The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-24

Siebert photographed the battle scenes
around Charleston. s. c.. Cook, OF
Charleston. and Edwards. OF New Or
leaps. secured Confederate scenes in
their localities.
The difficulties these mon overcame
arc great story In themselves. Tho
process in those days was that known
MS wet plntci" and 1t required @ timc-
exposure OF nve minutes. The plato
had to be developed within the suo-
ceedlnS i've minutes OF the view was
Lost. The camera was q huge box,
large enough to hold glass plate s
by 10 Inches. The plates We're raw"
glass. and had to be "scnsitieed" on the
field Just before using. Huge dcini-
johns Of chemicals for "sensitisIng"
and developing had to be carried onto
the battlcticlds. and light proof tent
was necessary to develop the platcs
The Federal photographers had 10
secure their cHcmicals from New York
The Confcderatcs met with great trou-
bic: their chemicals must be obtained
from the same firm and smuggled
through the Federal lines. This was
done by orders to trade" some of
which are still In existence. bearing
the signature of Abraham Lincoln, but
instead OF the true nature of the
chemicals appears the word "quininc."
The photographers placed their
lives In great peril to secure their
remarkable Views. Brady drew the
fire of an army corps at Fredericks-
burg. The huge cameras looked like
cannon to the Confedorates, and they
Immediately turned their IRE upon the
instruments. Brady escaped without
injury, confirming the belief OF his as
sociatcs that ho bore charmed lIfc.
Despite the tremendous work that
the first war photographers wrought
for the generations, Brady died in
poverty in n New York hospital about
1895. His priceless work even at that
time was Lost as FAR as the public
was concerned. and he did not even
know where the negatives were.
Celebration OF the Modern Ironcind
Next Yenr.
Recently naval circles have cele-
brated the anniversary OF the modern
ironclad, which Is nifty years old this
year. The modern 100000 Dread
nouSht is but the outgrawth of these
first ironclads OF the Civil War. an
lutionize the worlds nnvies than any
other single agent. excepting steam
power.
\ AL the outbreak of the Civil War
the warships OF the nations were not
much different in essential features,
than the old war galleya of the Greeks
and the Romans. No successful at
tempt had been mado to protect tho
ship against the penetration of the
foes cannon balls.
To-day the modern lighting machine
Is she'll of ateel and Is propelled
through the water at a marvellous
speed by turbine engines. The armor
ranges from four to twenty-three
inches in thickness. according to the
type of vessel. The upper deck itself
Is one vast sheet OF steel. which pre-
vents shells from penetrating to the
v!tals OF the ship where the engines
and powder magazines are stored. In
action. not single man Is in view
He is peering through ranGe-hnders
In steel-clad barbette or coming
tower.
In days before the Civil War. when
n cannon ball struck the mast or yards
the battle was practically ended, for
the ships motive power was gone.
To-day. with the latest skeleton
masts, more than IS per cent of the
steel wires forming the mast can be
shot away and still the mast stands.
Anniversary of the Torpedo Bont.
The little low-lying. speeding, tor
pedo boat that lies calmly beside tho
monster battleship. had Its birth In
the Civil War. The submarine, that
d
trip to the bottom of the sea, where
1t has been for several hours. was
given its first practical demonstration
nifty years ago. The different classes
of submarine mines which line the
harbors OF the world to-day had their
birth during the Civil War.
1t is exactly nifty years ago this
winter that John NJ. Brooks, of the
Confederate navy. conceived the Idea
of plating the captured hull OF the
United States frigate Merrimac with
iron, after cutting the vessel or at
the water line. Then a section was
built amidships 10 feet long and COW
cred with iron plates about four inches
thick When the vessel was launched
1t had the appearance OF house roof
floating on the water. Tho roof. IRON
clad. sioped at an angle OF forty five
degrees. and at regular intervals port
holes were made for ten guns.
Scmi-CcntcnnlnI of the Monitor I'm
y Warfare.
This was the embryo battlcship as
we SEQ 1t to-day Before the Merrimac,
or Virginia, she Is known in the
South, sank the Federal vessels In
Hampton Roads fifty years ago this
month. the news of her building reach.
cd the North. Here, too. necessity
became the mother of another inven-
tion---the Monitor. Ericsson built his
famous cheese box on a raft" in 100
days, following the principle discov-
cred by Theodore RugS!es Timby for
revolving turret.
Ericcson's Monitor became the en-
bryo modern monitor. and the latter
stlll retains many of the features of
the little ship of fifty years ago. Since
the Monitor sank In gale off the
coast, the true use of such a vessel
has been discovered-as harbor de-
fenders--and they seldom attempt long
sea trips since the disaster to Ericc-
sons little craft
Iron ttam In Just Fifty Years Old.
To-day every modern battleship has
steel Prov extending for distance
under the water. with which TO ram
the cnemy's ship Before the Civil
War the ram. as these prows arc
called, WAS not used. Charles Elicit,
PENNSYLVANIA, when iron became an
important part of battleShipS, con :