The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-09

this custom the designers Of the Demo-
iogos recognized a weak point In war
ships, and they prepared 10 take al
vantage OF IL. In addition 10 YES
seis armament. there was Duiit a pow
erfuf pump. which was WORKED py the
same engine which propelled Inc vince
This pump could send two streams OF
water a considerable distance. IL
was determined that these should be
turned upon an enemy when IN close
quarters. ~drenching the loose powder
and rendering IL useless.
The greatest difficulty experienced py
h builders was I'm getting the ships
armament TO New York. The 30 guns
allotted to her had 10 be brought from
Philadelphia. and, as were
then unknown, they were hauled over
land. The roads were miserable n
most OF the guns were hauled 10 their
destination by strong teams OF oxen.
The day of the launching marked the
beginning OF a new era in the navy.
and was a memorable OCCASION fully
10000 people were present TO see the
strang looking craft glide down
ways into the water. Cannon doomed
and flags waved from every building
In sight. When the Demologos entered
the water she left behind her old name
and was christened Fulton TIE First,
despite the protests or her modest
namesake. He did not live to see her
completed. The engines were not put
in the vessel until May. 1915. and Full
ton died three months before that time.
When completed the Fulton registered
a tonnage of $500. The vessel attract
ed considerable attention while In pro-
cess OF construction from the English
naval authorities. who were alarmed al
the possibilities of the. new craft. Eng
lish newspapers gave much space TO
discussing her. One OF them gave the
following description of the new addi-
tion to the American navy:
"There is now building in New York
a terrible engine of war, which is pro-
PEELED by steam. The length OF the
vessel is 800 feet, 200 feet in breadth
and the hull is constructed of alternate
layers of raj n cork planking. IL feet
in thickness. She carries "A guns and
her quarterback and forecastle guns
are 44-pounders. A pump is worked by
machinery which enable her to throw
100 gallons of boiling water per minute
upon the decks OF an enemy.
"Over the gunwales are brandished
with utmost regularity 800 cutlasses.
also worked by machinery. rendering
boarding impossible. From the lower
deck the same number of huge iron
pixies of equal length are shot forth and
withdrawn every quarter OF a minute.
This. too. is accomplished by steam"
The Fulton the First never a an
opportunity to demonstrate her worth
as a fighting vessel. although h
would doubtless have proved a formid-
able opponent to any war vessel on the
sea at that time. Her first trip was
made on June i, 1915. down New York
bay to the Narrows. on July 4. of the
same year. she had a speed trial,
steaming % miles out to sea and back.
The trip was accomplished in a little
less than nine hours and was entirely
satisfactory to both the government
and the builders. At the close of the
war with England the Fulton was tied
up opposite the Brooklyn navy yard
and remained there until June 4. 1929.
on that date two barrels of powder,
stored in the hold. exploded and the
ship was blown TO pieces. Between 20
and 30 men, who were on board at the
time. were killed. The cause of the
explosion was never found out. Some
years later another vessel i'm the navy
received the name of Fulton.-New
York Sun