davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

and Its success makes aeroplanes prac-
tlcally useless in time of war. 1t
was fired at an angle of eighty-five
degrees, almost perpendicular. 1t has
a range Of over three miles and can
fire fifty shots per minute. AS no
aeroplane has as yet attained this
height It can be readily understood
how destructive this gun will prove
to an air craft. 1t is said that the
Navy Department contemplates the
manufacture of a large number Of
these guns-in fact, enough to place
a battery Of them on the deck of
every warship in the Navy. The guns
are being built at the gun factory
in the Navy Yard at Washington,
d. c.
Fuses are also tested, and on the
bank Of the river plate OF the thin
nest armour. such as is used for tor
pedO boats. has been set up as a fuse
tester. Loaded and fused shells are
fired against this plate and the bursts
observed. Before this can be done a
clear range of seven miles must be
had on the river. There is also a
covered firing butt containing a plate
with a number OF screens behind II.
This is used not only to determine
the distance but also the character Of
the bursts.
Our twelve inch armour piercing
projectile is said to weigh little less
than nine hundred pounds, but go
ing at a speed of perhaps two thou
sand miles an hour il can be readily
imagined what the impact will be.
From a scientific point of view In
dian Head is full of interest, but the
Iayman thinks only of the awful de-
Structive power of these giant guns
which lie in the valley of the Proving
Grounds awaiting their stamp-the
large official "P" which means per-
fection after a rigid test.
1T must be something akin to be-
ing struck by a three hundred and
fifty ton train" said a Congressman
after he had witnessed a gun and ar
mOur battle. "Or worse"
Nothing seems to be left undone,
and Uncle Sam is equipping his gall
liant sailors with the best weapons
skill and science can provide.
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

in to break up slavery.
Just as soon as the procuring Of
blacks was difficult then the rewards
were greater. as was the temptation.
and many a vessel that left her home
port as a trader became a black
birder," sometimes with profit and
sometimes not.
During the Civil War the tramp
steamship made its appearance, first
as a blockade runner. In that business
a successful voyage meant quick and
ample returns; for the frelghts were
generally worth more than the ships.
One round trip paid for the vessel.
after that 1t was all profit.
1t is to the tramp steamer that
England owes her position as the fore
most maritime power. The Crown
has encouraged the building OF liners
and tramps by the giving OF subsidy.
In other words. the Crown Is a part
owner. but only in time of war does
the Crown assert its rights. Then
these tramps must respond TO be used
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

ond or first mate and a knowledge
Of navigs ton. He wanted a vessel Of
his own so he organized a company
on a stock basis.
With the ship In commission the
captain real work began. and when
he slipped his moOrings for :. voyage
he was going tramping, although he
called it trading" In his quest for
cargoes he did not bother where he
might have to go, his only stipulation
being that he should have a return
freight OF a monetary consideration.
Those were the days when trading
was not as prosaic as today, for the
doughty shippers of sailing craft took
all kinds Of chances. especially those
who went-over on the African coast,
swapping beads, mirrors, calico.
knives and other gimcracks for ivory.
Many OF those shippers were not
averse to "blackbirding," as running
slaves was called. and many a cargo
OF blacks was run to the States. even
after the British government started
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

ed on a fixed mark. after which It
is fired over the river range and the
officers note the places where the
shells fall. Calm weather is preferred
for this work, for wind and atmos-
pheric conditions sometimes change
the whole routine of a test.
Much might be written from a
technical point OF view on tt. smoke
less powder used. and as to Its gen.
eral effects. but many of these facts
the Navy authorities prefer to keep
to themselves. This powder. which
looks like pieces OF perforated hore-
hound candy. is all manufactured at
Indian Head-about a dozen build
ings being used for the purpose.
The effect OF the conclusion on the
mount or gun-carriage is also care
fully watched. because the carrier
must be strong enough to absorb the
recoil to a certain extent as any
great yielding or stretching might
affect the range Of the shot and the
correctness of the fire. All this re-
quires repeated testings. and in one
year more than ten thousand shots
have been fred at Indian Head in
proving out two hundred and seventy
five guns. This did not include the
small arms.
The velocity of the shell as II Is
nurled through space IS another prob
lem. and this Is worked out by the
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

