The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-02-06

tiles aimed at her. But the trouble
Is that shot holes above the protective
deck might let In water on one side,
oVerbalance her and cause her to turn
suddenly and keel upward. 1t is in
order to avoid this embarra sSing con-
urgency that the water line IS backed
inside by series Of steel water
tight compartments called "coffer-
dams"
1t is obvious 0hat If a number of the
coner-dams were pierced by projectiles
IN sea fight and filed with intruding
water the weight Of the water would
be apt TO upset the delicate balance
OF the vessel, causing her to list over to
one side. Under such circumstances
some of her cannon would point up at
the sky and others down toward the
ocean, so that she would cease to be
serviceable as gun platform. In
other words she would become useless
as lighting machine, and would be
compelled to strike her colors, even IL
she were so lucky as to escape cap
sizing. Accordingly, it has been sought
to fill the coffer-dams with something
as light as possible 10 help keep the
water out Of them and to assist In
maintaining the Notation Of the ship.
Empty tin cans, Theoretically sealed.
and various other things were tried
Tor THIS purpose years ago.
Nothing satisfactory was found, how
ever, until Yankee genius hit upon
Inc idea of using pith of cornstalk
rms proved the solution Of the prob
lem, and that is why all the newest
vessels OF the United States Navy are
being provided with a belt of this
material. To call it belt Is fairly
accurate. inasmuch as the compart-
ments, or coffer-dams, filled with the
stuff run all along both sides Of the
snip: The belt Of stuffed coffee-dams
Is three feet thick and extends four
feet above the water line and four feet
below IL. The pith Is packed under
pressure In the Golfer dams in the
shape OF bricks. Navy men say that.
with good turtle-back deck back of
1t to defend the "vitals" of the shin.
100 tons of cornstalk pith are eouiva-
lent to 1000 tons Of steel armor
Henry w. Cramp. Of the firm which
has built most of the ships of the new
navy, says that cruisers Of the Balti-
more type, IL protected with n corn
pith belt, would be warranted in en-
gaging many Of the ironclads Of the
other powers. Without it they would
be liable to be sunk by n well-directed
machine gun fire. "This product of
american farms" he adds, offers a
cheap and ready means of vastly in
creas!ng the efficiency of our cruisers
and the unarmored sides of all our
war vessels should have these belts
without delay. This discovery and
application Of corn pith Is of as vital
Importance to the United States Navy
as the development OF Harveyized
armor and smOkeless powder"
The point is that without adding
much to the cost of the vessels the
efficiency of them can all be greatly
increased by making their sides auto
maticafly resist the inflow of water.
lnasmuch as the American cruisers
carry heavier batteries than simila r
ships Of other nations they would when
so protected be able to give battle to
vessels far heavier than themselves
The corn pith, 1t should be said, has
not been adopted by the Navy Depart
ment without elaborate experiments
and tests. Coffer-dams filled with the
stuff were riddled by big shells, but
water could not be made to enter even
when projected at the holes in a pow
erful stream from a fire hose.
The old wooden vessels were attacked
by Shells that made holes along the wa
ierl.ne. but the amount Of water that