The St. Louis Republic., 1904-09-30
Naval Show on the Pike Presents
u Remarkably Realistic
Spectacle.
FLEET OF TORPEDO BOATS.
Vessels Engage in Realistic Re
production of Battle of san
tiago-Atiacks of the
Famous Struggle Are
Nividly Portrayed.

a naval hattie. with many real ships
anoat. but more than one thousand miles
from the nearest arm Of the great salt
sea. Is one Of the attractions Of the Pike.
at the Worlds Fair. II Is n rnarveIousiy
realistic spectacle for tho landiuhbeT Of =.
great fleet in action. There is action il
plenty Swift torpedo boats chase hostile
vessels. blockade runners are sh.lled and
sunk. a cruiser struck by torpedoes. Is
blown into atoms; opposing squadrons en-
gage ir general battle. and a feet. fiyine
the American flag. attacks AMI DESTROYS
Notifications on land after A fight Ia
which the forts make earnest resistance.
To the men OF the hills and prairies OF
the West. and from the sea coast as well.
the movement OF modern leviathans of
war. even in such comparatively peaceful
occupations as squadron drills and target
practice. Possesses strong fascination.
And this interest is readily transferred to
the swift. steel warsbips OF the naval
show
All together there are twenty-six boats
In the feet. The battle ships and cruisers
are mostly twen;y-one feet long and one
cruiser is twenty-five feet. The vessels in
the mosquito fleet are ten feet in length
All are built of steel. and the battle ships
ard torpedo boats are in sinister gray war
paint In the hull Of each vessel Is an
electric motor. with a storage battery
which prUpels the craft at high speed. un-
der perfect control. The crew. consisting
OF one man. is invisible. His position Is
in the forward part Of the boat. Steering
gear. a controlling switch for the motor
~. IL - ha
guns are in easy reach. placing the entire
craft under complete mastery. No war
captain before Santiago ever was more
sure Of absolute domination OF his own
vessel. certainly none ever expected TO
perform at once all the duties o: engineer.
pilot. commander and artiIIeryman.
Each Of the vessels is modeicd after
some famous original Of the American
navy. and named accordingly The mod
els are perfect IN every detail. showing
all the batteries in proper positions. with
boats. tunnels. vantiIators and rigging ac-
curateiy reproduced Besides the Missouri
there are among the bs;tleship- the Ore
gon. the Illinois. the Iowa and the In
diana The cruisers reproduce. among
others, the New York. the Brooklyn. the
Charleston. the Chicago and the Olympia
THE BATTLE BEGUN.
seer looks out over a lake several hun
dred feet in length At the further end
rises rugged coast. the cliffs crowned
with forts. and further back is visible
part OF the seaport town presently to be
the object of attack. The batt.eship Mis-
souri, appears from among the cliffs and
l. stationed about the middle Of the lake
A pyramid-shaped target Is towed out and
the Missouri attempts TO show what can
he done In naval gunnery. Every time the
big gun roars away at the target. IL
hit he made. a sharp report and a pun
of smoke show where the shell has mace
its mark.
The flagship Columbia. the largest OF
the feet. appears as the Missouri rstires,
leading the cruiser squadron in a tour OF
the lake. There is much wagging OF sig
mails II IL happens 10 be n day perform
anee. Otherwise varicolored lights twin
kle and fash in the naval code.
The Columbia. Respondent In white
paint and gold leaf. again appears. attend
81 by q single 9ispatch boa; in modest
then all the battieships. then the mos
quito Heet. all beGecked in flags or col
ored lights. out for parade. The flagship
takes up a position in from, Of the grand
view, saluting In turn TIE fee: forms
into divisions IN columns OF fcU-s IN line
OF battle. moving with the precision OF
ships hurry away into the reccsses OF the
inner harbor again.
Soon regular siege Of the fortress is
begun. Patrols are stationed and the
heavier war ships take their stand in the
outer harbor. firing at long range. = float
Ing battery Is sent out from the Inner
harbor and Is attacked by torpedo boats
The submarine boat. barely showing abQve
the water. takes part IN this attack Tor
pedces are discharged at the battery.
which is firing vigorously on the fleet
One. then another. then a third torpedo
explodes under the battery. the last shot
sending n column OF water nearly one
hundred feet into the air and putting the
floating battery entirely out OF commis-
sion-
The guns Of the feet are turned more
upon the Notifications. which
reply with hot FIRE The eannonadlns
ance of blockade runner endeavoring 10
pass the line OF patrols. Swiftly as II
goes the shells Of the wa-shirs soon over
L. Then comes the crowning spectacle OF
the performance. With forts ablaze. with |
guns or magazines exploding the inner
harbor gets entirely too hot for the de-
Tending fleet. and warships are sent out |
In a last desperate sally. much as Cervera |
took his Inflated ships out at Santiago
Much the same fate that befell Ger
vera's feet comes down upon the defend |
ing ships in the rlake-believe naval war-
One after another is disabled or captured |
Finally one cruiser more daring than the |
rest dashes toward the open sea. While |
the shells OF the fleet shower about her I
torpedo boats make their deadly attack |
Dne torpedo lands and the cruiser Is liter /
lilly scattered all around the harbor by the i
force OF the explosion. At the same in
slant two OF the biggest forts on shore /
are destroyed by the explosion OF their 1
magazines. and in another moment an |
American biueiacket waves the Stars and /
Stripes from the smoking and shattered
amparfs.
Bv night the fire effects are much more
than the day performances in1i-
ate. All through the lake are scattered
miniature mines which are operated from
,ehind the scenes. These are especially |
hick toward the entrance To the inner
,arbcr. Some OF these give the impression |
" being regular mines. others of beipg eN-
,loding shells from the big guns OF the
At night there Is n liberal use
u Greek fire. which burns on the water
infil IL appears toward the climax of the
laftle as II the entire sea Is a;ire.
After the battle the flagship once more
'omes forth. arrayed In flags or electric
ixilts. and followed by the victorious
ieet. parade< around the harbor. search
lights flashing. II the performance takes
,Iace after dark. and the show Is over
Lsbaa Explaiss Error.
Jacob Luban of No. ln5 Carr street who.
WAS reDor.od. was arrested September IS