Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1907-08-16
THE BATTLESHIP ILLINOIS.
Hon. John A. Bagley Tells Of His
Visit on Board This Great
War Vessel.

IN going over one OF the SHIPS OF Lne
Unired States navy. These enormous
battIeships are $50 feet in length and
have decks. They carry $50 men and
81 officers The ships draw 81 feet of
water.
tine is immediately struck by the
wilderness of the decks. Everything
shines in the sunlight and every bit OF
metal is polished until 1t sparkles The
ships are built entirely of steel and
painted white. The decks are thre,
inches thick and the walls are from six
to eight inches thick We were TOLD
that the ship was undergoing spring
honse cleaning bat the necessitv for it
was certainly not apparent to an ont.
slider. However, it WAS being carried
on in proportions that would ssagger
the average housekeeper, as from three
TO Jour hundred men from the Navy
Yard were being employed
here is a tall turlet at each end of i
batlleship and from each of these pro
trnde the largest guns the ships carry
Two of them are 10 each turret. They
weigh 80 tons each and take an 1850
pound shell. The turrels are built OF
steel foot thick. This ia to enable
them to Withstand the shock of being
ruck by shells from an enemy's guns.
Very little impression can be made on
steel plate OF this thickness, as. OF
course it is specially tested for this be-
fore it leaves the manufacturers. These
guns are called thirteen inch guns
They can be rain sd aud lowered at will
and will also revolve. This is done BY
means OF electricity. Fifty-two men
are required to man these two large
guns. The guns at The side of the ship
are six inch guns and they take much
longer cartridge case than the thirteen
inch guns, but the case is smaller
around. On the upper deck are twelve
still smaller guns, called six FOUNDER
They look like toys in comparison with
the b Z fellows All are beautifully
p llished and make us wish that the so
called gun metal articles we buy in
stores resembled them in the least.
Tney also use magazine rapid firms
guns. These take five cartridges in tht
barrel and Ave more in the magazine
As fast as the cartridges are fired, they
are thrown out automatically and theil
places are taken by those from tht
magazine. Thus man is enabled t.
= tire a good many shots without taking
even the fraction of time required t,
slip cartridges from his belt into tn,
magazine. Colts revolvers are ais,
u4ed on board
We were fortunate enough TO hayt
the unusual honor of being allowed I,
go down into the magazine. where tn
ammunition is stored. Here are man,
small steel rooms with heavily barre,
doors, some for bullets and some 70
pow der. The powder is kept in bags c
80 pounds each, four bags to case All
the steel cases are tightly fastened wit
nnts and bolts. Four bags of powde
are required for one charge for the hi
thirteen inch guns BY the way,
would seem much more appropriate
an unenlightened observer to call thes
guns thirteen yard guns, so far as si2
goes. All the powder used is smokeles
and we saw some sticks of it that locke
like transparent yellow cough cand,
The powder smells overpoweringly
ether. Bags of wood of the same siz
AZ the powder bags are used in practit
firing. In another small room near b
are kept rows of bullets for the thrice
il ca guns. These are immense thing
fully three feet long, and fit into tt
rye cases holding the 200 pounds
powder. There are 240 Of these q
board Down here are also derricl
and shafts for raising the ammunitic
to the men who are loading the gun
These are sent up by a system of chair
and cogs. Those for the thirteen inc
guns are in the center at the bottom
the turret and those for the small
guns are along the sides of the shi
The bullets that are called small al
are used in the six inch guns weigh Il
pounds each. At this time there we
2400 of these on board. All of the
bullets explode like torpedoes VIII,
they strike after having been fired.
The main engine of the ship has
capacity Of 10000 horse power. All Il
electricity is, of urse. made on ii
ship. and the dynamo room is real
beautiful and interesting 1t is light,
by pale green lights. Three hundr,
and seventy-five horse power is gene
ated. This electricity is used for va
ieLy Of purposes besides lighting:
for instance, all the guns are worked
electricity and so is the steering me
hanisin. Even the potatoes for Il
mems dinner are pared by eleetricit
One Of thasa snachinea will MIRA