Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-09-23
STEAM NAVY NOW
IS LITTLE OVER
100 YEARS OLD
Strange Craft Which Was Fore
runner of Dreadnaught.
FULTON'S ORIGINAL WARSHlP
Vessel With Twin Hulls and One Pad
die Wheel Made Four Miles an
Hour in Fair Weather
Rotted in Navy Yard.

PhiIadelphia.-Jus a little more
than one hundred years ago the steam
navy Of the United States had its ma
terial beginning. On that day, June
20, 1914, for the same reason, the
steam navies of the entire world had
their origin. Such is our debt to the
mechanical genius of Robert Fulton,
who planned and built the epoch-mak-
ing craft, the Demologos, a writer in
the Philadelphia Inquirer says.
Of course, as all Of us know, steam
navigation was not a novelty in 1914,
but the vessels so propelled were craft
OF peace and limited their routes to
the protected waters of rivers. Full
tons DemOlogos was designed to with
stand the heaviest blows that the big
gest fighting ship afioat could bring to
bear, and, at the same time, the craft
drawing her motive power from the
free winds of the heavens. Remember,
we were then in the throes of our
war with England, and it was Fulton's
desire to build a ship that would be
able to make our harbors unassa1l-
able while having the power to destroy
whole squadrons of the foe. Rather an
ambitious scheme, no doubt, but some
thing that might have been proved en-
tirely practicable had the Demologos
ever had a chance to measure her
forces against those Of the foe.
FuIton's Floating Battery.
Toward the close of 1913 Fulton laid
before the president of the United
States plans for a war steamer or
floating battery. Strange to say, know
ing how inventors are commonly treat
ed today, his extraordinary project was
favorably received, and in March OF
the year following congress authorized
the building and equipping of "one or
more floating batteries for the defense
Of the waters of the United States.
The Demologos, or, as she was after
ward officially known, the Fulton, was
begun on the goth of June, 1914, by
the laying of her keels at the shipyard
OF Adam & Noah Brown in the city OF
New York. The craft had two keels
because she really was given two hulis.
Fulton used single paddle wheel ana
he wanted to place this vital part OF
his prOpulsive mechanism where IL
could not be reached by an enemy
cannon balls
Notwithstanding many dit1culties
due to the existing war with Great
Britain, the Fulton was launched on
the 29th of October, 1914, and the oc-
Casion was one of national rejoicing
and much local ceremony. To the aver
age eye the body of the craft appeared
bulky and unwieldy, but no less an
authority than Capt. David Porter said:
4 would not alter her if it were in my
power to do So"
The Biggest Steamer Then Ahoat.
The Fulton had a length of 100 feet,
a breadth of Sc feet and tonnage OF
2,475, and at that time was hundreds
Of tons bigger than the largest steamer
Of the day afloat Difficulty was eA-
perienced in obtaining suitable guns
fer her armament. A goodly NUMBER
Of her cannon came from Philadelphia
aud in order to escape possible cap
ture by British ships 20 of these weap-
Ons were transported overland upon
the miry roads of New Jersey. They
were dragged by horses.
Unfortunately, Fulton's untimey
death on the oath of February, 1872
prevented him from seeing the com
pletion of the shap, and, too, his de-
mise likewise delayed her finishing
However, her engines were made
ready by the last of June ana oy .
happy condolences she was taken OUT