ity and velocity of the shell of a gun
have been tested, the flight between
1t and the armour. such as is used on
modern battleships. begins. Some
times an experimental target such
as the counterpart of the section Of
"a battleship is set up, and against
this various sized shells are fired in
order to note the destructive effect
on the interior. Our newest battle
ship is to cost somewhere in the
neighborhood Of eleven millions and
the greater part of this expenditure
goes for guns and armour. and the
latter is quite as rigidly tested as the
former. A searching chemical
analysis Of every piece is made. and
it must undergo something like thirty
different examinations. A thoroughly
equipped laboratory is maintained for
this purpose at Indian Head. After
the armour has been pronounced
chemically perfect a sample plate is
set up OF the Proving Grounds, usually
about three hundred and sixty feet
from the gun, which is to try its
powers OF resistance. This process is
quite as dangerous. II not more SO.
than the test of a gun, for steel splin-
ters are likely to fly through the air.
and here again the greatest precau-
Ion is taken and everybody is kept
out Of the danger zone. After terrific
crash and the shower of steel has
passed away the result of the gun fire
on the armour is examined by the
officers and Photographic record
made by the official photographer.
The actual impact has been photo
graphed several times with more OF
less success and more or less de-
struction for photographic apparatus.
The camera waS operated by cleo
tricity in the exposure Of plates. Fan
tastic figures are often formed on
the armour, and as the result of one
test the perfect profile of a woman
appeared on the steel plate. Later
in the day the exploded shells are
dug out OF the sand by the use Of
a clam shell digger and carried to the
shell dump.
Indian Head has been the scene Of
some remarkable tests. Recently the
1eroplane gun was tried out there
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08
ZTDe 0T British WanO

the master Of the tramp. He no
longer sails "in ballast" on a seek"
Rather than that he lays up, retain
ing only enough of his crew to keep
up his ship. Then lie awaits orders
from his shore agent who, in the
meantime, has been notified. The lat
ter then goes after business. For in
stance a ship loads coal at one of
the Chesapeake Bay ports for Tam
pico, and upon arrival there finds
that the only out cargo is one for
Delaware Breakwater for orders"
The cargo is taken and when the
vessel arrives at the Breakwater she
receives orders to proceed to New
York. At the latter port there Is
no outbound cargo for her unless she
is willing to wait two weeks. After
having just come of a short voyage
the prospect does not appeal 81 the
skipper telegraphs his agents at all
the coast ports asking for charter and
until something does come the ship
must lay up in a basin. While there
Is an enormous amount of business
done one may always find one or more
OF these tramps laid up and these are
the vessels that may be engaged for
any enterprise, from seeking treasure
to running contraband for a band of
patriots.
As the excellence of accommoda-
tions on the big liners has advanced
the accommodations on the tramp
have kept pace until the master OF
one Of these modern free lances is as
we'll Off as is the skipper of any of
60atin0 hnfalQ In hao
of rooms. all comfortably. and even
handsomely furnished. his bathroom.
private pantry and kitchen, his cleo
tric light and fans-al OF the COM
forts that one can possibly have at
sea. A small refrigeratinS plant keeps
his foods and furnishes cooling LIQUID
when in the tropics.
And in tonnage. too. the tramp has
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

army and stores is a minor one.
for the members OF the junta know
that for the price a tramp steamer
may be chartered. The risk to the
owners? oh, that's nothing IL the
price is right.
During the Russo-Japanese war IL
was common read OF both the Japs
and RussiansN destroying steamers
found to be carrying contraband. The
owners of, the steamers were satisfied
for the gentlemen who chartered the
vessels had paid enough freight
money 10 justify the loss. As the skip
per and crew, IL they escaped with
their lives to enjoy their portion OF
the money paid we'll and good. II
they went down, we'll. is II not all in
the business?
The business OF tramping Is as old
as ships, but 1t was developed to a
high degree by the Yankee shippers
OF the early days OF this country.
In those days a young man returned
from a voyage with a rating of sec
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

