The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1908-06-12
Testing Arnor Plate.

the Tar northwest, represented on,
phase of interest in the United State
navy. The practical test Of armo:
plate nea the famous waters wher,
the Monitor and Merrimac Tough
their epoch making battle represent!
another.
On first thought the use of a YES.
sci which cost a million and a hall
dollars as a target for a sister shir
seems a bit of extravagant play. But
there will be economy in the long
run in the experiments designed to
determine whether the materials
which are being put into the fight
ers of the new navy are worth the
millions they cost.
To test armor plate by firing at it
as it stands in a fixed position or
land has some value. To try its
strength when it is a part of a YES
sci floating upon the water and in a
position similar to that liable to .e
encountered in actual naval service
is much better.
The results of the test of the
FLORIDA by the guns of the Arkan-
a may be counted distinctly favor
able. The turret of the enemy
received a heavy blow from a missile
fired from a big gun on the other
vessel. The armor plate which ap-
peared to be defective in the last
test at Sandy Hook was not mater
tally injured, although the aim was
perfect, and gun, projectile, and ex-
ploslve were of the highest type.
Within five minutes after the shot
was made the turret was working
with a gun ready to answer the fire.
The Florida is to have one more
trial. 1t is to be fitted with a spe-
cially built %bulkhead into which a
torpedo is to be fired. The result
will go far toward determining
whether the hulls of the vessels can
be protected by the construction of
such bulk heads.
The net results from these ex-
periments will have much bearing
upon the future OUTLAWS. Just now
the fleet is being used for the en-
tertainment of the people and for
showing to the world of the power
of the navy of the United States. The
day of battle may come, however,
when confidence in the ships will be
much greater if the materials of
which they r made have been
proved dependable under conditions
%measurably like those of actual
ighting.-Tribune.
Battle of Ballots in Georgia.
Atlanta, Ca, June 4.-Whether a
man by the name of Smith or a mar
who wears the label of Brown will
be the next governor of Georgia
is the principal matter to be de-
cided in today's battle Of ballots.
which brings to a close one of the
hottest campaigns in the political
history of the state, in which prohi-
bition and negro Acknowledgement
have been the issues. At the head
quarters of Hoke Smith, who is
seeking to succeed himself as chief
executive Of Georgia, reports are
pouring in this morning which in
dictate an overwhelming victory for
the Smith clan in tooay's primaries.
The supporters of Joseph M. Brown,
Smiths opponent for governor, are
equally clamorous of victory. On
the face of the returns, the Smiths
apparently have the edge on the
Browns, and the opponent of the
valorous Hoke seems destined to
play the part of a defeated candi-
date in the comedy of what Hap
pened to Brown"
THE democratic primaries today
are equivalent to an election, since
opposing candidates for any office
Georgia have about as much chance
as the %proverbial SNOWFALL in the
Internal regions. Aside from the
governor and state treasurer, all the
Sother important state Offices will be
nominated without opposition. The
only other contests are for two
places on the railroad commissicn
and one place on the prison commits
sion. Captain Robert e. Park is
standing for reelection as state
treasurer, and his opponent is w. j.
Speer, Parks predecessor in the Of
flee. There is no opposition to
United States Senator A. S. Clay.
There has been an attempt to
make prohibition which has pre-
vailed in Georgia since Janu airy !,
and negro Acknowledgement the is
sues in. the campaign just closed.
It is alleged by the Smith adherents
and newspapers that Brown has re-
ceived the support of the liquor In
terests and that his election would
mean the beginning of the end OF
prohibition in Georgia. The friends
Of prohibition have been urged to
rally to the Smith standard and the
allegations regarding Browns posi-
ton on the prohibition question,
whether true or not, will doubtless
play an important part in determin-
ing the result of today's primaries.
Disfranchisement of the negroes
has also been made an issue in the
campaign and it has been alleged by
the Smith followers that Brown has
stood inn with the blacks and IN
return for their support will seek
to defeat the disfranchisement meas
ure. This has been Indignantly de-
MED by the Brown men, who assert
that ACKNOWLEDGMENT is already q
..settled issue in Georgia and that