The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-08-15
TERRIFYING CAREER
OF TEEUFIUS ENDED
Dynamite Cruiser S Future to
Come Before Naval Board.
GUNS DIFFICULT TO MANAGE
Stationary Tubes Made Location of OBJ
jective Uncertain-O Officers to Decide
Whether Vessel Shall Be Sold or Con-
verted-Its Interesting History.

The further career of the dynamite
cruiser VesuviGs is to be determined
in the near future by a board of naval
officers to be appointed for that pur-
pose. 10 decide on one OF two courses
whether she shall be sold or whether
It Is worth while 10 take out her big
pneumatic guns and convert her into a
rlain ordinary gunboat OF dispatch yes
sci
At a conference between the Acting
Secretary of the Navy, Judge Darling,
and the members of the Naval Board
On Construction yesterday, it was de-
Cided after some discussion that the
fgT-famed little engine Of destruction.
O. which so much was expected. shall
be declared unsuitable for the purpose
for which she was built The final de
termination OF what shall be done win
the swift, low-running vessel was iest.
however, Tor future determination.
An Auspicious Launching.
The Vesuvius was built by the Cramps
II Philadelphia and was launched ADr1.
I. 1888. Mr. William c. Whitrey. Their
Secretary OF the Navy. chartered a spe-
ciaI train and took over q big crowd OF
Senator's and Representatives AMI pub
lie officials from Washington 10 see the
launching Of the dynamite cruiser ami
he gunboat Yorktown. which took the
?-ateT en- tic same day.
Strange TO say, the chief claim made
IN behalf Of the obstructive capa-
bility-has been 4 smaller part of her
record than her remarkable speed and
ability 10 keep an enemy guessing as
TO her Whereabouts. IN the stress Of,
actual conflict It IS well known By
trained fighters. the strain on the hu
man nerve due 10 anxiety regarding al
unseen yet present foe alounts in the
long run 10 almost rs great, il not as
immediate, damage as heavy gunfire
On her trial trip the vesuvius made
the remarkable speed of more than
twenty-five knots an hour and in the
bIccEading Uaueuvers Of the North At
lauEc squadron. under Rear Admiral
BUnCc at Charleston. 5. c. February.
1897, she managed to slip through the
Gordon Of big ships FIVE times without
being seen This gave the little boat
great renown and high hopes were built
upon her possibilities IN actual war
fare
Dynamite Tubes Unwieldy-
With the exception OF a couple of g.
Founders. the armament Of the Vesuvius
consists OF three 15-inch pneumatic
tubes. through which shells filed with
dynamite are thrown by air pressure.
These tubes are stationary. the greater
part OF them being concealed beneath
the deck The muzzIes project above the
deck and point over the bow al al up-
ward angle. The three are parallel
The only way they can be aimed is by
turning the ships head toward the tar
get. The range and fa.l of the shells
are r gUIated by the amount OF cir pres
sure. These remarkable pieces of ord
rance we're invented by the late Capt
Edward zal;nski Of the army
Skirmishing at Santiago.
It was believed that the vesuvius
would tear an enemy TO pieces Il she
ever got at one, but the vessel was IN
able 10 live up 10 that reputation when
she was sent % Santiago in 1895 Under
command OF Commander John S. Pills
bury. she would steal in at night un,n
within a nile CT the MORO and fire her
ttree guns toward the Spanish lines.
Then she WOULD cut and run for dear
life. for, being full OF dynamite. a Span
ish she'll would have marked the end o. /
her. According 10 what was learned /
afterward, the shells from the Yesuvius /
tore Up things pretty badly wherever !
they struck but hey failed 10 strike the I
MORO or any. other fortified place and 1
helped the Americans only to the extent 4
Of making the Spaniards frightened