The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-06
KATAHDIN AS A FIGHTER.
COMMANDO WILDE HAS HIGH
HOPES OF THE RAM IN WAR.


WAsHiNeToN' March o.-lht he event OF war
win SPAIN goou many naVal omeers "ouio %
Interested IN the demonstration OF what oouia
% ooho IN an actual engagemeht Win tne
modern ram ana the ooliet prevails among
some OF them that the country would DO cleo
trlneu with the havoc caused among the ono
my noe1 oy sueh q VesSei as inc hatan'
uih' NO mouerh 'essei OF tnis kihu mas
ever peeh ueeu IN actuai "1riare' anu
In iact, the hatahdin 10 ABOUT the only
craft vi Nor KIM IN inc "orIu. IN inc earis
Gays Oh our own ci'h war inc confederate Mer'
riHac' croue as sne was according 10 present
iuens oi na'a' eohs'ruction' oiu ieariui n'schioi
IN inc orleI career whien proceaea tne perform
ahco IN hampton ioaus Oh ner speeiaiiy no
signed ah'agohis'' inc Mohitor. Inc operations
OF tno 4herrihhc were cohsiuereo "ohuoriui'
ana IL was theh thaI inc effectiveness Oh tne
ram III na'al warfare was nrst oenhohstrateu'
ine ha'anuih, "noh enhoou,es 'ne ia.ese
lucas III tne construction Oh 'esseis OF mat Class
anu VIII 70 pi"eeo u submission AZ ao"eue
isiahu heHI ihursoaS'i ai"os as 'ne
ond ram Merriinao as she hisuI nave oeeh u
Inc oates Oh their construction were separator
ny u huhureu sea,s' Il ohiy poih.s 'ney haVe
IN common are inc use Oh armor' tno employ
mont Oh STEAM anu .ne poihteo stoei PROV. Ahe
hatshaih was inc ioea OF Aamirai Daniei AM
men, no" retireu' ana she Is reRaruea as sors
OF mohstrosity IN haVai CONSTRUCTION ono was
built at Bath, Me-. in 1892, by the Bath Iron
Moinn oso . nv" s"sn s Un - .Oaa
wafer iheo o @oo'' leet' anu her oeaH OF RAM
treme length of about o54 feet. Other statis-
TO. ~ tho v.sso, oro. Disr,oconont rrd.,
normal coal supply, 2,156; tonnage. $50; e1-
trcme breadth, 43.5 feet; mean drauRht, Is
foet. Indicated borse power 5'0ss. sneed, ie11
knots; capacity OF coal bunkers, 1920 tons.
The Katahdin is propelled by twin screws. Her
tull complement consists Oh ninety men.
The most peculiar feature of tho Katahdin is
tmr,Io haor ooro.oa ,r;th armor 80 40 80
mounted simply by a small coming tower and q
go a,~htS.n 49,. It'll. - n.Is.a..S.I-
hit by a heavy sho. at close range. is proof
against any attack. Aside from her dangerous
sharp beak Of steel and her covering Of
with slight means of offensive or defensive
fire guns, which are intended as defence against
,oipouo "a ~ No speou 10 v".
hardly higher than that OF a battleship; but
propelling force behind a sharp steel PROV the
PT-sotphtai saoIouIn.ns y" e ~ y y
among the enemy's fleet. The ram. being sit.
uated bslow tho water line. ia directed at tho
"
most Vulneraoie part OF a oattieshlp or cruiser'
where arm9ri IS either thin or altogether wanting.
, Nomin3}nnue5 EoOrg9 F. r.. Mnoe viii DC re-
!oNeu .IoHl uuty ncAt iuesuay as haVaI secro,
tsry OF the Lighthouse Board TO take command
OF the katandin: capt Wlide is enthusiastic
when taik or war WITH spain was especially
pTeSfiGnt: ne ASKED me Nnyy nGpdrtment TO
should pc placed 10 commission. AIS request was
gr srhonlb luss At w tha p mnu . me was "s : bn IiSased rs n
went to Philadelphia Yesterday to look oyer the
hatanain, Wplcn IL now wing at the LEAGUE
ments for taking charge of the vessel. Before
iehving ne expressed 10 teiiow naval 9,ncers ana
others 81 rs. some me-. OF ms nnv idea as IN a1 regard ritt TO the X katah.
aln ana what couid DO dohe Win her In war
rare ,,,,oro" =, s.ia ..,, a.. r.hs,.
would oe nrev 70 he ne = s nlos, T fdlmntd ne ne hs at a IN
case sse could nave the 2pp9rtunity to show
Ser of II m nes' mover SRe i'e Is I Iocnted 5hs sn %"t th: w smale
part which Is EXPOSED to thS cnemy,s hrS is
tbo raeI nf rS,1 1hv which D Sie; 9 iast c fnur ea AIRY o no
half days under full speed of l6 knots.
~ May oe suIpTLsihg 70 near lnat she
consumption, of fiftorn tons of eo:l a day.
U ~ on u 10 feHf e = pW tn Ia INC coai cHn,
sium 7 i sneed St tn . H"i Iba ata pa1S 10 me q,
PeredSou s5eSu attliheu. ine sIeaIhshlp 81.
bo d Vmrn sb % a eUhs q nay y . Ss, nnta a. knoIs an
= consumption Of only 90 tons a day.
Lhat r. ny reaucing me speed py about
SSn neaa the ne, oonsuInp.oH ~ Goai 10 re-
required for the higher speed. The old formula
10 express this. whlch was beaten into our heads
Mheh we were yopngsters In inc navy was
nPhCa W, OF v 10 tnG tn'ru power IN Which mp
rs tne Morse poWer,C 10 u constant, a ~ the area
OF a cross sectiom OF inc pessel amidships, and, v
u Ihe Veioclty. ms inc Is olu enlplrlcal formula
9sSa 10 oetepm'no INC morse power necessary TO
arlye q steam VeSsei az u certain speed. Inc
m ib,rd no iDsr'u hein is c imG u tne w. OF v 70 ne
Ihiru power, DeiHB chanGeu 10 Vn,or V 70 the
nteenth power. because present,aay ships OF
h'gn speea ar1 eeaM,rea 10 nnnhe - KNOTS or 80;
explain the meaning Of the increasing coal
conspmpLion IN thls way II you should drop an
IRON oipck lrom u gIeat distance aoove the water
u wp9ia oe anectea ny inc water ABOUT as ! :
Wouiu os Dy . stone payemeht. III you drop IL
IRON u low eievaIiqh the wafer moves away
easiiy, allpWinR inc Dlock 10 SINK Win only
srnat Gimahution OF veioeitS; In the case OF taii-
ing tnromgn tne iohger alstahce tne olock IS
practically stopped for an instant by impact with
Tue SqraIGe 81 sno waseri III oScanse water Is
practicalLy ihG2mpressi3ie anu IN the swirl I'M
pacI Of inc dmiilhs 9Iock the nomohtary Tesist-
nhce 10 very 1tSati So Win u steanish,p. When
~ moves Smittly INC resistance exists IN q higher
rn,io " tne nor NJ power nun wnen the snip
anofes s,1wiy' ihu6 the greater consumption OF
coal req9iroui