Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-22
The Last
Batleshiip
Remarkable Tale of a
Battleship, an Airship
and a Submarine

TT was nearly midnight, and the
battleship Argyll, stripped to
bare steel, was drifting with
banked fires, but full head Of
steam, waiting for daybreak to dis
cover the enemy.
Aft on the superstructure group Of
officers of duty discussed the possi-
bilities of future warfare and the COM
ing place of the battleship under the
menace Of the bomb dropping dirigl-
BILE balloon and the invisible subma-
rine with its deadly torpedo.
The discussion finally had narrowed
down to a wordy combat between the
highest and the lowest Of the commits
stoned officers, Mr.. Clarkson, the ex-
ecutive officer. and young Mr.. FELTON,,
temporarily the torpedo lieutenant
Mr.. FELTON, had become dogmatic In his
assertions, which is excusable at sea
only in the young.
But, Mr.. Felton," said the execu-
tive officer slowly and earnestly,
"have a little common sense. Can't
you see that conditions must change;
that the battleship, like the steamship.
has almost reached the limit Of its
size and development, while the air
ship and the submarine are In their
infancyT
"But there must be a center, a nu-
cleus of the feet. How can you pre-
serve the line of battle without such
backbone? Where will you put the
admiral?"
up in the air, where he can see
things"
"And be seen too and shot at"
"Felton, an ordinary gas bag can
travel faster than the speediest water
craft ever constructed. We cannot
hit a destroyer at full speed. How
can we hit an airship high above us?
Gun sights are useless at such eleva-
lions, even though guns could be
pointed"
"An a matter of mathematics. De-
sign new ones"
"And suppose a few bombs come
down on deck or down the tunnels.
Whatn happen to the boilersT
"Armor the deck and do away with
tunnels. We will soon have internal
combustion engines, anyhow"
"And for submarine attack? Armor
the bottom tool FELTON,, battleship
will cease to be a battleship. With
that weight of armor she could only
carry the guns Of a cruiser without
cruisers speed"
"But she would still hold the line Of
battle"
Until she was further reduced Then
she would not be even cruiser. Final
" she would sacrifice some OF her
armor-side armor, we'n say, because
unnecessary-then, with enemies only
above and below, she would lose It all,
seal up and dive or take wings and
ny."
"Oh, Mr.. Clarkson," said FELTON,
wearily, "you are a visionary and tho
orist The battleship Is here, q per-
fected fighting machine"
"But she cannot grow much better,
while the flying machine and the sub
marine have Just begun. Imagine the
three types starting together. Which
would be chosenT
"It would depend upon the judgment,
experience and gray matter Of the
choosers. I"-young FELTON, threw out
bis chest-"would choose the battle
ship"
Because you never hit one. There
goes eight bells. Turn in, FELTON,, and
sleep 1t or"
Amid the laughter-for Mr.. FELTON,
as torpedo officer had not yet scored a
hit in his departmental the listening
officers the group dispersed to stand
watch or sleep until four hours later.
when the striking Of eight bells would
again bring change on the watches.
It was Felton's turn In. and he went
TO his berth; but, hot and excited over
the discussion, he remained awake,
tossing and rolling and mentally ar
guing with the impractical first luff."
until one bell had struck, then two
and finally three. Then he dozed on
and was sound asleep when the famil-
bar stroke Of the bell again rang In bis
ears. "Clang clang, clang clang."
"Only four bells" he murnured,
sinking. back for another two hours OF
vleep. But he had hardly lost con-
sciousness when the gunroom orderly
tapped at his door.
"Going into action. sir" be said.
"You were called. and I thought you
had wakened. All hands are at sta
lions, SIR"
FELTON, sprang out Of bis berth. On
til the enemy was within the Cruising
radius" of torpedoes his station was
ON the bridge with the captain. Az
he ran along the gun deck he heard
through the steel walls Of the big ship
the faint sound of distant firing, and
when he had bounded up the. forward
companion steps to the main deck he
could hear the singing Of shells. A
crash and jar Of the whole huge fab.
ric told him that one ship Of the en-
emy had the range.
There was no time for sightseeing.
The bridge was above him, and the
quickest road to It was by way OF the
turret, from the top Of which he could
swing himself up. He mounted the
iron ladder bolted to the turret, but
slipped on the hard steel roof and
with a force that deprived him o.
breath, was pressed sprawling on bis
face. But q deafening roar Of sound
from within the turret told him that
| the force came from below-tom ths
explosion Of Z shell and one or more
| twelve inch charges, perhaps the whole
magaxins IN the depths.
Hardly had his dazsd faculties grasp
ID this fact than another was borne
In upon him. 0rippins tightly The hand