The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1912-05-31

WV to Hampton roads half a
century & and played
"Delilah" to the Merrimac's
Samson" an important era
In the life of the co~nfederacy. 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
. 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 e 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 we'll and good! But Ericsson's
success caused q score Of embryo
naval designers to strain their eye
sight and hearing searching for IN
other Mother Necessity. Navy de-
partments, admiralty offices and ship
building firms were besieged by ar
chitects. Specifications for all sorts
OF odd appearing war vessels
produced. Most Of these met a pro-
safe 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 he
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 Katahdin. He
lived and died believing that he had
given to his country It's most valuable
weapon Of defense.
Admiral Ammen was a studious sort
Of a 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 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.
1T won't work. 1t 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.
The ram looked like a cross between
a great lake w~haleback grain boat and
a water logged cigar Of monster pro-
portions when 1t was launched in 1889.
Then for four a the Katahdin was
put through all the trials naval officers
could devise. The boat did everything
its inventor claimed. The government
paid $93O,OO0 for the Katahdin and
then waited for an enemy to humiliate.
In 1898 Spain balanced a husky chip
on it's 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 lighting
ships still had considerable standing.
Great things were expected from the
Katahdin.
I'VE have In navy" n enthusi-
asst declared. zone boat which alone
could fight the whole much Wanted
Spanish feet" He meant the Katah-
din.
But the Katahdin was . failure. II
was designed to chase an enemy into
q corner and then puncture a hole In
the side OF the hostile ship with the
4OO. 900 ton blow the Katahdin ram
could deliver. OF course the enemy
would fight back; but the conical
armoreI deck OF the Katahdin was
made to shed shells like a duck sheds
WAtet.
4 took only q few days to learn