The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-05-19
OUR WARsHIPs TODAY.
To Shoot and Penetrate Armor at Six
Miles Is Nothing Nowadays.

Miles Is Nothing Nowadays.
The warships of today are, as most
people know. armored; but, contrary
to the popular idea, they are not pro-
tected all over.
A recent authority has said that the
improvement in rapid firing guns in
late years has resulted in armor pro-
tecting more of the side of the shiD
and in increasing the number of guns
protected by the armor. The armor is
not So thick as formerly. but this is
made up for by an improved kind of
material whose resisting mower is
greater. The modern battleship is in.
tended to combine in one vessel the
most powerful offensive AID defensive
weapons of floating warfare. These
battleships may he divided into three
portions-namely, the part under wa
ter, the part near the water line and
the upper works, In the first named
parts are carried the machinery and
boilers. coal, the steering gear. the
submerged torpedo tubes. the ammu-
milton. and the greater part of the
stores. These parts are the most yul-
nerable parts of the ship Attempts
have been made to armor the bottom
OF battleShips against explosions of
torpedoes, but they have not been sue
cessful owing to the fact that to have
the armor effective it would have to lie
very thick and therefore very heavy.
an objection that engineers have not
successfully overcome.
70 prevent the penetration Of pro-
Jectiles from above there is protec-
tive armor deck, usually from two to
four inches thick, the middle part of
which is little above the water line,
This deck slopes down at the sides to
the bottom edge of the armor belt. |
from four to six feet under water.
There is sometimes a second protec-
tive deck below the first one to catch
fragments which might pass through
the first, and this is sometimes called
the splinter deck" The part of the |
ship Immediately above the protective
deck in the vicinity of the water line
Is sometimes called the raft BODY" |
1t Is protected from the enemy's pro-
jectiles by heavy armor belt. In
modern battleships this armor belt ex-
tends over the whole or over the great |
er part of the length. The gun posi-
lions are all well armored. So is the
coming tower. which is the place from
which the captain directs the fighting.
This tower is connected by telephones
and speaking tubes with all the i'm
portant parts of the craft.
The guns mounted by modern bat 7
leship are generally two big twelve /
nch ones at each end, protected by
Irmored turrets, and large number
II eight and six inch ones. in case
nents also armOreG just now there is i,
constant battle between guns and
rmor. As the penetrating power of
he guns is increased SO is the resist
ne power of the armor increased. In
he new British ship Dreaflnought
he smaller six inch guns have dis:ip-
'eared, and instead we see battery {
I ten twelve-inch guns. This vessel is I
imposed to have been constructed in :
of the lessons learned /,
uring the late war between Russia !,
nd Japan.
Our own ships now generally seem
D have displacement of about 10000 d
ons, but the rate is constantly in a
reasing. It is bigger, bigger, bigger. t
II the time, and each new design q
bows a greater displacement. To /
boot and penetrate the armor at six f
lilies is nothing nowadays.-Frank T..
harmon in st. Nicholas.