davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

IL We are TO have war. Uncle Sam has
In BIS secret gun factories as many seas
onings 60 tickle the Spanish palate as
any foreign chef over had I'm his list of
mysterious h1N0rs For years the Unit
ed States haas earned the criticism Of
other countries hy its policy OF keeping
lis gun processes secret But now 10
profits boy this policy ana can spring sur
priscs
Uncle sam has no his command tho
new and dainty dynamite gun that can
bite harder than ans Chill sauce prepared
by any chef
This gun has bad but one semi-public
trial The othere have been secret Al
this scmi-puouc test o. showed such ter
rife destroying powers that the plan
~ its mechanism was at once placed I'm
"a score, place to- remain The property oil
Uncle sam until hc was called upon 10
use So Tor his protection.
This powerful dynamite destroyer Will
have its second public test when the hrsl
guns are fired $40 the Spanish
way. On account q its lightness twelve
Of our warships in Cuban waters have
been fitted mp with these guns. Ihey
are thirty feet long. throw "a dynamite
proiectile Of seventy TO 800 pounos o.
dynamite twelve miles and are regulated
With a range finder.
The terrible damage that can be done
with these guns is shown IN me TACT
that when the proiectile strikes ne wa
ter. u the vessel aimed 40 Isl WITHIN MY
feet She would he sunk ley tho mighty
force. ..-.,.
NEW YORK s DEFENSE.
Before tho month of April lis ont ana
before tine SpGuiaTds can reach cur coast
the-. Vu ls placed ot Rome Shoals.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17
GREAT GUNSp
SAYS UNCLE SAM.


strict adherence TO many binding rules
prescribed from time 10 time by internal
tiOnal law. All weapons which make
warfare actually cruel and barbarous are
regarded as Illegal unless they will, by
one bold stroke speedily terminate the
war.
Red-hot shot were used I'm the wars of
Frederick the Great. Hollow shot or hol-
low bullets were considered cruel because
they became hattened and irregular after
coming in contact with bone, thus max
ing wounds unnecessarily painful. Ian
grel, composed Of nails. knife blades, bits
Of iron. etc. which made horrible wounds,
IS forbidden for the same reason. Proiec-
tiles OF an explosive nature or charged
with infammable substances are now con-
sidereG unlawful between nations II
Weighing less than fourteen ounces. Like
wise poison IS strictly forbidden as an
element OF war. In ancient wars IT was
customary TO use poisoned arrows or 10
poison the rivers flowing into an enemy's
country.
While II would be proper for either
Spain or the United States 10 lay waste
tho standing crops Of the other merely
to temporarily reduce a district TO de-
privation, Il would be illegal to uproot
vineyards, orchards. etc, so as to desolate
the country for years afterwards.
A flag Of truce, Red Cross hospital
flag or a signal of distress displayed by
Spain. for instance, would have TO be
respected by our forces, and no one pro-
tectcd by such a signal would be harmed.
Should a body Of Spanish soldiers or
sailors show such signal fraudulently'
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

ne would cease 20 be a spy in a technlcal
sense. and unless captured In the &c,
of carving fresh information he coulu
not be captured except as a prisoner OF
war. No soldier in uniform could ne
executed as a spy serving the enemy
since a SPY is necessarily person IN
disguise. acting under false pretenses OF
secreted somewhere.
A man in uniform Of the Umted states
caught in the act of carrying information
10 n Spanish commander would be exc
cuted, IL caught by us, since he would DE
either a SPY or a traitor. Traitors nave
always been regarded as the lowest OF
the low by soldiers.
Prisoners Of war would be very care
fully handled by a well-bred nation ike
ours None but a barbarous general
would countenance cruelty 70 war pri-
soner or a soldier who had surrendered.
Tate into the Middle Ages death or slavery
was the only prospect of prisoner or
war. Should a parcel of our forces sur
render 10 Spain or be captured, not only
all combatants, but such non-combatants
as newspaper correspondents, guides,
messengers. balloonists, telegraphers or
contractors either present with the army
or assisting II, might be taken as pri-
soners of war Should the Spanish force
their way TO Washington they might take
any of our statesmen prisoners OF war,
Including the President The international
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

