Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1898-07-22
Hoods Pills to takt. 5 eslts.

people were technically informed.
Prior t o her su, lection Ia that serious
ordeal The lTdiana WIS supplied at
the United States Government tor
pedo st;ripu at Newport, X. |. with u
full equipment OF the famous White
head toTpedocs--lrcadful missiles Of
dest=uction which can he elected
through tubes with which the battle
ship is provided. Then she WAS land
ed ligh i'll the Government dry dock
at Port Royal. S. e., in order that her
bottom might receive Il thor ngh
cleaning, aud when that task had
been accomplished she joined the
United States war squadron then
anchored IN. Hampton Road, nee
tam oven thcp-und that was two
years ago-whether or o Cuba was
TO be placed under Il free flag.
After by Il simple ceremony being
installed us the first battleship NJ the
United States navy. she made an
Is run Of torty.oisht hours rs a
test Of her vurious capabilities, and
during this ordeal for the lirst time
in the history of this Government a
i3-Iuch gun was fired from Il vessel.
Few people understood the serious
G 5 Of this feat. Let us iirst under
stand what a l3.iuch gun Is. and tie
Indiana, Ivy the way, carries frr Of
them III addition To- a large number
nf weapons Of smaller calibcr. Each
ut the ID inch guns on the Indiana is
30 feet liz inches in lenLth-Onc-
half inch less than 10 feet. Each
weighs about sixiy-seven tons. Each
fires II solid steel shot or shell - in
ches in diameter and about 1 feet in
length. Each Of these weighs 1860
pounds, and is composed of "a quality
Of steel that costs - cents a pnnud.
making the valuation % each shot
exactly S2l9. 70 tire this prCjrctile
when in war action requires til" use
Of 500 pounds Of powder. So that it
will readily be seen that the dis
charge OF each gun costs a pretty
penny. With that amount OF cvplu.
sive force back Of it, the l3.inch gun
will throw one of these st eel mcssrn-
gers Of death a distance u! about
twelve miles. or course, NO attempt
is mTde to strike a vessel at :bat dis
stance, because the shot would then
have lost its destructive force. al.
tLouEh at that Iii 'tnnce explosive
SHELLS could he thrown into "a be-
~ledguered city and cause much hnvpc.
But imagine Il prof .cti!e 81 that size
we are speaking now 81 solid shot
striking the side OF a vessel. say.
only two miles away. II wOnld re-
quirc II wonderfully perfect condition
of armor TO withstand the shoot; OF
the impact. But the question 81 cost
and the ques,iGn Of force die not in
yplve the most serious aspect Of the
first trial Of tho l3.inch gun on q YES
sci.
Some time before The Indiana trial,
the English Government experiment
ted with II l3.inch gun on Il ship of
the Royal Sovereign class. The mime
OF 1t Is not Just nov recalled. At the
lirst firing Of the gun. so terrible WI.
the shock, tue entire upper deck WAS
lifted from iis position and sprung
along its center. The Indiana wng
specially equipped to provide against
any such disuster, and her decks were
constructed by the Cramps i'll such a
way that naval experts agreed ti,nt
40 such damage could bcfnIl her
when he l3 inch guns sent ont their
hIming messages. Naval experts
wcrc agreed, however. thai when she
went into action, and lie four l3.inch
guns, were performing their deadly
w"tH, the EXPLOSIONS wnnld slIn,far
and d~eSttoy every piece OF woodwork
aud glass III every portion ~ the yes.
SCI. That was expected and prepared
Tor, ana Tor that reason the bnitlcship
Indiana is composed utmost entirely
OF iron aud steel, She has been apily
described ss mn enormnns IIonting
stce! fort, with q ship built around 4,
Tor purposes OF nayiIli ion. Fu ly
oDc-iIolf of her could he shot away.
and flIc would siil ioat nud retain
her m,cGhnlcd fighting power. But
Tie trial teet ~ The Indiana Showed
that slic could withstand the shock ot
the explosion Of u ~ inch gun with.
out oven shaitcring her woodwork.
mud now IN the bpmbardmcn, Of por.
to Rico and Santiago dc Cura No
find that her sister ships. Tic Iowa
and The Massachusetts, lIavo ihun.
dered forth missiles from their -.
mch gnna without damage to their
structural condition. SO it has re-
Innincd for Uncle sam and the Amer.
lean slipbuildcrs 10 solve the prob.
lem Of arminR floating forts wills guns
of enormous cnlibcr. And 81 these
the Indima was the pioneer -Phila.
delphia Times.