Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-09-25

ls. The battleship Ohio. still In the Atlantic
fleet, but slated to leave in the near future never
to return.
II. The commerce destroyer Columbia so long
missing In the news OF the navy that a genera
tion has grown up that knows her not and she
of the flying squadron OF 1898.
is. The commerce destroyer Minneapolis,
speed record breaking cruiser of the late nineies.
a sister of the Columbia and. like her, OF the
flying squadron OF 1898
10. The monitor Amphitrite.
90. The monitor Miantonomah
81. The monitor Monadnock.
22. The monitor Cheyenne formerly the Wyo-
ming.
90. The monitor Ozark. formerly the Arkan.
"a. The monitor Tonopah. formerly the Ne
vada.
25 The monitor Tallahassee. formerly the
Florida.
%, The minotor Puritan.
81. The monitor Terror.
2S The monitor Monterey.
90 The protected cruiser st. Louis.
30 The protected cruiser Charleston.
81 The protected cruiser Milwaukee.
So The protected cruiser Newark,
33 The protected cruiser Chicago.
"a The protected cruiser Cincinnati
35 The protected cruiser Raleigh, Coghlan's
ship at Manila
&c. Twenty-eight torpedo boats.
Twenty years ago this fleet of sixty-three ships
would have been a match for any naval organiza-
ton then aloat with the exception OF the feet Of
Great Britain. Today all the vessels In II could
not last half an hour in battle with the five
dreadnaughts that constitute the great first div
sion OF the United States Atlantic feet.
And this mighty feet OF naval has beens' cost
the United States government more than $l29;
100000 and the oldest among them not including
the old monitors. Is not yet twenty-five years old
The battleships In 1t to build and equip cost the
government S64 4435.225. and the cruisers, mon
iors and torpedo craft raise the total to the
1929. 900 900.
What will become OF these ships Some are
now In reserve and there they will stay until
their end Is decided upon. VIII that end be the
target range the auction block and the junk
pile. or will they be permitted to rust away In
navy yards nomnally as units in reserve fleets
but In reality useless reminders OF navy
that in It's day was great but which. owing to
marvellous progress In naval construction. has
reached quickly but surely that state OF obsolete.
ness from which there be no come back"
The Oregon and the Olympia will probably be
retained for generations to come glorious re-
minders to Americans of future years OF the
navy that Immortality in the brief conflict
that wiped Spain off the map of the western
world and which added TO American territory an
Island empire In the far east and won for this
country for the first time a full free recognition
by all the nations Of the world OF the right to be
numbered among those powers whose mission
and influence Is world wide"
In the lineup OF the has been" feet II will be
noted that there Ia included the entire fourth
division OF the great feet that crcumDav gated
the globe In 1907 and 1908. This division was
made up Of the Alabama the flagship OF Sperry
when he began the voyage a division com.
mander the Kentucky. the Kearsarge and the
Illinois In that fleet three OF the vessels OF the
third division are now also listed among the
obsolete fighters. the ships In question being ths
Ohio. the Missouri and the Maine all sister ships
and in their day held up TO the world as em.
bodying all that was best In the construction and
equipment Of modern men.ofwar OF the battle.
ship class.
The Atlantic fleet when Il sailed out OF Hamp-
ton Roads In December, 1907, was made up of
sixteen frstclass battleships. and a look at the
makeup OF the organization shows that In pc
riod OF less than six years seven. or lacking one
OF exactly half Of those famous ships. have been
relegated into the reserve. the first stepping.
stone that leads to junk pile and oblivion
LGss FOLIAGE.
This % . great age"