Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1893 — ERICSSON'S LAST VESSEL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ERICSSON'S LAST VESSEL

The Destroyer, Which the Aged Inventor Designed bat Never Saw. No certain limits can be fixed to the progress which science will make in naval warfare, as from year to year there seems to be a pretty even race between the builders of stronger

ships and the inventors of more destructive and far-reaching projectiles. To vary the famous old paradox, no sooner docs one invent an invincible steel, iron or tin clad than another invents an irresistible shot or torpedo. Capt. Ericsson had but just revolutionized naval warfare with his monitors when he began the construction of a vessel to insure their destruction. He died before completing his plans, but the United States Naval Department was so satisfied with his plans that it intrusted their comp'etion to Engineer V. F. Lassoe and others familiar with them. The vessel built under their instruction is now completed and is aptly named The Destroyer. She is 130 feet in length, with.a team of 12 feet, draft of 10 feet and displacement of 250 tons. Her bow and stern are long and sharp, her upper deck low, with no rail, and the protections to her engines and boilers are of the best and so arranged as to permit her to run at the enemj head on. Eight feet under water is the alleged destroyer. It is of steel, projects 27 feet 4 inches in length and weighs 1,525 pounds. From 30 to 40 pounds of powder propel the torpedo at a velocity of 548 feet per second, and in the forward end of it is a charge weighing 300 pounds, which is exploded by a percussion cap when it strikes. A tube runs the entire length of the vessel just above the keel, fixed with watertight cap at the bow. Becent experiments show, the engineers report, that at a distance of 600 feet three shots out of four would strike and destroy an enemy’s vessel.

THE DESTROYER.