davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1907-01-06
Lies on League Island.

Like a great. n-at-backed mud turtle
her brown back just p~rotruding
the water. IA Katahdin now lies In the
back harboT al League Island. await
ing the orders Of the Secretary OF tie
Navy as 10 her hnaI disposition. and
the question then viii be asked. What
would she have done IA b ever
had a chance 10 meet an enemy
In 1898. the very year in which the
Katahdin was launched, q lesson was
given to the world as 10 the power OF
the ram as a means OF Onense in the
sinking OF the British battleship Vic
toria n the loss OF 81 officers and
men. including the brave Admiral Sir
George Tryon. A wrong order was
given n the Camperdown. another
vessel OF the fleet. accidentally struck
the Victoria almost at right angles
with her ram, while travelling al q
speed OF six knots. moving the body
of the Victoria sixty feet 10 port and
blowing a rent ten feet long In her
upper deck. making a hole which ad-
mitted an inflow OF 1900 tons OF water
per minute. The Victoria in a very
few minutes turned keel up and sank
The Washington times., 1907-01-06
Vessel at First Rejected.

When the plans OF this new speuies
OF war vessel were laid before the
advisory board OF the navy. that board
recommended the building OF hve
vessels c. fhe Ammen ram type. but
IL was not until nearly ten years later
that Congress finally passed an act
authorizing the construction Of one
vessel The Katah-in was ready for
her trial trip. October 81. 1895. The
contract called for a speed OF seven
teen knots. but in the official trial she
made only lt.ll46 knots. II had been
confidently predicted by her inventor
and by her builders. the Bath Iron
Works. that she would easily make the
required knots The Bath
Iron Works had previously received
from the Government $500 as premi-
ums for exceeding the required speed
I'm the construction of the two gun
boats. Machias and Casune. and the
public naturally expected 10 see h
builders make another success. The
Katahdin was at hrst rejected by Mr.
Herbert. then Secretary OF the Navy;
but Congress later passed a special act
OF acceptance. and the kaJahdin be-
came a part OF our avy
The Washington times., 1907-01-06
RISKS ATTENDANT pom NIGHT BANKING

its ~depositOrs when they present them
in person, but WithdraWs its daytime
cordially TO third parties who want
checks cashed al night, n becomes
very cnary OF accepting paper OF 9TH
ers than the n OF the cash. And
there is reason for this conservative
attitude toward those outside of its
Family OF deposltOrs. There Is the fear
of the stopped check" truly the night
bankers Dete noir. For the stopped
check loves the night bank better than
the day.
This and other difficulties probably
explain why the banks Joined the long
procession Of night industries so late
in the game. And even now. because
of these pitfalls. night banking remains
far more conservative than IT'S parent,
which sticks 20 the oid-school hours.
Every night transaction is s%crutinized
with special watchfulness, probably
beCause n old middle-age suspicion
of night. with its rObber bands and
It's Turpins, has not been entirely dis
PEELED even BY the day-Lke glare OF
the electric light. ana the Increase IN
the city watch. Night still has about
il a "Reminiscences of the marauder.
OF the dangers of non-cOnservative
night banking. Richard a. Purdy.
manager of the Times square branch
OF the Mechanics and Traders Bank,
said the other night. The moment a
night bank attempts 10 do a regular
dav business in the evening. and 20
cash checks for other than dep0sitors,
IL enters on a very dangerous practice.
For a bank which cashes a check for
a third party after banking hours is
in danger OF finding. next day. that
the check has been stopped by the
payer before the regular hour of open
ing Here is a possible transaction
along these lines:
a depositor in P night hank. Mr..
Smith, after banking hours, gives John
Doe a check Tor goods to be delivered
nnF later than n m II tNnR RnNFNn
cash that check at once. he might get
the money n fail Ia deliver the
goods. Smith. before banking hours
next morning, stops the check The
hank, however, had cashed II the
night before. Who would lose the
money! AT any rate. such a ransac-
ton would involve both bank and Gus
toner In a troublesome lawsuit"
The Washington times., 1907-01-06