Il was possible 70 use it effectively. In
the navy the tradition to shoot low has
crystaiized into a standing rule, unwritten
indeed but none the less religiously OBJ
served. and IT'S wisdom has been proved
on more than one occasion Of great i'm
pOrtance.
The precise form of this unwritten
naval rule IS to wait for the downward
roll" This is the converse Of the maxim
obtaining In the British navy that II IS
best 20 take advantage Of the upward
roll" which has been observed almost
fgrom the beginning OF naval lighting by
the gunners Of English ships. and 20
which much Of the power of England's
wooden walls TO defend the Island was
attributed In the days when England,
and not the United States, was at Var
with Spain.
BEST TIME TO FIRE.
Necessarily the deck Of a vessel at sea
offers a much less satisfactory platform
from which TO shoot than the solid foun-
dation provided In land fort since even
when the ocean Is calmest, the vessel
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

elevators have been put in at the COM
nlands or tae family physician. There Is
one New York woman or wealth who
coast that In twelve months she has NOT
walked up or down not only her avn
stairway but that Of friends house
since she only leaves cards at thoSs
PAGES wnere no elevator is provided.
~ course It all depends upon circurr-
co wneener the private 81 vator shah
modern comfortable house. Since els.s
Illclly mas come 50 rapidly into usa as =
aonest,c servant for lighting and heating.
n. Sn1SlI elevator capable OF holding three
persons can be ftted Into house a. a n
outlay OF about $500. IL is manoeuvred
by a touch on a button, and Is safe a.
deed. No elaborate interior decora ions
come Tor TINS price. as. for instance, win
oe round In the exquisite little BASKET
affairs that some women use In Journeys
from door 10 floor OF the r homes. Thess
are wicker cars and hold but the owner
and couple OF friends.
On stepping inside wicker elevator the
sensation is OF having entered a gorgeous
gigantic waste-paper basket. The walls
are or rattan treated with gliding and
enamel paints. the floor covered with q
Upholstered In detcately tinted china
silk. pillows are heaped. and the roof
Is a prettily woven dome OF wicker with
O cluster OF electric lights falling from
Inc centre.
In the rear OF the majority OF new
houses one large elevator Is arranged for
the service OF the domestics. and 70 carry
up all the coal. luggage. etc. and the
tiny affair. used by the mistress, runs Ia
a shaft that extends from the cellar to
the garnet. BY this means she is able
every day to 80 over every floor in tho
house II she Is so minded
AT regular intervals these private ele-
vators are all most carefully inspected.
and though among the wealthy their con-
tribution to comfort Is invaluable. Il Is
the women of moderate means who ind
the growing popularity OF the little eleva-
tors absolutely destructive 10 their domes-
tic peace. Not whit less luxury loving
than the mistress Is the American SER
want, who, having once lived In house
where the stairs are scarcely more used
than the fire escapes. not Only reserts.
hui fatty refuses TO hire out In what she
calls the old-fash'oned. inconvenient
homes This complication rs much as
anything else has forced the fitting up Of
elevators IN dwellings. the. humble minded
owners Of which believed un Il rrc=atLy
were the very models Of scientific luxury.
New York sun.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17
Dreamed of Gold.

Dreams are said 10 have set Robert
Powers. of West Brighton 5. l.. digging
for gold. Mr.. Powers began digging carry
Yesterday morning into the bank oelWeei.
Ri,hmond terrace and the Rapid TRANSIT
railroad tracks, just east OF the station
at West Brightop. The actual %ork IS
being done by a laborer' but MT. fo"els
spent the entire day closely suaruins INC nc
work and bv night there was n hoe
orouf 6fteen feet square cut into the
bank. -. 81, ,.,o-,,
thousands Of persons pass IN full view
If the hole every day. but Mr. Powers wes
unmolested until the report began 70
spread about the neighborhood that he
was digging for gold. Then acqualnt-
ances and strangers began to Visit mo
place and ask questions. Mr.. Powers IS
usually ready for a chat with any one;
but yesterday his responses were hinl'eu
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17
49, s ~ ,ro ,or OVER THE SPANISH Iowa

