Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-05-28

The biggest naval gun. the heaviest
pr"j"ctile and the highest explosive
known combined with clos" rang"
and deadly aim, wer" yesterday
morning allowed to work thei" full
havoc on the turrct plate of the mon
ir"r Florida in lower Chesapeak" lay.
The r, suit is declared to b" 4 vic.
tory for the tu.rct construction and
this notwithstanding the l. inch hard
encd steel plate was blackenCd. the
scans OF the turrct sprung and tn"
rivets and ser VS. lOOsened and
twisted
II was not five minutes after the
terrible impact that the finely balanc-
ed mechanism of the turret was being
worked with perfect ease and the II
inch gun on the left side was trained
at will
Inside the turret where stand the
gunr rs and gun crew the havoc was
much less apparent than from tn" out
side Examinations showed that the
many delicately adjusted instruments
for fire control. sighting ana opcrar-
ing the turrct. few. if any. were out Of
working order.
IF thi.; had happf ned in battl" tn"
Florida would be fighting yrt,' said
one of the rear admrals with cnthn-
siaSm.
Then followed a futile attempt TO de
stroy the newly designed fighting mast
erected upon the stern of H.. Flor
ida After five shots from the Arkan-
sas' guns had gone ripping through
il the mast still stood fire.
Forty shots would not bring il
down and no enemy wouH waste AM
munition and time shooting at it,.
wa the expert comment II was pre-
dict d that all new ships will he equip
ped with hattie masts of this de-
sign
The story Of the Shooting MP Of
the Florida Sv The Arkansas. hownv'r.
is not contained in this technical
statement of results. II was AZ event
which the keen eve of expectation
was not dullcd by the realization
Rear admirals and briSahicr generals
together with their juniors. scurri"d
under the protected decks of tn"
Florida and then popped ont again as
quickly TO look for the damage done
by tho big guns.
The naval bureau was r"prfrontc,i.
lMcw:-n the ordnance and a-till ~
Of the army
tn" scene Of the raj war demon.
stratiCn was lower Ch"san"ak" hav.
foIr miles Cut from Hampton Reads.
already made famors by naval events.
tho latest h|irg tn spectacular do
parturc of the A;Iarric iu'tlcShip H"":
on its long jorrhcy arouu,l the world.
which WIS reviewed ny Prr5iricnl
Rooscy~f
The Florida. which has Icon in III"
lands nf experts for some time. pro
se1tcd IL, appearance Uf 4 resign
MARTYR She Iay with her nose point
ing toward H. Virginia csP"s. near
ThimbIr :ShnaI light and ahoI four
mih-s FROM Old Poiai Comfort. ,Sh"
had 81 am mp ard n llrEr american
flag flea: 4 aStrrn Tack "f tn"
bridges ~u the uprrr siruCtrr" 'h"r"
huu- tho " cklv waEh 0f several
jacki-:. f;Hi most striking in h"r ~
prararr" was IN" leaning tower ON
her storm th" wCy"H pITa military
mast resembling hugo vast" Tap
basket. On top II is ~ f"H ~
heirht va hrr ah platform wh"rr
the dummy sailors fashioned fF"m
boards gi~od hraycir lcUting down on
two mrrc DUNN. ~ 'h" sam" pat.
torn On tho iurr"t forward
Fired az Close Range.
ono of the two big gum had hscr,
rcmcvcd frrm III" iurr"i and = GRIN
pIc" gun ~c~~pi~d Il pisc" Irf 2f2
wards inside ~ tho F7"rida l7v h"r
sister shin IN hrkanS1s Tho dr..
,srcc I"rtcd Cru~Ilv ~" ="
This is trSt - w"uld never "~crr
in actual warfsrr.' rrHA-k"d \ r~ar
admiral - Tho hig party NJ officer
boarded tho arEan<as Tho aim vii
10 eject: the diE'ancc " =" rl"T"
tha, Nc impact vii 30 at it, full We