follows:
II have pleasure in announcing that this
beautiful new pulpit and platform. which are
used this morning for the first time. have been
placed as a memorial to the late Mr.. and Mrs.
Robert Marshall by their daughter. Miss Mar
garet Marshall. There is no one to whom .
memorial like this. so sacred and suggestive.
SO closely associated with the highest function
Gated than to the noble man and woman whose
names It is to bear.
the Gote was taken to estab ablish the church. and
IL was at the suggestion OF her who now pre-
sents this pulpit that the name of the West
End Church was chosen. They contributed
when the edihce was erected, and Mrs. Mar
shall. her husband having then entered the
church triumphant aided In the liquidation
Of our mortgage indebtedness"
The sun., 1898-09-19
The Sultan and Crete.

There Is nothing to equal the truculent
>insolence OF the Turk when he is dealing
with people who do not press things home
to him, except the servile alacrity with
which he hastens to appease his adversary
when he finds punishment about to fall
1t was in this spirit that the Sultan sent
his Minister for Foreign Affairs out In the
small hours Of Thursday morning to arouse
the Ambassadors of Russia, France and
Italy, and the British Charge d,AfYaires
from their slumbers In order to get, II pos
sible, an arrest OF judgment in the case Of
his riotous subjects in Crete. He was, as
could only be expected, unsuccessful In his
effort, and the execution Of the decision Of
the Admirals goes on, as it should. Having
claims Of our own against the Sultan and
his Government which they have treated
with studied indifference and contempt, We
have no sympathy with them in their Cretan
troubles, and no regret will be felt by the
American people when they are deprived Of
their power to misgovern and ruin their
subject races.
So far as Crete is concerned, it is a salts
faction to feel that whatever the future Of
the island may be, the Sultan's sovereignty
over it is practically ended. Whenever the
European powers decide that his troops and
officials shall evacuate Crete, they will have
to go. No resistance they can make will be
effectual, and their expulsion. II expelled
they must be, can be carried out without
the slightest interference by Constantinople
except by diplomatic notes and protests
For any loss OF life or destruction OF prop
erty that may occur in the process OF ex-
pellng the Ottoman from the island, the
Sultan and his Government can be after
ward made responsible, as they would be
In fact, for no Turk would venture TO dis
obey the orders OF the Sultan,
1t may be, as Mr.. ANGELL, recently our
Minister to Turkey. is reported to have
said, that it will be a desperate parting II
Turkey has to give Crete up, and that no
body Is more determined to resist than the
Sultan. In what way, except automatically,
he can oppose the action OF the powers in
Crete is difficult to see. On more than one
occasion when the Turks have been hard
driven, vague threats OF general massa-
ere OF the foreigners In the country have
been made; but at Constantinople they
know we'll enough that 1t would be the
merest madness to carry out such policy
now, and they are intelligent enough to un-
dsrstand that Crete u not worth the sOonSs-
The sun., 1898-09-19
KANSAS BANKS.

They Are Carrying Large Surplus and Are
Moro Prosperous Than Ever.
TOPEKA. Kan. Sept. 19.-state Bank Com.
missioner John W. Breidenthal has issued the
advance sheets OF his annual report. which
shows that majority Of the State and private
banks are carrying surplus exceeding by 80
per cent their capital. The law REQUIRES 10
per cent; Of the net earnings to be carried to
the surplus account until the surplus exceeds
says that few banks conf1ne themselves to one
tenth. but during the past year a majority
have exceeded this by large amounts. The re.
port will show that Kansas banks are In bet
ter condition than ever before.
The sun., 1898-09-19
The Glory of tho War.

We have referred already to the speech
Of Gen. GRosvENoR to the Illinois veterans,
In which he recalled the attention Of the
people to the brilliant and memorable
achievements Of American arms in the war
with Spain but as they will make up one Of
the brightest records in our history they
cannot be- dwelt upon too frequently or
with too great satisfaction.
When 1t became apparent. early last
spring, that war with Spain was at hand.
this country was wofully deficient In prepa-
rations for the inevitable emergency. Yet
the tactics OF the President. obviously pur-
sued In order to gain time to rush through
all possible preparations for supplying
these deficiencies In troops and the material
of war, provoked violent outcries against
him In the very newspapers which are now
bitterest In their vituperation of him be-
cause Of the suffering which has resulted
from this necessary haste.
Our regular army Of about $4,000 men
only was scattered In small bodies far and
small O force had been provided, or could
have been provided, under the narrow ap-
propriations for the purpose made by Con-
greas. This was the condition In which we
were at q time when we were on the eve of
war with fully equipped military State,
with large and thoroughly seasoned army
already in the field and supplied with every
requisite for modern military service.
That we should have surmounted the diff
Guilty, 80 that in four months we compelled
Spain to sue for peace after a rapid and
continuous series Of victories by US on sea
and land, was one OF the most brilliant
achievements OF generalship and military
administration which is afforded by the
history OF war.
AS Gen. GRosvENoR says. our initial VIC
tory, the splendid triumph of DEWEY at
Manila, was made possible by the rapidity
with which supplies We're sent across this
continent to be conveyed to our Asiatlc
squadron. 1t was a task requiring the
Gblest administration IN the Navy Depart
ment. and was performed quietly, syste-
mRtically, without undue publicity; and
1t was done thoroughly and success
fully. Sensational newspapers were crying
out madly for an immediate assault on
Havana. impregnablo against any such at
tack as We could then have attempted, and
sure to involve US In awful and probably
futile los5Ps. Instead, the first assault
The sun., 1898-09-19
Tho Passing of tho Rough Rider.

Tho herd has been corrAlled and shipped TO Spain,
Much thanks TO you. Rough RiderI
You've rounded 'em up and we shG' MT complain
II. after your months In the sun and rain,
You elect to give your pent feelings rein;
Whoop 1t up. Rough Riderl
FIN up and be friSky on CONN paint
II you like. Rough Rider.
We never supposed that your brand was saint;
We wanted 4 killer with nary taint
OF bAShful forehnser. and none there Gin't
Inyou. Rough Rider.
Remember the warning your Colonel spoke
You know him. Rough Rider
"EoE week or two you're damned nno bloks,
Then II you stay drunk you're q no count soak"
Now, Whils you'ro Ahsro. old heart Of oak,
BAsOWGn. AOagh RidsEl