The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-08-29
DOOM OF WARSHIPS
Once Mighty Vessels Lying Anchor Because They Are
Out of Date and Good for Nothing but Targets.

There is a heavy fog drifting in thick
sheets over the water. through the mist
the faint chimes Of ships bells sound
clearly
There is the quick rush and patter OF
bare feet over the smooth decks. Sharp
orders ring out from unseen lips, and
the clang and rattle OF ponderous ma
chinery roar through the air. The fog
curtain lifts for a moment and discloses
the grim forbidding shapes Of seven
ships Of war, or armament sufficient 70
blow the city from its very foundations.
There is the crash and the roar Of
heavy guns, the shouts and cries Of the
wounded and dying.
There Is the great cheer Of victory,
and the news is flashing around the
world telling Of the prowess and might
OF Uncle sam. But as the cloud OF fog
lifts. and the brave sun shines forth, all
this is seen 10 be but memory.
The seven mighty shirs Of war. around
one OF which at least there hovers the
glorifed figure OF perpetual fame. the
Brooklyn, the heavy steel metal and
skilled gunnery Of whose Jaclies helped
70 break the power OF Spain at Santl-
ago. lie idly awash in the back channel
OF Uncle Sans great naval station al
the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Unremem-
bered. except on anniversary days the
heavy weeds hang IN mourning wreaths
upon the anchor ropes The barnacles
gather thickly upon their bottoms. and
OF their mighty armament and the heroic
hearts that once throbbed upon their
decks nothing remains, except dummy
guns, and perhaps an old salt" OF two,
sitting idly upon her decks. spinning
yarns Of long ago.
Resting at Anchor.
Seven great vessels Of war. which cost
the government more than Sl5.O0O,OO0. re-
main thus at League Island They are
the Brooklyn. Columbia, and Minneapolis.
OF the cruiser class: the Terror. the
Miantonomah, and the Amphitrite OF
The double turreted. low freeboard mont
tor class. and the Katahdin. a ram.
which never fired a shot from the time
Of its completion, and whose death knell
will be sounded soon when she viii be
shot 10 pieces by the newer and greater
war ships Of the navy for practice.
Seven great vessels. which al one time
were the pride and glory OF the nation.
built only a few years ago. are rusting
away their life at anchor chains until
the time shall soon come that they viii
be put on some ships boneyard, or pos
sibly made targets FOR the practice OF
marksmen aboard the newer and more
powerful vessels
There IS nothing the matter with them.
except that they are out-of-date. The
Department that they are too old They
are OF an ANTICIPATED and ancient pat
tern, though built only a few years ago.
The ships are cas- old as the hills in
naval parlance. and their doom has been
sounded.
There are many earpIng critics and
anti-imperlalists who cry out loudly
against the Increase OF our navy. They
point out the fact that the life OF a
war ship is short at the best. that a
few years serves 10 lay them upon the
bOneyard and that the wealth OF the
nation e being swallowed up by this
absurd and useless expenditure Ct money.
They ask, with much heat, rs IL worth
while 20 spend millions upon armament
that will never be usedg' The jingoes
rave and foam over the cost.
History Gives Answer.
There can be but one answer to these
rabid fanatics. and that Is history. The
war ships. whether in or out OF service.
are the crown Jewels in the belt Of the
nation. They are the guarantee and
pledge that his country makes 10 the
world that the Monroe doctrine must
be respected. Each shot that was fired
from the guns Of the Brooklyn broke
one Of the rivets that bound Cuba 10
the rock OF torture. II the Columbus.
the Minneapolis, and the other FIVE ships
which now lie in harbor at the navy
yard never fired a shot in battle, they
were prepared. and thousands or eyes
looked wistfully through the port holes
OF these ships as they heard the news
telling Of the ships which were fortunate
enough 20 be in action IN the Spanish
American Wal.
The answer has been given that this
cost IS worth while IN numerous vital
cases OF national peril. Under Paul
Jones the lesson was taught that II is
necessary to build war ships.
The ram Katahdin was authorized IN
1SS2 by the Naval Committee. OF which
Benjamin W. Harris. Of Massachusetts,
was chairman. At that time the ram
idea was in much favor. II was said
by some naval experts that properly
armored and with sufficient speed a YES
sci OF this type could ignore both shot
and shell. being built low in the water,
and could dash upon opposing vessels
and ram them with its sharp bow, send
ing them 10 the bottom At that time
the armor was stronger than the guns.
and this idea seemed TO be correct. The
advisory board wanted five vessels Of
the Katahdin type built, but with habit
ual caution the committee refused to
comply until a trial was made. II was