Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-03-11
A VISIT TO THE SOUTH.

Editor Of the Monitor:
Dear Sir: In answer to your re-
quest to write few words in regard
to things and places [ have recently
| seen, will do the best can. am
| afraid that will write but little that
will interest your readers. I went to
Norfolk, Va, from Boston on the
steamer "Kershaw" of the Merchant
and Miners Line. 1t is a good boat,
with pleasant staterooms and very
fair food, as steamer food goes, more
style than good cooking however.
The trip from Boston to Norfolk
was very quiet, in fact so quiet that
were it not for slight jar made by
the engine propeller shaft when was
in my bed, would not know I was
on the ocean. Norfolk is a pretty
city, Judging from the little I saw of
in the southern cities than I expected
to see. They all have at least one
good hotel.
The ride from Norfolk to Newport
News Us miles) was also very quiet.
Newport News is a new city and has
been laid out with great expectations,
judging from the width and length of
the streets. IL covers a large tract
of country and like Chicago very
large buildings are erected on many
Of the streets with large spaces be-
tween the buildings. However, this
shows that some of the people had
faith that it is to be great city in the
near future.
The Newport News Ship Building
Works was the place that interested
me enough to go out of my way to
Richmond to look the works over, and
I felt well paid for my trouble. 1t is
a very hard place to get permission to
enter and would advise anyone wish
ing to look the works over to get per-
mission before they go to Newport
News. It is an immense plant costing
$12, 1000, and the company now
have contracts for over $40, 200, 900
worth of work on hand, work on ships
which are to go all over the world.
The battleship Illinois, one of the
largest, is about ready for her
are on board as she will go into com
mission. A surprising thing to me
was the length of the cannon compar-
ed to the diameter Of the shot and
shell. The guns of modern make are
at least twice the length for the So me
size shell that they were thirty years
ago. While on board the battleship
was told by one of the officers that
they call the range Of the modern
guns a mile to the inch of diameter of
six inch gEn will throw a shot six
miles and twelve inch gun will throw
one twelve miles. The rapid fire guns
on the sides of the ship stick out so
far and are SO small in dis meter, that |
it would seem if they were to brush
against another ship, that it would !
break them off, and they look as .
though shot from an eight inch gun
could cut six inch gun in twain. I
am sure If one was hit fairly on the
it useless, even if it did not break it
nto pieces. The guns are so
small compared TO the ships and
armor that to one who knows but
little about such things it seems as
though the shot and shell from the six
and eight inch guns would have about
Is much effect fred against the armor
If the battleship, as the shot from the
mail boys potato pop-gun fred
against the side of house.
The battleships are not things OF
,eauty, but more like floating forts.
they are very wide compared to their
ength. A common extension table
jop with one or two center boards
n, will give you an idea of their shape
It the water line. 1t is beyond nay
how they can get
,ngine and boiler room with all the
est they have to carry, to be able to
levelop the speed they do.
The manner of riveting the plates,