Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-28
IN Good SHAPE.
Monitor Florida ithstandS
Severe Bombardment.
TuTret In Good Working Order
at End Of the Test.
Newly Designed Fighting Mast
Proves Decided Success.

Old POINT comfort, d., hety e. Aiio
biggest naval gun, the heaviest pro
jectiles and the highest explosive
known, combined with close range ana
deadly aim were today allowed TO
work their full havoc on the turret
plate of the monitor Florida. The re-
suit is declared to be a victory FOR
turret construction, and this not
withstanding the 11-inch harden\i
steel plate was blackened and broken,
the seams of the turret sprung ana
the rivets and screws loosened and
twisted.
1t was not five minutes after the
terrible impact that the finely balanced
mechanism of the turret was being
worked with perfect east and the Il
inch gun on the left side was trained
at will. Inside the turret the havoc
was much less apparent than from
the outside. Examination showed that
of the many delicately adjusted in
struments for fire control, signalling
and operating the turret few. if. any
were out of working order
IF this had happened in battle the
Florida would be fighting yet said
one If the rear admirals, with enthu-
Siasm.
Then followed q futile attempt to de-
stroy the newly designed lighting mast
erected on the stern of the Florida. Al
ter five shots from the Arkansas that
had gone ripping through it, the mast
still stood firm.
"Forty shots would not bring it
down and no enemy would waste am
munition and time shooting at it,
was the expert comment. 1t was pre-
dcted that all new ships will be
equipped with battle masts of this de-
sign.
The story of the shooting up" of
the Florida by the Arkansas, however,
is not contained in this statement OF
result. 1t was an event in which the
keen edge Of expectation was not dull
ed by the realization. Rear admiralS
and brigadier generals, together with
their juniors, scurried under protested
decks and then popped out again as
quickly to look for the damage done
by the shots. Every naval bureau was
represented, likewise the ordnance and
artillery department.
The scene Of the real war demonstra-
ton was Haneton Roads. The Flor
ida lay with her nose pointed out
through the Virginia capes near
Thimble Shoal light, about four miles
from Old Point Comfort She had
steam UP and a large American flag
ioated astern. Back of the bridges on
the upper structure, there hung the
weekly washing of several jacllies.
But most striking in her appearance
was the cleaning tower on her stern.
the woven pipe military mast, resem-
bling a huge waste paper basket. On
top Of it's 125 feet of height was a
broad platform where two dummy sail
ors fashioned from boards stood brave
ly. looking down on two more dunn
mics of the same pattern on the tur-
ret forward One of the two big guns
which protruded from this turret, had
been removed and Cripple" gun &C.
cupied its place.
Just 342 yards on the inside of the
Florida lay her sister ship, the Ar
kansas. The distance looked cruelty
close as the big guns on the latter
ship prepared to take aim. This is
such Il test as would never occur in
naval warfare" remarked a rear ad-
miral as the big party of officers
boarded the Arkansas. ''The aim will
be perfect; the distance is so close
that the impact will be at it's full We
locity, and the part of the Florida to
be hit is the weakest
a fleet Of naval tugs from the Nor
folk navy yard. the army torpedo plan
ter Ringgold with the army officers
from Washington aboard, and the tend
er Fort Monroe. with 80 officers from
the artillery school and 40 from the
post, besides the little torpedo boat
Morris, constituted the fleet which
lowered around the Arkansas and
Florida. Then everybody went aboard
the Arkansas and attention was at
once directed to a strip of canvas held
up between two staffs on the turret of
the Florida.
we are going to shoot a 12-inch
projectile through that target to get
the range" was the announcement.
and when you see the red flag go to
the masthead of the Arkansas and hear
her whistle scoot for cover"
Lieut.. Walter NJ. Falconer in charge
of the big guns, got his aim There
was crash and a roar, the monitor
kicked back into the water and sprang
up again and when the canvas target
came into view it had hole through
its lower half. Then the turret of the
Florida was slowly swung around so
that her guns and those of the Arkan-
sas looked squarely at each other. More
than an hour of gun training followed.
But at 1912 the Big noise" came,
two crashes so close together that it
sounded like one. The 12-inch pro-
jectile had hit it's target. There was a
crash. flash and a cloud of yellow
smoke drifted away quietly over the
top of the Florida What was left was
a big black wound. Just to the right
of the right hand gun there was what
looked like a hole.
The officers went to the Florida a.,