The Irish standard., 1904-04-23
FATE OF OLD WARsHIPs.
Great Vessels That Have Cost For
tunes to Build Sold as
Old Metal.

which, becoming obsolete, have to be
disposed OF at alarming sacrifices" is
one OF those questions few ordinary per-
sons could answer, says London Tit-Bits.
VI course, the most profitable way would
be to sell them to foreign countries, such
as the South American republics. and
Turkey, Spain and China might even
be occasional customers.
But for obvious political reasons such
thlng is never done; indeed, so stern
is the governments determination not
10 run the risk OF our navy's ineffective"
sh1ps falling into foreign hands that in
every case it is stipulated that they
shall be broken up in British waters.
Thus it occurs that obsolete war vessels.
"nlcn, perhaps. cost the nation $780,
600, or even e7500oO, have, from time
to time, to be sold for C Is 900 or go 600.
"hen as war vessels they would probably
realize twice or thrice as much if sold
TO foreign country which did not mind
having navy somewhat out of date.
But sold-as in nearly every case thew
are-for breaking up, they simply fetch
the price of old metal, from which is
to be deducted the cost of shipwreckers'
labor, this being an important factor,
since it stands to reason man of war
cannot be disintegrated with a can
opener.
Taken out of commission, the con-
demned warship lies moored until the
admiralty sells her either by auction or
private treaty. She is stripped of guns
and stores, and generally of certain por-
tloIs OF her fittings, which are often I'D
to date and serviceable. Then she passes
INTO the hands OF her purchasers, gen.
orally British firm WHO have special
plant for dealing with ironclads, She is
towed to the most convenient place and
her destruction begins. She is ripped
to pieces, from quarterback to keel.
Her engines, decks, steering gear, wood.
work-everything is taken from her
until the mere steel shell remains, and
the final blows are generally dealt with
dynamite to break up her plates AS Oft
en- as ten or IL months are occupied in
breaking up battleship.
Then what becomes of her? You may
be sitting in a chair the wood of which
was once part of battleship; before a
CRATE made out of cruisers plate, for
her plates are sold for resmelting, and
they turn up unsupported in a thousand
homes, are made into stoves, railway
lines, park ratings, fire irons, traction
engines, etc. If only steel could speak,
there's many humble-looking fire CRATE
which could tell of stirring deeds.
There is not much wood about the
warships which fall into the ship break
ers' hands nowadays, but what there is
commands ready market for variety
of purposes, as it is understood to be the
best, toughest and most seasoned of its
kind ordinarily obtainable. At the same
time large portions of ships timber
are good only as fuel and as such it is
sold; but it is Always reckoned to be the
finest fuel wood money can buy. The
better stuff is bought for barge build
ing, flooring, etc., to be worked up by
carpenters and cabinet makers. Ships
timber is considered particularly good
for employment in damp places.
Every ounce of the wrecked vessel is
disposed of to some purpose, yet even
then, owing to the expensive trouble of
breaking her up, her purchasers some
times find she has only just repaid the
cost to which they have been put, and
that albeit she cost them only fiftieth
or sixtieth part of what she cost the ma
ton no more perhaps than 20 years be-
fore.
Twenty years is about the time which
changes new war vessel into an obso-
lete ship such as it would be foolish to
send into action. But occasionally ships
become obsolete and meet their inglori-
Gus doom very much sooner. In one
case, indeed, battleship became OBJ
solete while she lay in the building
stocks, and she was actually broken up
without being shifted from the place
where her keel was laid. Another YES
sci, the Hood, was broken UP without
ever riding salt water" having been
BUILT in the Midway and only being
launched to go farther above for the
purpose of being disintegrated. A thirl
war vessel, Of a smaller type, became
obsolete while waiting for her boilers tt
he put in, and she never lived to breathe
steam.
Not every obsolete war vessel meet:
the melancholy fate Of being broker
up, however. On rare occasions con
demned ships on being taken out of the
effective list are used for the storage
OF powder, ETC., or as training ships
though ironclads are not very wei
adapted to such uses. Vessels Of small
types are sometimes, too, rugged up To-
special purposes wherever government
Office would otherwise have to purchas
new ship at a much greater outlay
But the ultimate end of every ship OF wa
not sunk at sea is to be bartered for al
most fiftieth part Of her cost, broker
up, and scattered over the land to b
converted to thousand different uses
The Witness Report.
Lawyer-You say there were thre
men called at the house that night?
WilnAs-Yes.
"What did you notice about thes
= menu"
"They were colored men,"
"Are you sure they were not one an,
: the same man coming three times?"
81 am sure they were not"
"You are sure they were three differ
ent colored menu
| mo, sir. They were three differen
} men, but not different colored., The
4; l.,