The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-03-05
MORE WAR DOGS.

The Miantonomah and the Ammen RAJ
katahdin, to Go Into Immediate Commits
siOn-A Description of the Vessels and the
Personnel of Their Omcers-TO Make
Berths for the Survivors of the Maine.
WASHINGTON. March 2.-Orders went
out from the navy department yesterday
to put the ironcladS MiantonOmah and
hatahdin into commission on the 10th
inst. They are now at the League
Island navy yard, where they lave
been laid up for a year or two past. 1t
is said at the department that the pur-
pose of putting them in commission Is
to make berthS for the survivors of the
Maine, now at Key West waiting on the
court of inquiry. which. without doubt,
will have finished with them by the
10th inst. The MiantOnomah is a for
inidablc dOuble-turrctcd monitor. car
rying four IO-inch guns. She is
of 1890 tonS displacement and StcamS
iOis knots per hour. In addition to her
main battery. she carries a good sec
ondary battery of rapid-frc guns. and
her turrctS are clad with II Inch
lrInOr. Her commander has not yet
Oeen definitely selected. but the re-
maiEdcr Of her officers will be as fol-
lows: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Wilson,
executive officer; Lieut.. Underwood,
navigator: LieutS. IIogg. Gill and En-
sign COlmaE. watch officers: Passed As
oistant Surgeon Weaver and Chief En-
ginecr Parks.
The katahdin. otherwise known as
the AInnen ram. is ii freak III naval
architecture. and although opinions
are divided as to her qualities. there is
little doubt that her presence in any
harbor would make an enemy anxious.
She lies mostly under water. with Il
turtle back of steel varying in thick
ness from -. to 4 inches. andth theory
Of her designer. Admiral Ammen, was
that this armOr plate could not be
struck directly by IA shot from another
vessel, and that any such shot would be
harmlcSSly detected By the slOping
steel deck. In action the coming tower
and smoke stack are about all of the
ship that would present Il mark. The
former Is made of steel IS inches thick.
The katahdin is Il ram pure and sim
pie. having in the way Of weapons OF
o!fensc nothing except her sharp steel
beak and Il few small rapid-tire guns to
keep off boarders or torpedo boats.
When she was designed her speed was
placed at u very high mark, but she did
not realize expectations, owing to her
peculiar obstructive underwater model
Her personnel will be as follows:
lieut. Commander Wilde. at pres
ent naval secretary of the lighthouse
board: executive officer, Lieut.. Lowe;
navigator. Lieut.. Culver; Chief Engi-
neer Beig. and Ensign Campbell. The
two vessels have crews respectively of
$50 and 90 men.
1t was learned at the navy depart.
ment yesterday why the Maine was
tied up to Il buoy in Havana harbor, in
stead of anchOring. Il fact that has beer
the base for some of the theories as tC
the cause of the disaster. 1t is
stated that not only is a man
of-war at a buoy in much bet.
ter place for quick service than when
anchored, but it appears that if Il ship
casts her anchor in Havana harbOr. SO
foul and polluted with yellow fever
and other disease germs is the mud
that adheres to it when it is hoisted
that the ship must go into quarantine
upon her return to any Florida port.