Daniel Ammen. the inventor Of the
Katahdin. entered the navy IN lS42,
and served continuously until he was
retired In ls1S After being placed on
the retired list. he devoted TIE rest
Of his life 20 various projects OF one
sort or another. which ne thought
would be for the good OF MS country.
He wrote a most interesting book en-
titled The Old Navy and the New
also an account OF the naval opera
tons along the Atlantic coast in the
civil war. and numerous magazine ar
Jicles. principally on naval affairs. A
very useful invention which he mad
is the balsa. or life-saving rafJ, now
used on nearly all American vessels.
But the two great schemes OF his life,
the two things or which he spent
many years OF patient effort and
thought. seemed doomed 70 meet with
failure. one OF these vas the new
type OF war vessel. the Ammen ram
Katahdin, the other the Nicaragua
canal.
In the September number Of Lippin-
colts Magazine for 1898. Admiral Am
men wrote as follows: That the
NICARAGUA canal VIII De constructed
and without delay is assured by the
facts just stated. which tell not the
less why the Panama Canal proved a
failure and win never be completed.
II tina word is regarded as applicable
10 a work that even as a lock canal
has not at this time one-quarter Of the
work executed" The Panama Canal
now seems TO be an assured fact. and
Admiral Ammen's years Of effort
spent IN making surveys over the
The Washington times., 1907-01-06

Katahdin, which has been "a part Of
the United States Navy for b last
ten years. was the hrst vessel ever
built for nothing bat amming Dur-
poses Other vessels combined ram
ming as supplementary to, but not as
the end and aim OF. their fighting
qualities. The Katahdin is a ram. and
nothing but a ram. She has four
small guns, but these are simply 70
repel the attacks OF small tC edo
boats. And now. without ever IA lg
been given "a trial OF her abilities as
a fighter In battle. she win probably
be sold as so much old iron.
II was on a cold day Ia February.
the temperature % degrees below zero.
when the katahdin. after being duly
christened with good champagne. GID
ed slowly and smoothly into the win
try waters OF the Maine coast. She
lay there upon the icy waters Ike a
great. whale. or like a gigantic sub
marine monster. and this resemblance
was heightened by the fact that the
vessel was painted a deep sea green.
Il was necessary 20 protect the Katah-
din in every possible way against the
attacks OF the enemy. and so one OF
the ways which was adopted was "A
coat Of paint which would render her
almost Invisible.
During the Spanish-American war
II was thought. nay. fondly hoped. by
all who were Interested In this new
and strange sea fighting power hat
an opportunity would be given to put
TO a practical test her vaunted abil-
its {. be secure against the attacks
of the enemy. and al the same time
able to demolish her foes. In March
The Washington times., 1907-01-06
THIS Is WHAT THE RAM KATAHDM WAS EXPECTED TO DO.

o. 1888. the year OF the war with
Spain. the ram did get as Ear as New
port News. bat there was no need Of
active service. Would she have
brought her inventor the late Rear
Admiral Daniel Ammen lasting fame,
or would she have one down 70 a
watery grave Of blasted hopes and
defeat? Nobody can answer the Ques-
ton, and II the boat is sold one prob
lem in naval warfare may never be
answered.
The inventor did not see the device
which was the result OF many years
or thought n fort given a trial.
for he died In 1888. h very year when
the success or failure OF his work
might have been proved. His inven-
ton was recently called a costly fail
ure: and II Is said that il has been
costing the Government $500 every
',ro years to keep the vessel IN such
O. condition that Il viii not be eaten
away with rust The original cost OF
the vessel was nearly 100000
II there is anything IN a name, h
Katahdin Is very appropriately named
Katahdin IS a mountain in the north
ern part of Maine. and there are many
Indian traditions connected with II.
During the time OF a heavy storm ceF-
tain peculiar electrical effects were OBJ
served about the top of the mountain;
and the Indians believed that 1t was
the home Of a terrible h~re-breathing
monster. with immense claws. which
lived on the flesh OF the human be
ings who came within its grasp. Like
the monster which was supposed to
iufest the mountains. the deadly ram
The Washington times., 1907-01-06