as troop transports. as many were
during the Boer war.
The Ship Subsidy Bill that has been
agitated in this country for years pro-
vides that kind OF encouragement for
our people. but Congress has not yet
been convinced OF its necessity. The
result is that the Stars and Stripes
is rapidly disappearing from the over
sea trade.
In the meantime England and Nor
way. which also have a subsidy -sys-
TEN. are enjoying the major profits
OF carrying. the wares Of the world
In bottoms that yield from % TO -
per cent. interest annually. England
leads the world because of the readi-
ness OF her people to invest. and the
rapidity with which the vessels can
be turned out. One shipyard alone
for several years maintained an av-
erage of one 5000 ton steamer every
three months. from the laying Of the
keel to the official trial trip.
The cable has done wonders for
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08
Z,IE0czLNarweSIA1
<FGLIE SS3zHze0

grown until there are some Of them
them, however. are less than 5000
tons. for they have been found to be
more economical to operate in line
| of business that is more or less un-
certain.
! As the tramp carries her cargo at
so much per ton only the restraining
hand of Lloyds. the insurance COM
pany, prevents much Of the overload
ing that IS something Of a practice.
In carrying coke. which Is light FOR
its bulk, II is usual to not only fill
the hold. but to build up huge wooden
boxes on deck and fill them. Lum-
Der. too, is often piled high on deck.
Occasionally a crew refuses to go TO
sea on such a laden vessel, and this
brings about an inquiry by the Con-
sui, who decides whether the ship
is fit for sea.
a new type OF tramp ship IS the
turret, designed to evade the tonnage
tax, and although this type OF vessel
does not appear to be able to carry
as much as an ordinary type OF the
same length appearances are decep-
tive. Oftentimes lumber is carried on
the tops of the turrets, but the pEdC
tice is generally discouraged.
The Norwegian maritime laws are
more lax than the laws of England,
hence when the British tramps begin
to outlive their usefulness they are
sold to Norway. The new owners
patch them up and send them forth
under their own flag.
On the other hand the Norwegians
turn out some exceedingly nice craft,
scores of which are engaged in the
West Indies fruit trade under charter
to American fruit companies.
These little vessels are smart In
speed. cheap to operate and carry
10000 to $4,000 stems, or punches.
which Is considered as being an ideal
cargo-qulck to load and quick to dis
charge. Besides, being small, they
can get into many of the poorly shell
tered harbors. Many of them are
lost, hardly 4 year passing but what
two to six strike on the reefs and az
a rule. striking means the end OF
them, as the cost Of salvage and re-
pair would amount to more than they
are worth.
In but one sense IS the tramp steam
er a hobo. and that is in its wander
ings for wherever there's freight.
that's where the tramp goes"
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

aid of the chronograph-a delicate
instrument in the ONCE OF the Ad-
ministration Building. When the
speed Of the proJectiIe is to be tested
the gun is sighted on two screens
which are suspended in the air one
hundred and sixty-eight feet apart.
These screens are connected by wire
with the chronograph in the office
quarter OF a mile away. This in
strument, or rather, instruments, for
there are three in number. each
working on the same gun in the fol-
lowing manner: A long rod coated
with silver soft enough to allow dents
hangs by a magnet which is in cir
cult with the first screen. When the
gun is fired the shell tears the wires
Of the screen, the connection Is bro
ken and the rod begins to fail. As
the next screen is pierced 1t releases
a second rod which touches a spring
causing a knife to shoot out making
a mark on the first rod, the distance
between this mark and the initial
mark accounted for beforehand Is
the measure Of the distance fallen
by the rod while the shot is passing
over the distance from tho first to
the second screen. BY the known
laws of gravity the distance fallen by
the rod. together with the distance
between the screens, furnishes the ba-
sis for calculating the velocity OF
the projectile. The speed varies with
the different guns. and ranges from
fifteen hundred to thirty-one hundred
feet per second. the shells of our new
est guns making the latter speed.
The chronograIh is the invention Of
Frenchman.
The Chronoscope. which Is also in
the office. is even a more delicate
piece of machinery. and records the
time from the explosion in TIE powder
chamber to the instant the she'll leaves
the gun. This is done by a spark
on the machine as the powder is ex-
ploded, and another when the protec-
tile passes the muzzle, and in so do
ing breaks the small wire in connec-
ton with the instrument. A drawing
Is made of every test and later trans
ferred to blueprint paper an put on
record.
Now that the strength. aiming quail
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08
Zbe NeWAep00lHneCUR

