The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-21

Tiny Ships to Fight on Artificial
Lake at the St. Louis
Worlds Fair.
BOATS WILL MANEUVER

ST. LOUIS Jan. 2O.-The battles of Ma
Mia and Santiago. the only naval fights In
which modern ships of ever engaged
will be reproduced at the worlds fair in St
Louis in a manner so realistic as to thrill
every spectator.
Real ships, perfect miniatures in steel or
our own cruisers and battleships. will be
manned with real crews and real guns and
Unanswered on an artificial lake
The shore settings will be faithful repro
auctions of COrregidor bay and Santiago.
There will be the roar of broadsides. the
reply OF the forts and shore batteries. the
stealthy attacks of torpedo boats and sub
marine craft. the explosion of submarine
mines and the humiliation of warships.
Real dynamite will be used and tons of
water thrown into the air when submarine
explosions are caused by the little torpedo
boats which accompany the battleships.
The fleet maneuvers at night in the pres
ence of thousands of spectators will form
an interesting feature of this display. which
excited much admiration when it was
shown in London, the vessels using their
| searchlights and signal lights in very
| realistic fashion and accurately reproduc-
ing the action of a squadron of a modern
navy.
A spectacle such as that planned by the
| concessionaires for the naval exhibit at the
lair cost large sum of money The NINA
| ture warships, for instance to be built
| OF sheet steel and of an average length or
twenty feet. The larger boats will cost &c.
| COO each. From fighting top to the last bar
| bette each will be a replica of the real ship
| whose name the miniature bears. There Will
| be the battle ships Oregon, Illinois, Iowa
and Indiana; of cruisers, the New York, the
| Boston, the Charleston, the Chicago, the
| Brooklyn and the Olympia. a small fleet OF
| torpedo and submarine boats is also included
| in the fOtila.
Each boat is to be propelled by electricity
| kept in storage batteries and will be under
| the control of operator concealed in the
| interior. He not only directs the movements
| OF the craft, but by number OF buttons
| fires the guns and manipulates the flags,
signals and searchlights. Each vessel can
| develop an astonishing speed and quickly an
swer the helm.
The exhibit planned, however. is to con-
sist of more than the naval battles OF Manila
| Bay and Santiago. Not one Of every ten
| thousand visitors to the worlds fair Will
have any previous knowledge of naval man
| euvers. EvolutiOns as actually carried on
| in the American navy will be shown.
| Let the reader suppose himself in the am
| phitheater on one side of large artificial
| lake. On the opposite shore is scenic har-
bor forts and ships lying at anchor, with
| the smoke pouring from the tunnels.
| Suddenly a signal is fired from one of the
| fortihcations, salutes are exchanged be-
| tween vessels and the shore and the flag
| ships of war steam out into the lake, per-
| form evolutions and steam back to anchor
| age.
| In a few moments there suddenly darts
| from the harbor number OF trim little
| torpedo boats cutting through the water
| like sharks after their prey. AT the OPP
posite SIDE of the lake is a hoatlng target
| and toward 1t the grim torpedo hotllla
| ruSheS.
| The boat in the van discharges torpedo.
and few seconds later near the ,i target fI
| the air to show that the deadly, silent mis-
| sile has struck the mark and, had 1T been
| an enemys warship, humiliation would
| have been it's fate. Each torpedo boat
thus proves its workmanship and then re-
| tires.
| After this the cruisers and battleships
| reappear and steaming around in a com
| plete circle fire broadside after broadSlde
/ at a floating mark in the middle OF the
| lake. Each time the target Is hit tiny
| puff of smoke arises from the aperture.
| Now comes the review of the fleet by the
| admiral. The vessels are maneuyered with
| the precision of trained soldiers. In echelon,
| single and double column, twisting and
| winding, the craft dart over the water
| The most exciting spectacle of all, nat
urally, is the naval engagement 1t is
| night. The warships, flashing their search
| lights in every direction, are guarding
| against an attack of hostile torpedo boats.
In the dawn the enemys fleet is discerned
| close to the shore and protected by land
| batteries.
| on steam the American fleet, and a few
| shots are fired to ascertain the range.
=
| moment more all the ships and the FORTH
| cations are in action. The tattoo OF the
rapid fire guns is broken by the heavier
| detonations of the great shells. One shot
| strikes a powder magazine on shore, and
| it eXplodes with a terrible roar Debris is
| thrown high in the air.
| An American torpedo boat darts from
| behind cruiser, sends its missile straight
| to the heart of one of the opposing ships,
| and il inglOriously eXplodes and sinks.
| The shore guns are silenced one by one;
| the enemy's boats crippled and finally
| one shell from an American cruiser pene-
| trates to the boilers of a battleship. There
| is eruption, the doomed vessel bursts
into flames and quickly disappears from the
| waters surface.
| A bark loaded with ammunition is seen
coming to the aid of the enemy. Two ships
| start in pursuit, overhaul the vesesl and
| with hail of shot set the bark on fire and
| explode the store of powder and shells.
| Another hostile warship is driven ashore
| and in a moment more the battle is over.
| The victorious ships dress their riggings
| with bunting and the admiral displays sig
| nal flags congratulating the men on their
| great victory. A display of fireworks from
| the captured forts ends the exhibit.