OF the vestibule grllled door slides
back. and six at time are ushereo into
the suggest little elevator ever seen.
It's floor is covered with velvet carpet
OF the warmest cerise tone, and, being
octagon shaped. four OF tho sides are
made OF plate glass mirrors framed In
gilt. and four sides are panels OF tufted
cerise satin. The roof is built OF g.lded
iron. wrought in odd shapes and partly
filed in with rose-coiored glass, over
which spray of electric lights spring
BY this device the interior Of the car Is
filled with a tender. becoming glow that
every woman keenly appreciates as she
does also the six comfortable seats the
elevator contains and the fact that she
was saved the necessity OF parading IN
her wraps like a chrysalis up that splen-
did stairway.
4 solemn young man Is powdered head
and court livery guards the electric lever
and the travellers IN the elevator all OF
whom are landed on tho third floor There
they ere ushered into a dressing room,
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

Oher things being equal, the coming
conest like al other naval contests, will
be won BY craftsmanship, and good
r,arl.enauship has been distinctly
American quality ever since the Revoiu-
ton. both on land and sea-
IL was the salvation of the American
cause in the war OF 1872, and IT showed
itself again in the Mexican war; though
then there was no sea fighting. There
was as good shooting in the civil war
too. as ever. but the marksineh on oolh
s,,5es wore Americans and its effects on
either side were offset by good work on
the other. In my judgment the trained
runners now in our navy will shoot as
vol as their fathers and grandfathers
did before them.
The American practice both In the
army and navy has always been 20 shoot
low. and always to save ammunition until
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

upward roll. rendered a large proportion
of British shots quite harmless. The
British notion has always been that mr.
ing on the upward roll, when the heeleG-
over side of the vessel afforded the broad
est mark, had tendency 10 protect the
ship. because the smoke OF the discharge
would hide II somewhat from the enemy's
sight but Americans have never taken
much stock In that contention.
VALUE OF DOWNWARD ROLL.
The great value OF a downward roll rule
was first demonstrated In the fight be-
tween the American frigate Constitution
and the British frigate Guerrero on Au-
gust 10. 1872. Although the American ship
aad a slight advantage in size and num-
Der Of guns and men, yet. aftet the YES
sells drew near enough to prevent their
proiectiles falling short nine-tenths OF
all the shots from the American guns took
deadly effect. while rot more than half
OF those from the British pieces did any
damage
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

most damage. on the other hand, It was
observed that shots fired when the vessel
was heeling toward the enemy on the
downward roll, though frequently strik-
ing lower than was intended by the
marksman. almost invariably took effect.
AMERICAN. SUCCESS.
This was rendered the more certain
from the fact that the spherical projec-
tiles then in use would ricochet along
the surface OF the waves II they struck
the water, exactly as stone VIII SKIP
along the top of a pond when properly
thrown from the hand Of small boy
The ADVANTAGE taken Of this fact Gy the
Americans In the war of 1872, who in
variably waited for the downward roll,
increased the effectiveness OF their gum
merry immensely, while. by the same to-
ken. the British rule TO FIRE as the
vessel heels from its opponent, or on the
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17
WAIT FOR THE
DOWNWARD ROLL.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ootooooooooooooooooOoouO

York city. where foot Of land is worth
a small fortune. and the houses are rear
ing their heads more loftily every year.
The exceeding usefulness and beauty OF
the private elevator has never been more
clearly demonstrated than In the great
Astor mansion on Fifth avenue. especial
~ when an elaborate entertainment Is In
progress. One of the chief beauties or
this admirable dwelling Is the grand s,air-
case, that sweeps up from the very doors
of the marble vestibule to the great han
opening on to the picture gallery. AZ
night, when palms and candles shed alter
nate light and shade along the crimson
carpet, silver rods. and carved balus-
trade. this Is the very choicest spot on
which to display gracefully gorgeous toll
let's. Therefore, when the women In their
wraps and fur boots are set down under
the porte cochere. they are led to one side
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17
LUXURIOUS ELEVATORS.
Satin-Iined Cars Used in the Houses
of Millionaires.

Little bOudoirs on wings is the appro-
pirate description given by an enthusiast
tic Frcnchman OF the elevators he found
himself invited 10 enter on arriving In the
very new and sumptuous houses OF his
American nOstesses. In fact. so agreeable
an impression did these elevators have on
his receptive and appreciative Gallo mind
that he is going back 10 Paris to preach
the benefits the elevator will confer In
the tall French houses. So far IN Paris
there is but one OF these conveniences
known. and that has been recently ntted
into tho splendid town residence or the
Countess Castellane. In the great houses
OF our American millionaires the elevator
is becoming the rule and not the excep-
ton. especially SO at Newport and IN Ne"
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