stem in the progress against ali h a
pertains &c sleep-part OF a great night
system which threatens physique, ana
makes young men look old n their
early thirties. But the banks are not
responsible. 1t IS the night life which
Is responsible for the bank. II huge
business is being transacted all around
the bank. il means large sums OF
money taken ia over the cashiers
counter. And what Is 10 be done with
these sums-shall they be left in the
little shop which does a large business
between the end OF the ordinary bank
ing hours ana 7 ?. m? NO-there are
burglars and night fires even In New
YORK. Anu the cashier OF the par,
restaurant. or theater Is not too anX-
iOus TO keep in his little safe several
thousand dollars which haVe come In
since 5 O'Clock at night. To these the
night bank is q way out, n so IN the
early evening the small stOrekeepeF
who could not leave his shop before
comes In 20 leave his money. or the
ervan who could not leave her mis-
tress during the day drops IN TO a
draft on ireland or what-not place
where old folks are. And later come
b theaters and restaurant men, glad
10 deposit and so be rid of the huge
night receipts of their concerns. Pos
sibly. this facility makes for caimer
sleep for those who are thus freed
from responsibility.
Then. occasionally, appears the man
who has run short OF cash-tO pay 19r
his supper, TO make a late bet. possibly
10 close some deal contaminated over
the dinner table. He needs money i'm
m~ediately. and instead of having 10
borrow from friends, goes 20 his bank
and draw from his rainy-night pile, 50
to speak.
Bat there are limitations in night
banking. just as there are limitations
in daV bugineSs-VOu can get a photo
graph taken at night. but il will be by
artificial light. and not exactly the real
daytime likeness. So there is a differ
ence between day and night banking
for there are dangers in night banking
not common 10 the daytime. The
night bank. therefore. as a general
rule. limits its transactions TO It's
actual Cust0mers-cashes checks for
The Washington times., 1907-01-06
Poor Misunderstood FhpmOS

But unexpected circumstances
which 4 need not enlarge upon here
have convinced me that the death OF
our cherished and universal aspirations
would result from this revolutionary
process.
Above all. my dear sir. l have COM
WINGED myself hat the protective sys-
TEN which prevails IN the United
States is Incompatible with the eco
monte progress Of country.
Il have convinced myself that be-
meath another flag which is not that OF
our nation. our agriculture. u COM
merce. and our business cannot -four
ish, because no country, however noble
and unselhsh IL may be, VIII even eon-
sent that its protege ever should BE-
come an economic nightmare In is
path
ITO aspire TO independence By means
OF evolution is to try 10 form a nation
after the pattern OF another. and this
Is a long and dimcult process. II not an
utterly impossible one. / have also
convinced myself that those who speak
OF the incapacity of the Philippine ma
Ion confOund that which Is essential
with that which - purely accidental.
While some among US advocate evOlu-
ton as a mean Of i~nstructing and
educating the people. IN fact the only
thing We need is that protection from
without which guarantees our nation
atty so as to avoid b danger Of IN
ternatiOnal ambition. because as re-
CARDS social ana moral education We
have AS much of Il as many European
nations. The proof Is found in the
criminal statistics OF the country.
we ave money enough 10 maintain
a better and less extensive govern
ment than that very costly me which
Is trying 10 make the people what the
Government wants 10 70 be. and not 20
make itself what the people want and
expect. debating laws one day which
next day are Cancelled and changed IN
a thousand places and In q thousand
ways, so that justice is converted int
a mere Babel"
The Washington times., 1907-01-06
Insects As Skilled Mechanics

neers, namely a strong elastic thread.
That the thread Is strong is well
known. Indeed, there are few sub
stances TIA Will support a greater
strain than the silk or the silk worm
or the spider. careful experiment hav-
ing shown that for equal sizes the
strength Of these hbers exceeds that
OF common iron. But Notwithstanding
its strength. the SPIDERS thread alone
would be useless as a mechanical
power If il were % for its elasticity.
The spider has no blocks or puleys,
and, therefore. il cannot cause the
thread TO divide up inc run IN different
directions. but the elasticity OF the
thread more than makes up for this
and renders possible the lifting Of an
animal much heavier than a mouse
OF a snake. This is worth q little
explanation.
let US suppose that a child can lift
a ~slX-pound weight one foot high
with $50 rubber bands. each capable OF
pulling six pounds through one foot
when stretched. Let these bands be
attached TO a wooden platform on
whsch stand a pair OF horses Weighing
2.IO0 pounds. or more than "a ton. II
now the child viii go 10 work and
stretch these ruber bands singly. hook
ing each one up. as il is stretched. in
less than twenty minutes ne will have
raised p pair OF horses one foot.
We thus see that the elasticity o.
the rubber bands enables the child
10 divide the weight of the horses in
$50 pieces OF six pounds each. and at
the rate OF a little less than one every
three seconds, he lifts an these separ-
ate pieces one foot. so that the child
easily HIIs this enorWo weight. Each
spiders thread acts ike one Of the
elastic rubber bands"
The Washington times., 1907-01-06

