Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-02-14
AN EPISODE IN
NAVAL ARCHITECTURE
[original.l

eS OF manufacturing the toughest plate
and the most penetrating shell. Young
applied himself so diligently that his
health began to give way, and, secur-
| ing a years leave, he went abroad.
One morning while rowing on the
Bosporus he met handsomely cano-
pied boat, pulled by four eunuchs, bear
| ing q Turkish lady evidently of high
rank. He stared at her, but as her face
| was covered he could see no feature
| but her eyes. Young was handsome
fellow and was at the time in the uni
form of his rank. The eyes of the lady
were bent upon him and, he fancied,
admiringly. However this may be, the
same evening while walking on the
street q man accosted him in bad Eng
lish, informing him that a lady who
had seen him that day desired to make
his acquaintance. Such an adventure
suited the officer exactly, and he fol-
lowed the man, who led him to a pri-
vate entrance to the sultan'S seragiio.
After lodging through secret passages,
Young suddenly stepped into luXuri-
ously furnished apartment, in which
on a divan sat very pretty Turkish
woman. Of course she was the woman
he had met on the river.
That was the year of the earthquake
in Turkey-1S94, l think. AS Young
was advancing, the lady holding out
her hand to him, there were n rumbling
and rocking which ioosened the floor
ing and let the sinful couple down into
A. Mi. 80
all. The sultan was at the time visit
ing his favorite wife in this very apart
ment into which they fell, and the
sight that greeted his eyes after brush
ing off the plaster was Lieutenant
Young, with one of his sultanas cling
ing to him in terror.
OF course this meant death for both
the sinners, and this story would end
right here had not the sultan recog
nized Young as an American officer.
Not that that deferred the autocrat
from applying the customary laws, but
he was at that time much impressed
with the skill displayed in America In
military and naval science, and it oc-
CURED to him that he might get some
information. He asked the transgressor
several questions, and when he learned
of his peculiar experience his eyes
cleaned with satisfaction.
go into the government works." he
said, land make me plate armor that
no shell can penetrate and n shell that
no armor can resist. If you do this, you
go free"
THAT would be impossible, your maj |
esty, but 1 will make you an armor
that no shell except one you possess
can penetrate, and that shell will pene-
trate any armor. But as an officer of
the United States navy it would be I'M
becoming of me to save my life and
leave a woman to punishment
Every well,' said the sultan. 81 con-
sent. 1 have never seen this woman
before, though she may have been in
my harem for months. I do not even
know her name. If you succeed, l will
give her to YOU"
In few weeks came the trial at the
works in the sultan's presence. Young
set up his plate and challenged the
Turkish officers present to pierce it
With most of their proJectiles they on
" dented it. The best they could do
was to get into 1t about two inches.
Are you satisfied, your majesty"
asked Young, that there is no shell
made that can pierce that plate?"
The sultan consulted WITH his super
in&endent of the works, an English
man, and then told Young that he was
satisfied.
Every well, your majesty; will now
load the gun myself, but / ask your
majesty to withdraw every one to a
distance while / insert the projectile
in order that your majesty alone may |
possess the secret. which 1 Will trans
NIT to you after the experiment"
To this the sultan assented. Then
Young surprised them all by taking up
a shell of the kind they had been
using, but before putting it into the
gun it was observed that he took some
thing from his vest pocket. When all
was ready, Young fired the shell, which |
penetrated the plate. tearing away the |
backing. The shell was found to be
uninjured. The sultan examined it |
greediIy, then looked up in amazement. |
There was nothing on it different from
any other shell and no mark to indicate |
that anything had been attached. The
next shot was fired at an angle of
twenty degrees. 1t pierced both plate |
anu DdcklHS anu SlEuCh tue wall luciOS- |
ing the works. 500 feet away. The sui |
tan and all the officers present held up
their hands in establishment.
''Tell me at once cried the sultan, |
''this wonderful seeret!''
Then Young took a cap and fixed it
to the point of a shell. 1t was held
there by magnetism. 1t VIA combi-
nation of metals which Protected the
shells point till it had passed the hard
surface of the plate and reached the
softer metal at the back.
The sultan clapped his hands, and
eunuehs appeared, leading the lady
who invited Young to her apartments.
He CALAMITY crooked his arm and led
her out of the works amid the plaudits
of the assembled throng.
That evening an envoy came from