wraps are removed. toilets touched up.
and the charming butterflies are ready
to meet their male escorts and join the
gay procession moving down the great
stairway
Mrs. George Westinghouse, however.
who owns one OF the most gorgeous
homes in the city OF Washington has
gone Mrs. Aston just one better In the
completeness OF very up-to-date con-
veniences. Her hallway is provided with
tufted satin elevator on both sides. One
Is used 10 carry guests up, the other 20
bring them down. and elided baskets at
tached TO the corners OF the elevator
hold the programmes of the dances. mu-
sic, or whatever especial entertainment
is provided for the evening. Though so
exceedingly important on occasions OF
festivity, the private elevator is not fot
such slight convenience alone, and It is
commentary on our American ciyillza-
ton that eight out OF ten OF the private
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

however, it would be considered gross
act If treacherv. punishable by death.
The employment Of spies IS still con-
sidered as legitimate warfare among en-
Hghtened nations, but the spy. as an IN
dividual. is generally looked upon as
rather a dshonorable character IL
would be improper therefore, for one OF
ou- generals TO order a man to act as
spy All spies must be strlcliy NoIuh
TORS II is an interesting fact that
sbonld a spy succeed in joining his army
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17
[E GovERNMENTs PossEssIoM.


must constantly roll from side to side.
Theoretically the best time 20 fire would
be at the moment between rolls. when
the deck of the ship is perfectly level,
and in a general way IL may be said that
an attempt is made 10 do the shooting
at that instant. II is practically impossl-
bic. however. to fire Invariably when the
decks are horizontal. No matter how care
ful the gunner, the piece Is almost always
evnIoSed iust before or just after the
proper instant.
IL was noted by the sea fighters in the
Revolution that proiectiles from guns
fred when the ship was heeling from the
enemy in the upward roll were hurled
higher In the air than was intended. and
that well aimed shots were thus often
sent harmlessly overhead, or at best, took
effect only in the rigging instead Of the
hull OF the enemy where they would do
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

The main barrel Of the gun Itself is en-
cased in an outer barrel from the trun-
Mons TO the breech. The air is conducted
from the truunions to the two barrels IN
the annuIar space between the two bar
rele TO the firing valve. which Is located
in the breech. When this valve rs open
cd the air flows in behind the projectile
ana starts it forward. When the prede-
termincd amount Of air has passed the
valve ID closes automatically by means OF
the Rapien valve This amount OF air
can be- controlled absolutely, ana can DC
r,.ed M win bv the gunner. This alters
The range without changing the elevation
of the gun.
THE ZALINSKL
Another gun is the Ialinsh dynamite
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

10 unsatisfactory monosynaDles' =. g.
From intimate friends IN whom ~ ~ -
.,io,,eJ no had conhded It was learned
mar Mr.. Powers had dreamed often OIL
finding gold during the last few weeks
These dreams were all Of a similar chaIac-
ter and the terrace bank, near the t ,et
of Elm Court, was always pictured IN me me
dream as the place that contained the
precious metal. While Mr. Powers Is OF
dinarily not believer In dreams tn I'M,
vision of gold REQUIRED so persistehly
that he determined to give 1t a test
Mr.. Powers was formerly trustee lot
the town Of New Brighton ana TOT many
years was a hotel keeper ana ponllcal
leader He gave up his hotel business
como three years ago. and recently has
been asking an appointment under the
CITY government-New York Herald.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

The number of killed IN this engage
ment was not large on either size. but
the fight was one of the most hotly con.
tested in all naval history. 1t lasted only
forty minutes. and at its close the British
commander, Dacres, was obliged to sur
render uncOnditionally 10 his American
opponent Captain Isaac Hull for the
simple reason that the guns on the Brit
ish ships were practically all disabled,
since much of the rigging had been shot
away close 10 the deck.
Modern cylindrical projectiles DO not
ricOchet along the water as uniformly as
did the old-time spherical cannon balls.
The modern projectile proceeds with a
whirling motion, and this sometimes
causes IL, when striking the water 10
swerye to the right or left. sometimes TO
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

handy powder distributor for spread
ing pulverized insect DISCRIMINATING COM
pounds has "A metal tube with a nozzle
AT one end, and "A flexible bulb at the
other. with a powder-contalning recepta-
Gle on one side Of the tube, which feeds
a small quantity OF dust 70 the tube after
each pun from tho bulb.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

