Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-06-05

! century ago and played
w "Delilah" to the Merrimac's
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 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-
sity's 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
CNANA AAONuGA ANSNCoSAtgs NdfJ uC-
partments. admiralty offices and ship
building firms were besieged by ar
chitects Specifications for all sorts
Of odd appearing war vessels were
produced. Most of these met a pro-
sale death in the waste paper basket;
many got as far as the experimental
stage; some were 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
were the names selected by the United
States for two of its more noted sea
freaks. Both were radical departures
from accepted naval construction
Both we're expected to revolutionize
naval warfare. And both failed.
Rear Admiral Daniel Ammen was
responsible for the Katahdin. He
lived and died believing that he had
given to his country it's most valuable
weapon OF defense.
Admiral Ammen was studious sort
of chap. He was interested In his
profession. He knew how seamen had
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
ed to himself. could not this ram be
used in modern warfare2 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.
1T won't work. It is impractical"
said the navy department officials.
Then Admiral Ainmen smiled aud be-
gan to explain his theory again. Am
men coaxed. exhorted. demanded and
besougbt Also he persisted. The
navy department said go ahead. The
Katahdin was built.
The ram looked like cross between
great lake whaieback grain boat and
a water logged cigar of monster pro-
portions when 1t was launched In 1889.
Then for four years the Katahdin was
pSt through all the trials naval officers
could de-sss. TIE boat did everything
Its inventor claimed. The government
paId 1890. 900 for the Katahdin and
then waited for an enemy TO humiliate.
In 1898 Spain balanced husky chip
on its shoulder. Uncle Sam promptly
slapped IT. Here was the Katahdin's
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 feet" He meant the Katah-
din.
But the Katandin was a failure. II
was designed to chase an enemy into
a corner and then puncture a hole In
the side OF the hostile ship with the
400. 900 ton blow the Katahdln ram
could deliver. OF course the enemy
would fight back; but the conical
armored deck OF the Katahdin was
made TO shed shells IKE duck sheds
water
II took only a few days to learn
that the Katahdin couldn't steam fast
enough TO ram rowboat and. most
any old popgun could punch holes in
its armor before Il got under way. In
addition the ram was not seaworthy.
VesuVlus Terror of the Navy.
So the skipper of the Katahdin
brought his boat back TO Washington
navy yard and the junk pile. The ram
became a curiosity OF naval coRstruc-
ton instead of revolntionizer of ma
val warfare.
Quite recently the Katahdin met q
prosaie end by acting as a target for
a new style Of naval artillery.
The vesuvius came nearer fame. 1t
was launched IN 1856. The Spanish
American war also heralded its death.