~EW people realize just how great
H. a test the big guns which so TO
make up the equipment Of our
batueshlps must undergo be-
fore they earn the right to Uncle
Sans firing line. These tests are
made at the Naval Proving Grounds
at Indian Head, Maryland. seclud-
ed spot on the banks Of the Po-
tomac River ABOUT twenty-five miles
from Washington. Here the United
States Government owns twelve
hundred acres of land, and almost
every day q bloodless battle between
guns and armour is Yagsd on the
river front This conflict is jealously
guarded from the public eye. The
place is absolutely closed to visitors.
and only those who are fortunate
enough to obtain q pass from the
Bureau Of Ordnance at Washington
are permitted to look upon the tech
nical tests to which the guns and
armour are subjected. The Govern
ment tug is the only boat allowed to
make a landing at the wharf There
Is a corps of Naval officers at In
dian Head. and these men and their
families reside OF the far end of
:
where the firing is done. About five
hundred civilians. three hundred and
fifty Of whom are negroes. are MI
ployed TO carry on the dangerous. not
TO say difficult work of safeguarding
the lives Of our sailors as well as
proving the awful power OF our mod
ern guns.
Only those who have seen & gun
go through its many tests can fully
realize the havoc which is wrought by
the huge steel instruments. The guns
are brought by tug to Indian Head
from the gun factory at the Wash
ingtOn Navy Yard. At the Proving
Ground wharf a giant crane lifts
them to a truck which runs on rails
to a point near the spot where the
tryout is to be made. At this point
another crane lifts them into posi-
tion, where a thorough examination |
of the structural parts is made by |
the Naval Officers on duty. The heavy .
work is dore by the Colored en- /
ployees, and as soon as the gun has .
been pronounced structurally perfect .
the men begin to make ready for the |
firing. !
The first trial is a dangerous ex-
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

- HE hobo Of the sea is no rela-
tion 10 the Weary Willie of the
land and although in the old
- song Of Wherever there's
freight. that's where the tramp goes'
applies. in a measure. 10 the pilgrim
r-ho steals his way on the cargo
carriers Of the steel rail, it was pcnned
hy someone VINO had in mind the
thousands OF sturdy steam craft that
are known on the seven seas as
Iramps.
All vessels that do not ply on regu-
lar routes may be said to be tramps,
and while tramping may be looked
upon with disfavor by those who live
ashore, those aflOat and the shipping
interests hold the tramp ship in high
favor. A manufacturer gets large
order to deliver, say at Tampico,
Mexico. There are no regular freight
ships plying from his neares; coast
port. What does he do? He tele-
graphs or telephones to a ship broker
at that port and the agent charters a
tramp steamer OF the required cargo
capacity.
And one may always. or nearly al
ways, find a tramp at the larger cities
laid up waiting for charter
The skipper OF the tramp is the
man with whom 10 talk. He does not
care what the cargo may be-fruit.
oil in case, wheat, lumber, ties. dyna-
mite OF sinews OF war for a revolu-
uonary party in any part Of the world
just SO the price is in keeping with
the risk and the time required.
Into the calculations OF the pro-
posed revolution that certain dissat-
isfied patriots may be contemplating
Nhe question of transportation of their
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

dn the. great majority of cases) a
healthy man and infects that man
with the plague.
This view OF the disease explains
many interesting points that have
long seemed shrouded in mystery.
For example,. II explains why the poor
sections OF many Russian towns have
been almost wiped out By plague and
the well-to-do sections OF the same
places have shown only very small
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

plague among human beings that the
scientists sent to study the outbreak
in Manchuria report that the vast
majority OF cases in their opinion
originated directly from bites by In
fected heas. <>f...- "
The disease can undoubtedly be
communicated from sicE men TO
other people. but the latest opinion
does not believe this to be the usual
Occurrences. 1t is the fiea who bites
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

and quickly as man. and, they seldom
or never spread the disease to the
human race-that is directly spread /;
There is a gap between the plague
killed rats and other small animals
and the human race. This gap Is
filed up by the 400 different kinds Of
fiess who grow fat and healthy on
blood filed with plague germs.
So important has become the role
played by heass in transmitting
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

