The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1908-05-27
Twelye-Inch Shells Are
Hurled al Monitor
Florida.
Greatest Test Of Modern
Tines Is Pulled
on.

Chesapeake Hay. Mas 2J-lss
Wireless rsieBraph 10 Fortress
mousosl - DISCREPANCIES tke aauseF
ana aRgaFestiY asNisns e. expert
esee eeca war At sea. Commander
jocks G Quislhy. Lieut. TausaiE aud
- @es on the monitor FLORIDA re-.
Naaiaea ga koaF'l her today while
ieiAek akella werc hurled az the
Eseat hnik fro>s the great guns Of
ne Hteeitor Arkansas. anchored
sea yaTda eff wHh her broadside
battery IN fBll play on the target
ship.
N'hea q Was first planned "a
snake the eztFaafaiaarY test 81 the
power - the guns IN warfare. II
Waa BOT dfeaaea Of keeping ans
Of the meu aboard. bat The plans
fuF the tsuf we're changed suddenly
to-day CommAnder Qilsubs and his
NEE sasnfly volunteered 10 stay
aboard their ship while she was
submitted g. the hammerlaE ~
tbs hig pFolepfiiea.
Men Remain Aboard.
The Imminent danger dla not
l.aHeu their decentralization in the
icast While the men aid net take
their places IN the tnFret. where
"a ~ necessary 10 manipulate the
guns IN ease 81 firing. they we're
.ssasf..ssN fs.ag Nafsw4 a. sa..a.ss
whlle the firms progressed and
they weFs severely J0itsa BY the
terrible Impact u the pFolectiies
a. they battered AGAINST the heavy
armof q tAe f'iafida
When The time cAmc for the teai.
the Florida immediately steamed
into her psaitiau The Arkansas
aRa her isaaer thsa anchored fore
and aft OF Thlmhts uh0al, 100
yards ffum the flofiaA with her
bfaadalde hrarinE aPoB the target
ship The Arkansas vas in charge
81 Commander Harry N DcnhaaRh.
xha sith q detail q afflecra. taeA
up his paalliun upon the bridge
The flFnl shot Waa fired a a
Hcfnea target raised above the
main turrss % tha Florida and
pierced the exact center without
moments hesitation. giving the
men aboard tie ship - understand
they need uof thiuk any II the pro
Ieeiilea would 70 Wild
Firing Upon Flerlda
Then. according to the pFoErans.
the Arkansas beEan flsfnE heavily
upon the Florida and the shells be
Han hammerinE AGAINST the plates
u the Florida. which stood under
bolnhardmeut without even show
ing sigma of being crippled
A. far AZ could ba diacerned. the
men aboard the Florida gave no
slnns % being dlspleased with their
experience and they have I
made no signal Of distress
After the main bumhardment. the |
Arkansas guns ~ere directed I
against the bis experimental mast
which had been erected aft upon
the T7oHda n VAS i2a feet high !
ard on e we're two turrcts. IN /
witch dnmmlra had been placed I
AN MaHMH NHHe sNNHhA AM NAAt.lA va wv I
fighting tops during an actual On.
gasomeut Dummies also had I
been placed IN the main turref Of I
the Florida Ia shoS the effect OF
the Impact Of heavy shells upon
them.
Dummies Are Riddled.
The big guns made quick impres
sion upon the mast target and II /
men had been in the place Of the /
dummies they would not have last I
ad more than two shoie.
The battle will result IN much 1
valuable information which will be I
used bY the experts Of the navy /
In the planning Of future men.on. /
war. II has the double effect Of /
showing the power Of the Ameri. |
can GUNS when directed against /
armor plate as II actually presents
cd In fight a. sea. and the /
strength OF the armoF IN Withstand /
lng the impact Of the i2inch pro /
jeetilcs In warfare
The experts were entirely salts I
fled with the experiment
As far as Il can be learned. none |
~ the daring men on board the /
Florida sustained any injury. az
the shells did not tear their way 1
through the turret behind which 1
they stood during the engage
ment"
Wonderful Sight
The sight was perhaps the most /
wonderful Of the kind ever witness
cd In time Of peace. The monitor /
Arkansas was surrounded by the /
smoke Of her biz guns much Of /
the time and presented the exact /
Of a vessel engaged +
In struggle for life and death IN
time Of war
The spectacle 81 the Florida.
silently submitting To the lombard f
ment was less picturesque. but sug +
resisd the famous remark
We have not yet begun to fight
Astonishment was expressed al
the power Of tho monitors resist. +
ance. Anxiety was also expressed 1
for the mea on hoard.