The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-07

forward and aft from the deck. In those
days, when breech-loading guns were un-
known 1t was customary to use loose pow
der The explosive was kept near the
guns In time of action, ready to be packed
down the old muzzle-loading pieces. In
this custom the designers of the Demolo-
gos recognized weak point in warships,
and they prepared to take advantage of 1t.
In addition to the vessels armament,
there was built a powerful pump, which
was worked by the same engine which
propelled the wheel. This pump could
send two streams of water considerable
distance and il was determined that these
should be turned upon an enemy when in
close quarters, drenching the loose powder
and rendering It useless,
The greatest difficulty experienced by
the builders was in getting the ship
armament to New York. The thirty guns
allotted TO her had to be brought from
Philadelphia, and, as railways were then
unknown, they were hauled overland. The
roads were miserable and most OF the
guns were hauled to their destination by
strong teams of oxen.
The day OF the launching marked the be-
ginning of a new era i'm the navy and was
a memorable occasion. Fully 10000 people
were present to see the strange-looking
craft glide down the ways into the water
cry building In sight. When the Demolo-
gos entered the water she left behind her
old name and was christened Fulton the
First despite the protests of her modest
namesake. He did not live TO see her
completed. The engines were not put IN
the vessel until May, 1915, and Fulton
died three months before that ime. When
completed the Fulton registered ton
mage of $780, The vessel attracted con-
II H.. L., Of cor
struction from the English naval authori-
ties who were alarmed at the possibih-
ties of the new craft English newspa-
Ders gave much space to discussing her.
one OF them gave the following descrip-
ton of the new addition to the American
navy:
"There is now building in New York a
terrible engine of war, which is propelled
by steam. The length of the vessel is 800
feet, 200 feet in breadth. and the huh is
constructed Of alternate layers Of oak and
cork pIanking thirteen feet in thickness.
She carries forty-four guns and her quar-
ter-deck and forecastle guns are A-pound-
ers. A pump Is worked by machinery
which enables her to throw 100 gallons
of boiling water per minute upon the decks
of an enemy.
lover the gunwales are brandished with
the utmost regularity 300 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 S4sflr-
ter of minute This, too, is accomplish
ed by steam"
The Fulton the First never had an op-
portunity to demonstrate her worth as a
fighting ship, although she would doubt
less have proved formidable opponent
to any war vessel on the sea at that
time. Her first trip was made on June /,
1915, down New York bay to the Narrows.
On July 4 of the same year she had a
speed trial, steaming twenty-five miles out
to sea and back. The trip was accom-
plished in a little less than nine hours
and was entirely satisfactory 10 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 twenty and thirty
men were killed. The cause of the ex-
plosion was never found out. Some years
later another vessel in the navy received
the name of Fulton.