Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-27
that the Spanish could not work their
own GUNS

that the Spanish could not work their
own guns.
Are the Latest.
These cruisers incorporate the very
latest improvements known to the art
of warship building. Each vessel car
r1es near the water line, inside the lin
ing of her hull, 6,720 cubic feet of corn
pith. This is an innovation, the actual
operation OF which will be watched
with especial interest. According to
theory and such practical expert
ments as it has been possible to make,
this inside lining of corn pith is sup
posed to save the ship, should she be
struck below the water line. The pith
swells the moment it comes in con-
tact with water and in moment
would have closed up the hole pro-
dueed by the shell. The pith adds
nothing to the weight of the vessel
and nothing to its capacity to with
stand the fire of the enemy's shells.
1t is a safety measure, and nothing
more.
New Features.
Each cruiser will take on another
new point in ship building. The hulls
are being constructed of steel. Over
this is placed a sneathing of wood, and
over this an outer casing of copper.
This adds nothing to the protective
features of the ship. but it adds ma
terially in Keeping the vessel clean.
The fouling of the ships bottom and
sides constitutes one of the difficult
ties constantly commended with by
commanders of warships. Had the
Spanish ships in Santiago harbor been
free of foul matter our fleet might not
have got the Colon. A foul bottom
greatly retards the speed of the ship,
sometimes reducing it one-third.
Hull Problem Solved.
There seems to be no method Of
painting or treating steel or iron that
will prevent the operations of the
barnacles and other animal life that
quickly fouls the bottom of the vessel.
However, these barnacles cannot ne
gotiate with. copper, and so by sheet
ing the iron with wood and the wood
with copper surface is obtained that
will remain clean indefinitely.
The Des Moines will carry line of
thirty officers and 26S men. She cost
for null and machinery s1,O65,OOO
the armament being furnished by the
government.
lowans at Launching.
1t is understood that the mayor of
Des Moines will select committee to
represent the city at the launching,
and Congressman Hull is planning to
be present upon this suspicious occa-
sion. Miss West of Des Moines is un.
derstood to have been elected to do
the honors with the bottle of cham
payne at the christening.
What Will Des Moines Give?
The government will desire to
know within comparatively short
time the pleasure of the city of Des
Moines in the matter of the citys do
nation, or offering. 1t is customary
for city Or state having a warship
named in its honor. to present the
ship with silver set or some token
of similar nature At the time of the
decision to name cruiser "Des
Moines," it was suggested by Mr.. Nor
ris, who is employed in the office of
the judge advocate. in the navy de
partment in Washington, that instead
of silver set, that the people of Des
Moines present the ship bearing the
name of the capital city of Iowa, a Ii
brary. This suggestion was taken uI
by a Des Moines paper and the ques
ton was agitated to considerable ex
tent the consensus of opinion seeming
to be that the suggestion was a good
one. Several hundred dollars were
,..,ie \ y, =
be lost sight of.
The navy department was informal
ly made aware of the agitation and
approved the evident determination Of
the Des Moines people.
If any donation is contemplated by
Des Moines it will be necessary that
some action with a view to determin
ing the nature of the gift, be taker
within a short time. If the Offering
shall be library the department will
desire to be advised to that effect in
order that when the work of interior
fitting is being done, that suitable room
for shelving may be left and that the
shelving may be built into the ship as
a permanent fixture.
Mr.. Morris seems to think that {
very creditable library could be pur
chased for $1,000. The department
would furnish many volumes on its
| own account.
Washington, D. c., May "a.
Within few weeks two new faces
| will appear upon the postal issues o.
the United States.
The new postal card, to be officiall.
known as the Mckinley card, bear
ing the portrait of the late President
will be on sale sometime during thu
month of June. The first stamp in thu
new series ordered by the department
the new denomination, 10 cents
having as it's central picture the photo
graph of former President Harrison
will follow little later.
Designs Approved.
The designs for the Mckinley posta
card and the Harrison stamp hav
been approved by Third Assistan
Postmaster General Madden. Electro
types from the completed die of thu
first named, are now being made an,
engravers are at work upon the di
| for the 13-cent stamp.
Hitch in Proceedings.
n -. Il L.