Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1899-09-28
DEWEY HOME COMING.
THE MUCH-L00KED-FOR EVENT
KEEPS THE EXPANSION :.
QUESTION BEFORE
THE PEOPLE.
LARGEST VESSEL ON THE WATER.
The Great 0ceanic's Arrival at Her
Pier in New York Her Won
derful Equipment and Di-
mensions-A Letter
From Editor
White.
LARGEST VESSEL ON THE WATER.

keeps the question OF expansion live
ly here and the consensus of opinion
seems to be that the American who
opposes the policy OF expansion with
out Imperialism is false to the doctrine
that has made his nation respected
abroad and happy at home. Expan-
sion without imperialism has been the
policy and practice of the United
States since the original thirteen
States first set up housekeeping for
themselves, and it Is the policy to
which is due the formation OF the
American character, the strength Of
the American nation, the capacity Of
the American people.
When the lines of boundaries are
permanently set, when everything lie
surveyed and measured and governed,
there will cease to be an outlet for
the energy and enterprise OF the
young men Of the country.
The advancement OF the American
nation has been entirely due to the
fact that there always have been other
American worlds to conquer. There
have always been states to civillze,
deserts to irrigate, nomads to subju-
gate, mountains to scale, rivers to
bridge.
The last forty years OF Americas
| growth have seen the centre of our
civilization moved west to San Fran
cisco; have seen the actual centre of
American life and business moved
from Philadelphia to Omaha. That
tremendous work OF expansion, that
Titanic work OF building railroads,
opening mines, subjugating and level
ing forests, was the task that made
the American of to-day the man he is
in place of the man who would have
been had the civilization of this coun-
try stopped with the peddling of furs
in Manhattan or the growing Of cot
ton in Georgia.
The arrival of the big steamship,
Oceanic, has created quite an interest
among the people Of this country.
She lie the biggest vessel that ever
fioated, measuring 7O4 feet, to the
Great Eastern's $50 feet. The vessel
carries $50 sacks Of mail.
The Oceanic's immense proportions
cannot be appreciated without making
few comparisons. Mere figures do
not convey an idea of her size.
II il we're possible to place her on
her keel in Fifth avenue with her
stern on line with the northerly side
OF Twenty fourth street, her stern at
the extreme end OF the overhang
would reach several feet beyond the
southerIy line Of Twenty seventh
street.
He tunnels would overtop most of
the buildings along her length and
two elevated locomotives could pass
each other inside OF either.
More people car be comfortably
housed in her great shell than can be
accommodated at the Waldorf Astoria.
II set on end the Oceanic would
reach 32s feet above the topmost
point of the Pulitzer Building.
The Oceanic was built at Queens
Island, Belfast, Ireland, by Messrs.
Harland & Wolf, and her launching
was an event unprecedented as an
engineering feat. Her immense weight
made it necessary to build extra
foundations beneath her keel, and the
ways down which che slid into her
natural element had to be built OF
timbers heavier than were ever before
used for that purpose in any shipyard.
The Oceanic is built with gun plat
forms, according to Admiralty re-
quirements, so that she may be used
as an armed cruiser in case she is
needed. She can steam 23,4O0 miles
at the rate of IL knots an hour, or
clear around the world without re-
coaling, and at the same time carry q
large body Of troops, store and am
munition.
The vessels hull is made up Of
II, 900 steel plates, fastened by /, ,7O4, 900
rivets to frames OF channel steel Q
inches deep with Az inch fanges.
These frames are placed only s1k
inches apart, SO that the greatest
possible rigidity is given to the whole
structure.
The vessels plates are most of them
2s feet long, feet inches wide, and
from inch to 1}S inches thick. They
weigh from 2 to 81 tons each. Her
sternpost and its arms for carrying
the tubes weigh ss tons.
She has 5 steel decks, and IS wafer
tight compartments about so feet
apart. For distance of 81 feet, or
throughout the length Of the engine-
room, there extends a longitudinal
bulkhead, The engines are OF tripal-
expansion type, each having 4 cylin-
ders, and her boilers stand a working
pressure OF 1872 pounds to the square
inch.
The Oceanic has three polemasts
and two tunnels. Her saloon is 80
feet long, "a feet wide and feet high.
The staterooms are many Of them as
large as rooms in a good-size house,
being 12 feet long by Q feet wide.
The Oceanic left Queenstown at
12;45 O'Clock last Thursday afternoon.
In order to tie the record Of days 2
hours and % minutes, held by the
Lueania, she should have reached
New York al. 3:os yesterday afternoon.
Thousands of people were in the
harbor and on the wharf to cheer the
crew. She Is beauty and carries
easIly from $500 to 5000 passengers.
A fine ocean steamer is one of the
gran6est works Of man.
r. NJ. WHITE.