party, says;
III love for good order and morality
are qualities which especially charac-
terlze nations predestined to be great
in history, then, my lear sir. the Phil
ippines are surely called 10 become IN
lime a great nation.
To prove my assertion you only
have TO remember how few police Of
hcers are necessary 10 maintain good
order here In towns OF as many as
1000 10 1900 inhabitants. There are
owns in this province which have not
more h four police officers. whose
only weapon is their baton, and yet
good order In these places il not dis
turbed-
But even with these favorable con-
dItions, / had been Of the opinion that
the moment had not actually come yet
for assuming that heavy n which
must accompany the attainment OF the
supreme and constant aspiration Of all
nations.
Our great necessities on one. hand.
our limited on h other and
the critical situation which the Philip
pine archipelago is passing through In
general had convinced me that in order
TO be able to maintain u indepen-
dence we lacked the economic basis
that is the cornerstone on which the
prosperity and happiness OF a nation
reposes.
Entertaining this idea, / had found
no other solution than a wise although
short evolution so as 10 allow the peO-
pie time to recover from It's prostration
and to avail itself OF the school OF ex-
perience just as the fruit forms and
ripens while still hanging from the
tree.
The Washington times., 1907-01-06
Untried Ram
Katahdin
And Her
Possibilities

Ram Katahdin, invented By
late Rear Admiral Daniel Am
men.
First vessel built solely for
rammlng purposes. Original
cost. sL.OO0.0Oe.
Launched IN 1898. Arma-
ment, four small guns.
Her speed, II knots.
In 1898 British vessel Cam.
perdOWn, while travelling bat
6 knots an hour, accidentally
struck and sank battleship
Victoria, Of same feet, moving
body 90 feet to port and tear
ing a hole 10 feet long In her
upper deck, admitting 5000
tons OF water.
Going at a rate Of nearly
three times the CamperdoWnis
speed, the damage the Katah-
din could have done Is a ram
may easily be imagined.
The Washington times., 1907-01-06
Possibilities OF Ram

What havoc could a ram such as the
Katahdin. travelling al a speed Of
nearly knots per hour. cause
in q fleet on some dark night? Silent
ly and unseen, almost covered with
water. with only several small towers
projecting above the dark surface OF
the water. the Katshdin creeps In
among the feet Of the enemy, and be-
fore her presence can be made known
several OF the finest vessels are fast
filing with water OF sunk. II IS an old
sea axiom that no vessel can live IN
the trough OF the sea during a heavy
storm. but the Katahdins it Is claimed,
Is Of such q shape that she ear ravsl
through the trough OF The sea as well
as head on. Il Is said hat during one
Of the worst storms along the Atlantic
coast some years ago. while other yes
sells were being pounded 10 pieces BY
tF- fury Of the waves, those who we're
on board the Katahdin sat quietly At
their dinner below deck unmindful OF
the storm and that not a glass OF
water on the table was disturbed
The man who invented what might
II put 70 the test prove 20 be one OF
the most useful and deadly Of modern
instruments Of warfare was, ike his
hoyhood playmate n lifelong friend.
General Grant interested IN peace as
well as IN war. and a portion OF his
large estate. known as AmmendRIe.
situated some twelve miles from
Washington. he donated 20 the Christ
ian brothers IS grounds on which to
erect a college and chapel for their
quiet study and devotion. On a beau
tifuI sIoping Maryland hill stand these
buildings with nothing about them TO
remind you OF the inventor OF the IN
tried destroyer OF mankind. the ram
Katahdin.
The Washington times., 1907-01-06

II HE engineering capacity OF the
Insects Is infinitely greater, IN
proportion, than that OF man.
Long before man had thought Of
h saw. the saw fly had used The
same tool. made after the same fash
ion and used In the same way, for the
purpose OF making Sits in the branches
OF trees. so that she might have a
secure place In which 20 deposit her
eggs, The carpenter bee. with only
the tools which nature has given her,
cuts a round hole. the fun diameter OF
her body. through thick boards. and
50 makes a tunnel BY which she can
have a safe retreat in With 10 rear
her young
These fsats require a degree OF IN
stinet. which. in a reasoning creature
would he called engineering skill. but
none OF them Is as wonderful as the
feats performed by the spider. A few
years age II was averred n a spider
had suspended a mouse In the air and
ieft II to perish. Certain physicists
mads great fun OF this statement. but
a well-knoEn naturalist correspondent,
while admitting that the story may
not have been true, asserts that II had
nothing impossible in It. II has come
under his own observation. ne says,
hat a spider actually raised a snake
some distance from the ground not
wtthstanding the struggles of the rep
tila
The spider" he informs US. 'is fur
nished with one OF the most emcient
AsSaanical implements known 70 engi-
The Washington times., 1907-01-06