Perhaps the most successful gun or all
ie the 10-inch coast defender at Sandy
Hook which throws sixteen miles. ms
gun is positively q vaudeville perform
ance I'm itself 10 discharges It's shells
one after another automatically WIN
such rapidly that five charges are sept
into the air before the first one lands.
The pride Of the spanish navy, Cristobat
Colon. would be in d sad plght lhdeeu
should our l6-inch coast defender turn
her attention TO her while she Is steam
ine, nm the barbor This gun is fired by
eIecfricitv and can be managed by three
men Unfortunately &c is so large ana
so heavy and kicks with such force
that Il Is hardly available aboard snip.
That is the trouble with many OF lhese
guns. They are too powerful for the
mounts that carry them. An interesting
experiment was tried the other day on
Inc coast OF Virginia. 4 big gun was
mounted ON a mortar boat and from 1t
VS. dred one OF the largest charges
trno,vn 10 the navy The experiment was
made for the purpose Of observing the
action OF the mortar boat As the gun
was fred the backward motion OF the
boat was instantaneous. HAD II peeh
,earer the shore it would have been
.h-ov,,, inland like the wreck Of vessel
mon sandy beach As II was ]. pIohe
four Of the stoutest chains which held H.
- vas only saved from destruction oy
the depth of the water - ,.t.I
This then. is another difficulty when
zalirslv and the other big gun inventors
have TO look out for. Like Archimedes
tbev can move the world If they have a
80 10 stand upon. They can shatter
tbc face off the whole Of creation but
thew must have place 20 stand ur'n-
a platform on which 70 mount the 'lg
guns c. S. RUSSELL
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

gun In this proiectilc. the value Of the
new hich explosives is demonstrated. Our
grandlathcrs who, In 1872, fred the old
fashioned cannon ball at our cousins, the
Britaius. would have stood aghastr APP
palled into surrender. could they behold
The loading Of the Zdlinsk dynamite gun.
This gun IS loaded with the highest
known explosive. The charge Is compress
ed into an iucomprehensiby small space
and is warranted not TO explode until IL
reaches its fun destination. Then IT scat
tiers destruction over a marvellOusly large
space
Theoretically. e1e cry high explosive is
dynamite" But dynamite has long since
become a generic term, meaning every
thing that has any force superior TO gun
powder Gun-pOwder never has been ana
never will bee a high explosive. The most
valuable high explosive for use on water
Is gun cotton IL can be pressed into
small. Misunderstanding little cakes and
Is impervious to water and atmosphere.
IL has 365 times the explosive power OF
eln-nowder. Next 10 gun cotton comes
forcite. after which comes dynamite pro-
per. which IS made of nitTo-glycerine and
rotton stone I'm proportion OF one-lourlh
of rotton stone to three-tourths Of nitro
glyCcrinc.
Touched 20 the tongue. dynamite has a
sour taste. and for q moment produces
n violent headache. which, however, soon
passes away.
In the present emergency. when such
guns ass the ZalinsH and other nigh ex-
ploeivc carving inventions demand con-
slant manufacture of dynamite. iorcite
and GUN cotton, the greatest difficulty is
experienced in getting workmen. New
hands invariably get sick and the work
is.left entirely to the old experienced
hands who have become "noculated' 10
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17
ONE REASON WHY OUR WAY

such formal notification should be given
a government could not be held RESPONSE
h1e for any breach Of the neutrality laws.
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-17

Jump straight up in the air. and some
times even to dive straight down 70 the
bottom or the sea. Yet. it is the opinion
u two or three naval and gunnery ex-
perts with whom the writer has discussed
this question that the rule 70 wait for
the downward roll" will be maintained in
the coming war with Spain, II war there
IS 10 be.
AN oGGICER IN THE NAVY.
, 1898-09-16
WHEN ALL THE WORLD is YOUNG.

when all the ,rld is young, lad.
And all the trees are green
Ahd every goose q swan, lad.
And every lass u queen,
Then hey for boot and horse, lad,
And around the world swayi
Young blood must have it's course. lad.
And every dog his day.
Vixen all the world is old, lad,
And all the trees are brown
And all the sports are stale, lad,
And all the wheels run down,
Creep home and take your place there,
The spent and MANNED among.
God grant you find one face there
Yoa loved when all was youngi
Charles Kingsley.