The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-05
How a Growing Warship
Looks to a Landsman

times can't understand they know it,
and the splendid ship grows wonder
fully under their hands.
Leading from the cruisers upper
deck ARE straight, narrow stairWays
that descend into her holds; below
these are yet other steps that go still
further down; and beyond these are
ladders, but how deep these go none
can say except one who is very ia
1IniHar with the inner mysteries of
twentieth century naval architecture.
The. landlubber, after climbing up and
down for half hour, loses count, and
goes away with the childish impress
sion that he might have continued to
descend right through the earth. and
eventually have come out in China.
But a trip below decks, while it per-
splexes the unaccustomed traveller with
itS shadoWy human being creeping
about, electric bulb in hand. pounding,
hammering, saving steel bars and
plates, riveting bolts, or chiseling out
Z doorWays from the solid plating, pre-
sents a wonderful series of glimpses
into the mechanism of the vessel.
The Turtle Back.
Here and there, for example, an
opening in the flooring reveals the
protective deck of the cruiser rising
like the back Of an enormous turtle
under the deck upon which he is
standing. This turtles back, covered
with thick steel plates, is intended to
protect the ship from an enemy's shot
by turning to hostile missiles a curry
ing surface from which they will
glance harmlessly, and is responsible
for the Des Moines' title Of protected
cruiser" 1t separates the upper part
Of the vessel from what is below the
water line, and thus shields the boil
ers, engines and dynamos that are her
heart and other vital organs. Far be-
low it's surface is the spot where, ac-
cording to Kipling,
1.-THE scalded stokers yelped delight,
As they rolled in the waist and heard the
fight
Stamp Ger their steel-walled PEN
One must abandon the steep stairways
and take to sleeper ladders to reach the
realms of the Des Moines' future stokers,
place that seems the less inviting when
one realizes that the new cruiser is being
built largely for service in our new tropi
cal possessions.
Another interesting thing that the visi-
tor to the interior of the nearly fin
ished cruiser finds out is that Iowa's most
peaceful industry, the growing of corn,
win play an important part in the de-
Tense of the vessel that has been named
in honor of the Corn States capital This
defense has something of a Quaker char
acter and is worth risking involuntary
suicide from the various wires-about
half a mile of them in all-that hang
from the dark ceilings waiting the hour
that shall finally connect them with the
dynamos. The cornpith cellulose, to give
the substance it's full descriptive title,
comes from the fields to Fore river in
briquettes. and something over 47.o00
pounds of it are used 1t has the peculiar
original volume when soaked In water.
and is placed as a sort of lining between
the outer and inner Skin of the hull.
If shot should penetrate the ships
would make, of course. good sized hole
through which the water would pour an
unpleasant occurrence despite the fact
that the danger OF serious consequences
is lessened by the division of the hull
along the water line into series OF inde-
pendent watertight compartments The
cornpith briquettes, however, still fur
Their lessen this danger, for as fast as the
hole admitted water, the water would In
turn expand the cornpith, which would
almost Immediately plug up the rent
and prevent leaking until the damage
could be properly repaired.
Everything Makes for Comfort.
The comforts of the interior arrange
ments of this newest American cruiser
are partly in evidence even in the clut-
tered condition just preliminary to the
final tying up of odd ends and putting
everything in order. In fact the ship is
at present good deal like new house in
which it seems as if there would never
be room for the furniture and yet the
room is apparent enough when one
ina gines it without workmen, Tools
benches and othere paraphernalfa of the
construction period. In the ward-room,
for example, the place that will later be
filled with big center table is now occu-
pied by an energetic saw that cuts steel
and makes much more noise about it than
even the. pneumatic riveters do about
their work. And in the captains cabin
and the rooms that will belong to the
officers the process of putting in the
spring mattresses takes three times as
much space as the beds themselves viii
eventually occupy. In the pantry one
sees the shelves just being completed,
and here and there the high polish of
brass or the pleasant odor Of fresh paint
gives evidence that some even of the
very final touches are being put on.
But polished brass, fresh paint furni
ture and. other minor details of house
keeping are finishing touches not likely
to be entirely completed until after the
builders trial. which will take place some
time during the next few weeks. After
the builders trial-wlhich is practically
identical with the regular government
trial. except that it is conducted by the