Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-07-21
THE RAM KATAHDlN.
Ignominous End Of Famous War
Vessel.

Vessel.
The famous u. s. ram Katahdin is to be
made use OF at last. She has been tremb-
ling on the edge of the junk heap for sew
eral years, but now is going to be OF some
utility for it has been decided to use her
for floating target. Some time this
summer she will be towed to sea and the
sharpshooters on the North Atlantic feet
will turn loose upon her with guns OF all
sizes and see il they can sink her. Thus it
will be that her defensive properties will
be tested in way little dreamed OF by her
inventor.
The world is always anxious to know
the outcome OF an entirely new invention.
"Wiil it stand the test7" is the question
asked. That is the question which the
world asked for many years in regard to
the torpedo boat, as factor in naval war
fare; the question was answered in the
affirmative by Admiral Togo, in the ever
memorable battle OF the sea OF Japan.
This is the question which this nation
and the entire world, at the beginning Of
the Civil war, asked concerning John
Ericsson's new ironclad boat, the Monitor;
the answer was given in Hampton Roads.
For the last fifteen years or more, the same
question has been asked in regard to a
third form Of vessel for.u in sea fighting;
the question has never been answered,
and the chances are that it never will be.
The ram Katahdin, which now lies in the
League Island navy yard, in Philadelphia,
is the only vessel OF her kind that was
ever built either by this or any other
nation.
The idea OF the ram for use in both land
and sea fighting is older than the Chris
tian era. The famous battering ram OF
the Roman army was hurled with such
titanic force against the the heavy walls of
an iopposing city that even the stoutest
blows. At the renowned battle OF Salamis
the Greeks used vessels to which wsre
attached harp-pointed iron rams to
smash in the sides Of the enemy's wooden
ships. And the ram has been used in some
form or other during nearly all the suc-
ceeding centuries.
While many fighting vessels have had q
PIOJCCtLHk AAuL WuAIA COuAA Oc O0c0 III
connection with the guns, the ram Katah-
din, which has been q part Of the United
States navy for the last fourteen years, was
the 6rst vessel ever built for nothing but
ramming purposes. Other vessels combined
ramming as supplementary to, but not as
the end and aim OF their fighting qualities.
The Kstahdin is ram, and nothing but
q ram. She has four small guns, but these
are simply to repel the attacks Of small
torpedo boats. And now, without ever
having been given a trial for her abilities
as fighter in battle, she will be battered
into old junk.
II was on a cold day in February, 1895,
zero, when the Katahdin, after being duly
christened with good champagne, glided
slowly and smoothly into the wintry
waters Of the kennebec river, at Bath.
She lay there upon the icy waters like a
great whale, or Ikea gigantic submarine
monster, and this resemblance was
heightened by the fact that the vessel was
painted a deep sea green. 1t was necessary
to protect the Katahdin in every possible
way against the attacks of the enemy, and
SO one OF the ways which was adopted was
a coat OF paint which would render her
almost invisible.
During the Spanish American war it
was thought, nay, fondly hoped, by all who
were interested in this new and strange
sea-tghting power that an opportunity
would be given to put to practical test
her Wanted ability to be secure against
the attacks OF the enemy, and at the same
time able to demolish her foes. In March
OF 1895, the year of the war with Spain,
the ram did get as far as Newport News,
but there was no need Of active service.
Would she have brought her inventor,
Rear Admiral Daniel Ammen, lasting
fame, or would she have gone down to a
watery grave Of blasted hopes and defeat?
Nobody can answer the question. She
will be given a terrible test OF shot and
shell, which will demonstrate her defen-
sive qualities, but what she might accom-
plish in the way she was designed to fight
will never be known.
The inventor did not see the device
which was the result of many years of
thought and effort, given trial, for he
died in 1898, the year when the success or
failure Of his work might have been
proved. His invention was recently
called a costly failure, and it is said that
it has been costing the government 5000
every two years to keep the vessel in such
a condition that it will not be eaten away
with rust. The original cost of the vessel