The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-24
REVOLUTION. IN
WARFARE ON SEA
New York Millionaire Has Plans
for Floating Fortress of
Great Power.

: New York, Nov. 24..--With the asserss
ton that the exigencies of modern war
fare call for an engine of destruction
more: powerful than 16,000ton battle
ships and 12-inch guns, Arson Phelps
Stokes, ex,,vice commodore of the New
twelfth general meeting of the Society
Of Naval Architects, yesterday, his
latest plans for an impregnable floating
naval battery for the harbor and coast
defense.
The members of the society, includ-
ing naval officers, shipbuilders and
naval architects, gave the closest atten-
is departure from existing designs as
radical as was the Monitor. In the dis
cussion which followed the reading of
the paper, the naval men present spoke
favorably of the idea.
Drawings and diagrams of the new
fighting monster were examined with
the keenest interest. The machine de-
scribed by Mr. Stokes is an improve
ment of his first invention. The first
plan was for al circular battery; the
modified form is semi 81 obular.F Mr..
Stokes has named his island of Steel
with it's equipment of guns of awful de-
structive power, the Cerberus, and has
protected himself with patents at Wash
ington and in Europe.
fMr. Stokes has long been, known as
a philanthropist. Three Of his sons
ty work, one Of them, Arson Phelps
Stokes, ,]r., being a clergyman.
Mr.. Stokes said of his invention:
.eThe late naval battles make itevident
that for a leading position In sea power
and for the proper protection OF our
I coasts and of our officers and crews
in battle, there is need for something
| e. I
| ton battleship,t with it's l2-inch guns
| and insufficient. armor, and that only
| the $vefyr foremost nations Wills be able
to maintain really affective fleets. - -
New, Types Of Battleships.
"With the increase in size and power
of new types Of battleships and naval
! batteries may come, the naval suprem-
| acy of America alone.
TNations weak in battleships may
hug the idea Of commerce destroyers
but that barbarous system Of '.wagine
war must be destroyed, as were priva'
! teering and piracy. Commercial yes
sells are now built much larger than
the largest battleships. But more pow
erful battleships are sure to be, built
and more powerful guns. Land fortifi
| cations cannot now be made SuLnc1ent
| to protect our ports. 49,. go.
- How. dangerous will be the position
Of New York and '.ether large cities
when attackedaby naval guns having a
range of twentysMiles or more if we: do
! not proyidefa ADEQUATE, coast Y defense
shipss What would the capture of all
our foreign merchant vessels benefit an
enemy or injure us as compared with the
capture Of one Of our great cities by a
| hostilee feet9N's II e.. ~ HE2 -
Mr.: Stokes then described his inven'
Etion in detail. - i :, :,
"One such semiglobular battery said
Mr. Stokes, "Ecou1d defend Or blockade
an important strait: could protect, the
mouth of a. transc ontine entail canal: OF
dominate almost any large seaport, and
could safely resist more than a dozen
Of the largest battleships, which cost
| 81 100000 apiece. ~. !, 1919 -:
NAs the purpose Of the Cerberus is
defense rather than aggression, 1T IS not
necessary that it be able to move RAPID,
ly from one PLACE TO another.s Shohld
the. Cerberus need to move quickly to e
distance, an sarmored cruiser might find
useful and safe employment in towing
| her. The two vessels might sometimes
be used together as a small squadron
Theroll of the Cerberus in gale would
be very slight.
"The naval powers know the exact
position of the large guns in our coast
Notifications, but the Cerberus could
change it's position -"-- 49, F.
.. Defending Panama Canal. 4 II:
l. -.o, .aIr, FSNJ