Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1912-05-30

Delllan 10 the MerrlUaC q
Samson" an important era
In the life of the confederacy. also in
naval architecture, was marked.
The United States began building
more monitors with feverish haste.
Wooden sloops, cruisers, corvettes and
frigates were hurried into the discard.
A navy wasn't the real thing unless
1t had a lot OF queer looking ironclad
vessels resembling "the cheese box on
a raft"
Naval historians say that the build
ing of the Monitor was an illustra-
ton of the adage, Necessity is the
mother Of invention" The United
States was threatened by an uncon-
Querable iron coated foe. A new style
of fighting craft was needed. Ericsson
heard and interpreted Mother Neces-
sitys call. The Monitor was the re-
suit says the Kansas City Star.
All well and good! But Ericsson's
success caused score of embryo
naval designers to strain their eye
sight and hearing searching for an
other Mother Necessity. Navy de-
partments, admiralty offices and ship
building firms we're besieged by ar
chitects. Specifications for all sorts
of odd appearing war vessels we're
produced. Most of these met a pro-
sale death In the waste paper basket;
many got as far as the experimental
stage; some we're actually built and
launched and once or twice the sea-
going military establishments Of the
world have been given hair raising
scares.
Two Notable Marine Freaks.
The Katahdin and the Vesuvius
we're the names selected by the United
States for two of it's more noted sea
freaks. Both were radical departures
from accepted naval construction.
Both were expected to revolutionize
naval warfare. And both failed.
Rear Admiral Daniel Ammen was
responsible for the Katabdin. He
lived and died believing that he had
given to his country its most valuable
weapon of defense.
Admiral Ammen was q studious sort
of chap. He was interested in his
DIOIeSSlOU. ne hltW llOW GtdulSl 1lelu
fought and how ships had been built
since the days of Phoenicia. Partic-
ularly he liked the methods used by
the valiant sea fighters of Rome. He
was impressed with their naval ar
chitecture, the sharp ramming beaks
on solidly built craft.
Why, the admiral probably reason
4 III chic hn
used in modern warfare? He began a
quiet search for Nine. Necessity. He
took the ram idea of the Romans, the
armor plated idea of his own day and
the compact machinery plan of Erics-
son and began work. He rolled and
hammered and welded these three
ideas together and produced the
Katahdin.
at won't work. It is impractical"
said the navy department officials.
Then Admiral Ammen smiled and be-
gan to explain his theory again. Am
men coaxed, exhorted, demanded and
besought. Also he persisted. The
navy department said go ahead. The
Katahdin was built.
ne ain lOOhNh lAhO a NAOso bCN"SCh
a great lake whaleback grain boat and
a water logged cigar of monster pro-
portions when II was launched in 1889.
Then for four years the Katahdin was
put through all the trials naval officers
could devise. The boat did everything
its inventor claimed. The government
paid $930,000 for the Katahdin and
tbap uaitad for an apamy IN humiIiofa
In 1898 Spain balanced husky chip
on its shoulder Uncle Sam promptly
slapped IT. Here was the Katahdins
opportunity. Along about March, 1898,
things looked pretty dark for the
United States navy. SPANS fighting
ships still had considerable standing
Great things were expected from the
Katahdin.
1--WE have in our navy" one enthusi-
asst declared, zone boat which alone
could fight the whole much vaunted
Spanish fleet" He meant the Katah-
din.
But the Katahdin was a failure. 1t
was designed to chase an enemy into
corner and then puncture hole In
the side of the hostile ship with the
400, 900 ton blow the Katahdin ram
could deliver. OF course the enemy
would fight back; but the conical
armored deck OF the Katahdin was
made to shed shells like a duck sheds
water.
It took only . few days to learn