The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1913-09-26

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49, The battleship Ohio still in the Atlantic
feet but slated to leave in the near future never
to return.
IT, The commerce destroyer Columbia, so long
missing in the news OF the navy that genera
tion has grown UP that knows her not and she
was Of the flying squadron of 1898.
49, The commerce destroyer Minneapolis,
speed record breaking cruiser Of the lateninetes.
a sister OF the Columbia and like her. Of the
flying squadron of 1898.
49, The monitor Amphitrite
90 The monitor Miantonomah.
81 The monitor Monadnock.
%. The monitor Cheyenne. formerly the Wyo-
ming.
49, The monitor Ozark. formerly the Arkan-
sas.
a. The monitor Tonopah formerly the Ne
vada.
Is The monitor Tallahassee. formerly the
Florida.
26. The minotor Puritan.
81. The monitor Terror
49, The monitor Monterey.
20. The protected cruiser st. Louis.
go The protected cruiser Charleston
81. The protected cruiser Milwaukee
80. The protected cruiser Newark
49, The protected cruiser Chicago.
34 The protected cruiser Cincinnati.
35. The protected cruiser Raleigh. Coghlan's
ship at Manila.
SO. Twenty-eight torpedo boats.
Twenty years ago this feet of sixty-three ships
would have been match for any naval organizar
ton then aloat with the exception OF the feet OF
Great Britain. Today all the vessels In 1t could
not last half an hour in battle with the i've
dreadnaughts that constitute the great first divi-
sion Of the United States Atlantic feet
And this mighty fleet Of naval has-beens cost
the United States government more than $129.-
100000 and the Oldest among them, not including
the old monitors, is not yet twenty-five years old
The battleships in it to build and equip cost the
government s64,435.225, and the cruisers. mon.
itors and torpedo craft raise the total to the
$129,0O0000.
What will become Of these ships? Some are
now in reserve and there they will stay until
their end Is decided upon Will that end be the
target range or the auction block and the Junk
pile. or win they be permitted to rust away In
navy yards nominally as units In reserve fleets
but in reality as useless reminders OF navy
that in its 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 can be no comeback"
The Oregon and the Olympia will probably be
retained for generations to come as glorious re-
minders to Americans OF future years Of the
navy that won immortality in the brief conflict
that wiped Spain on 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 full free recognition
by all the nations of the world Of the right to be
numbered among thqse powers whose mission
and influence is world wide"
In the lineup of the has been fleet it will be
noted that there is included the entire fourth
division Of the great feet that circumnavigated
the globe in 1907 and 1908. This division was
made up OF the Alabama, the flagship of Sperry
when he began the voyage as a division COM
mander; the Kentucky, the Kearsarge and the
Illinois. In that feet three of the vessels of the
third division now also listed among the
obsolete lighters. the ships in question being the
Ohio the Missouri and the Maine, all sister ships
and n their day held 10 the world as
bodying all that was best in the construction and
equipment of modern men-of-war of the battle
ship class.
The Atlantic fleet when 1t sailed out OF Hamp
ton Roads In December 1907, was made up of
sixteen first-class battleships and a look at the
makeup of the organization shows that in. pc
Rod 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.
LESS FOLIAGE.
This is a great age"
Uf.ok hao ofrr al