But the heas are not charged by
scientific men with originating the
disease. This seems to be the fault
of a number OF animals belonging
mostly 10 the rat family, although
ever the useful pig Is accused Of
originating bubonic plague In his own
body. a
Now the rats of all sorts and the
pigs who are attacked by bubonic
plague. die from It almost as easily
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

percentage Of deaths.
But at all events It is a message
full of hope that science sends to
people like those Of the United States.
Fleas exist of course in this coun-
try, but even the lowest slums and
tho poorest habi,ations over here are
not infested With feas as is the case
among the poorest masses Of the Rus
slams and Chinese.
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

the flea of every branch OF the fam
fly is that they rather enjoy being
fed on plague germs and can have
their bodies fun OF bubonic plague
bacteria and still be in a happy
frame of-mind. 1t is these fieas filled
with plague germs who spread the
disease al! over the world.
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08
The Flea and the Plague

~dERE are, four hundred separate
A and distinct kinds of Rcas. so
that the family is not likely to
~die out. For the flea is tough
and hardy insect that is able TO live
ON the rsry. poorest sort of meat. and
with the shortest kind OF rstions.
But the mos: interesting fact about
The Washington herald., 1911-10-08
RlScAE4LzSN SN10R 0ce

Wherever there's wafer:
Wherever there's freight.
That's where the tramp goes.
That's where the tramp goes:
old Song.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-15
WOMEN'S CARD CLUBS ARE
PERNICIOUS, SAYS SPEAKER.

PASSAIC, April 1.-THE spring in
stitute of the Passaic County Women's
Christian Temperance Union was held
yesterday in Willard Hall, Bloomfield
avenue, delegates from all over the
county, numbering nearly one hundred,
being present.
Several interesting addresses were
given, among them one on Mothers
Responsibility" by Mrs. w. j. Arnold,
formerly of Passaic, but now of Ruth
erford, who spoke as the representa-
tive of the Passaic Park Mothers Club.
Mrs. Arnold said there are a number
of women's clubs which are of little
good to their members, and described
women's card clubs as p%ernicious.
"Anti-Narcotics' was the subject of
an instructive talk by Mrs. NJ. 8.
Holmes, State president of the w. C.
T. U. DR.. Eva Lake, State recording
secretary, told of 'Children's Rights
and Their Needs and the Rev. Flor
ence Randolph spoke on Work Among
Colored People" other addresses were
by Mrs. Thomas NJ. Moore, on WON
an Suffrage" Mrs. Emma Bourne,
Our State Paper and Its Needs. Mrs,
A. NJ. Lake. Loyal Temperance Legion
Work"
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-15
ARBITRAGE PRACTISE is
GIVEN SEVERE BLOW

NEW YORK, April 15.-The govern
ors of the New York Stock Exchange
have dealt a severe blow to the arbi-
TRACE business as it has been conducted
in the New York and London markets.
Complaint was made to them several
weeks ago that the methods of the
arbitrage men amounted practically to
splitting commissions. the rule against
which is the most hallowed in the Stock
Exchange constitution. The business
consists in buying and selling in two
markets as nearly simultaneously as
possible, the profit being derived from
the difference in prices III the two mar
kets. 1t al charged that the London
Stock Exchange member who handled
the London end of the business and
who cannot, by the London Exchanges
constitution, be a member of the New
York or any other exchange, got part
of the profit of the arbitrage, though
he paid no commissions to the New
York Stock Exchange members for the
transactions of the New York n OF
the a~rbitrage. The action of the gov
ernors was announced in the weekly
bulletin Of the secretary in the resolu-
ton of which the purport is that the
London arbitrageur must pay the full
non-member commission of an eighth
of 1 per cent. on Every transaction.