Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-06-13
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Naval Board Planning the Great
est Fighting Machine.
LARGER THAN. AMY NOW BUILT.

Congress WIN BE Asked to Authorize
One of 10000 Tons Displacement.
Novel Floating Machine Shop.
Spanish Minister'S Wife Decoxates
Her Horses With Violets.
naval power is Of a little more than
$4,000 tons displacement 1t Is related
that the largest one present at the fu-
neral demonstration in honor Of Queen
Victoria was a Japanese battleship re-
Gently completed and displacing $4,000
tons. Great Britain has several battle
ships Of equal tonnage on the way, and
1taly's Lepanto Is of $1,000 tons. If
the report heard at the navy depart
ment proves correct and congress ap-
proves the recommendations of Rear
Admiral Bowles and the construction
board, the United States may have q
battleshtp Of 10000 ions displacement,
with corresponding armament, thus
providing a warship Of formidable pro-
portions, says the Washington CORE
spondent of the New York Times.
The British and Japanese battleships
Of $4,000 tons draw 81 feet of water or
more. That would prevent their entry
into many of our harbors, and the fact
that many American harbors cannot
afford water for vessels of such draft
has led to the construction of battle
ships drawing the least possible water
consistent with stability. The mean
draft of the Maine class will be less
than "a feet. The idea is to produce d
vessel that will not draw much more
with the displacement Of 10000 tons.
The plan Of armament, as suggested,
will be four II inch, sixteen 8 inch and
one hundred and thirty-two. 8 inch
guns. Some members Of the construc
ton board hope to ecure designs prom
Using a speed of 81 knots, WHICH. if OBJ
tanned, would make the new battleship
equal In speed and superior in power to
most of the armored cruisers now
Qfioat and make her a formidable an
tagonist Of the most powerful battle
ship yet built.
The Duchess of ARGOS, wife of the
Spanish minister at Washington, has
introduced a new idea in the use of
violets. When her handsome turnout
drew up at her door the other day, it
was noticed hat her fine horses wore
little punches Of the fragrant spring
flowers. caught by lavender ribbons
and perched coquettishly on each side
of the blinds. The effect was very pref
ty, especially when viewed with the
duchess behind clad in a symphony of
purple and carrying an immense clus-
ter Of ~violets, muf style.
Several ladies' have taken up the
style, and now it Is a familiar sight to
note horses with nosegays of lilacs,
hyacinths or other spring flowers.
The navy department has just COM
pleted plans for the construction of a
novel ship, which will be little short
of a floating machine shop, writes the
st. Louis Globe-Democrat's Washing
ton representative. The vessel as de-
signed will be very high between
decks, so as to allow the installation
Of all kinds Of lathes and iron working
machinery. 1t is to be a big ship,
which will cost about 100000 and
be of 5000 tons displacement.
Power which is used to propel it
through the water will be so arranged
that it can be applied to the machinery
of special design which is to be placed
on board. When completed, the boat
will be of such a nature hat it can be
sent to any distant naval station and
thus used for repairing of machinery
and guns aboard our largest battle
@I1-~ VTT1{1o - e --i ill Io-f~-@I
for service in times Of peace, it is argu-
ed at the navy department that in
times of war it can be sem along with
the ships Of our fleets and in some pro-
tected harbor do Indispensable work
for the ships without the necessity Of
their being taken out Of commission.
The national capital Is delighted with
a new slang phrase, says the New
York Worlds Washington correspond
ent. When anything, from the lie of a
ball on a golf link to the fit of a dinner
gown, is all right, correct, excellent, it
is, in the terms Of the new slang, call
skeeky."
The schoolboys got it from no n
knows where, and now everybody use
it. The other day the dignifed secre-
tary of war, who has some boys of his
own, did not catch himself before he
said something or other was call skee-
KY"
Dangerous Color Blindness.
1t is rather startling to read that 30
locomotive engineers, .fremen and sig
nalmen in the employ of one railway
company have been found unable to