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

ei'eicu Was small, owing to the swell
ing Of the wood and the fact that holes
In wooden ships could be plugged with
comparative ease. But a sheet steel yes
sci under fire from modern ihich power
guns Is likely to receive great many
sncts along the water line, every one
admitting water. The first and most
natural way OF guarding against such
water line damage was to put a belt Of
arnor around the vessel, extending for
few feet above and below the water
line But guns improved 80 rapidly in
penetrating power and facility of fire
mat belt could not be carried the
Whoie length OF sufficient thickness Ito
guarantee defense. Hence the value
OF the cornstall padding for armored
ships, while for unarmored vessels It is
most admirable protection
Ihis idea, like many others, has had
q gradual evolution. 4 few years ago
haNing decided on the correctness Of
the principle, the Navy Department
hlled the Golfer dams of some ships with
cellulosc.' obtained from cocoanut
husks. That material was most highly
commended at the time. The husks
were Imported from Caylon and the
"cellulose"--a word for the cellular sub.
stance of woody matter freed from i'm
purNies-was separated from them by
machinery in Philadelphia. The finish.
ed product looked like bits of ground
CORK. Unfortunately it did not prove
altogether succussful. 1T was apt To
putrefy. and taking fire readily, give
out a distressing smoke Ship rats bred
IN 1t by myriads, and, in short. It was
nuisance. Ii cost about 500 a ton
more than the new corn stalk pith.
Meanwhile other nations were MAX
ing experiments in the same line. Ger
,1,to
Slabs an inch thick and slowed In the
coffer dams with glue TO fiji the inter
Stices. Italy tried cat-taiIs. These were
me every day cat tails Of swampy
places, which, not being cultivated
plants, had to be gathered at large ex-
Dense where they happened to grow.
The fuzzy heads were packed in can
vas bags, which were covered with n
non-combustihle coating. Certainly the
molten Of protecting fighting ships with
cat 'tal!s was sufficiently picturesque,
II not humorous. However, the cost Of
them was too high, and they rotted
quickly, So now the Italian navy has
adopted cork shavinGs mixed with tar
and pressed into cakes.
France, too, has tried the mixture of
cork shavings and tar. but at present
she Is using "Zostere"-a species of sea
weed common on the French coast. 1t
is dried treated chemically, packed in
canVassbags and smeared with n wafer
proof coating, or else pressed into
bricks. Being n marine growth, Il is
sale from deterioration in salt water.
me experiments Of the United States
government naturally have attracted
attention abroad, and all of the prlnci-
pal European powers are making ex-
perSments with cornstalk pth rs a fill
ing Tor the Golfer dams OF their ships
OF war. Doubtless 1t will be quite gen
orally adopted before long.
Inc process of preparing the cornstaIk
pith Is decidedly interesting. The I'M
frhnmed stalks, just as they come
from the field that has yielded it's har-
vest, are fed 10 chopping machine
and cut into pieces an inch in length.
Then they are exposed to an air blast,
winch blows aside the leaves and light
trash, while the pieces Of stalk are
carried through n pipe to a. hopper.
1>his drops them into n mill, which
CT cracks the husks, releasing the pith
The resulting product Is exposed to an.
olnc: air blast, which blows the pith