IGHT backing seems nov To Re
IN an established fact in New
York. which. in its business
as we'll as its pleasure, =
gradually losing all OF the cur
few. says the New York Evening Post
The sight Of brilliantly lighted count
ing houses with men within taking In
and paying out money at all hours Of
the night quickly ceased 70 be a nov
elty-in fact. night banks are rapidly
becoming as matter of fact as are the
brilliantly lighted evening schools
which. no doubt. had an uncanny look
to the New Yorker OF a previous gen
Grafton, when the only other brilliant
thing at night was the a~pothecary
shop, which itself closed early n re-
lied on the ever-present might bell
for late attacks Of indigestion. or
course, the owl wagon was IN evidence
for the helated appetite. But now,
only the country cousin regards as
strange the night bank. and h New
Yorker long ago hrs classed along
with the aIl-night restaurants, all
night dentists, late barber shops, and
perpetual drug stores an institution
which Will minister TO his late hnan-
ciaI distress.
Three Of these night banks are al
ready IT, existence-one in Fifth We
nue.. where the ~fashionables eongre-
gate at late hours; a second on Sixth
avenue. on the edge Of the theater belt.
and the third located appropriately
on Times square-that strange little
twenty-four-hour community where
there is pretty nearly everything all
the time except sleep. Two others are
Immediately pro5ected-one downtown
for late newspaper workers; the others
In middle BROADWAY.
And in tbs ministrati0n To those
who wish TO be wakeful. the night
banks OF New York are but another
The Washington times., 1907-01-06
Ram Katahdin,
Only Fighting
VeSSelOfH Her Kind
in the World
and Which Has
Bter a Part of the
United States
Navy for the Last
Ten Years,
Although
Endowed With

7@ NE world Is always anxious
% know the outcome OF al
entirely new invention. "Wil
It stand the teste" Is the
question asked. That Is the
question which the world
asked for many years IN regard TO the
torpedo boat as a factor In naval war
fare. the question was answered ia the
Affirmative bv Admiral Togo, in the
evsr-memorabls battle OF the Sea OF
Japan. This is the question which this
nna1n and the entire world. ar the
beginning OF the civil war. asked con
cerlng John Er.cssgus new ir1nclad
boat. the NJ niror; the answer was
given IN Hampton Roads In September.
1872 For the last fifteen years or
more the SANG question has been asked
IN regard to a third form OF vessel
for use in sea hghtingi the question
has never been answered, anA the
chances are hat il never viii be.
The ram Katahdin. which now lies
in the League Island navy yard. phila-
delphis. and which the Government
will probably soon order sold as old
junk. is the only vessel Of It's kind
that was ever built. either by this or
any other nation. The idea OF the ram
for use In both Land and sea fighting
IL older than the Christian era. The
Hmous batterinE ram OF d Roman
army was hurled with such titanic
force against the heavy walls OF an
opposing city that even the stOutest
wallis crumbled % hubble before its
terrific blows. At the renowned hat
tie OF Salauis the Greeks used yes
sells 20 which were attached sharp
pointed iron rams 20 smash in the
sides OF the enemy's wooden ships.
And the ram has been used ln some
form or other during nearly all the
succeeding centuries.
The Washington times., 1907-01-06

katahdin, II once given the oppor-
tunity % dig its ponderous steel claw
into the arm0red side Of any vessel
which comes In its way. would no
doubt feed fat on the bodies Of is un-
lucky victims. The Indians have
passed away and with them all be-
lief In the m~an-devouring monster q
Mount Katahdfn
The Washington times., 1907-01-06

Nicaragua route. in writing pamphlets
and magazine articles about the ad-
vantages OF this route over others, in
going as the representative or this
Government 70 the -Interoceanic Canal
Congress. held In Paris in May, 1873
and In discussing the question with
all the prominent men in the country,
proved TO be OF no ultimate avail.
The Washington times., 1907-01-06

with the loss OF nearly all on board.
including the commander OF the Brit
ISL fleet
The Washington times., 1907-01-06
Part Of Navy Ten Years,

While many fighting vessels have had
a projecting ram which could be used
The Washington times., 1907-01-06

RTTING 10 a friend IN Bos-
ton. Joaquin Fertich, a
leader OF the Independence