Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1896 — STRANGEST OF WARSHIPS. [ARTICLE]

STRANGEST OF WARSHIPS.

The Circular Ironclad Designed by Adml* ral Popoff of the Russian Navy. A warship which Is in certain respects the most original over constructed is the Novgordo, designed by Admiral J’opoff, of the Russian Navy. It is a circular ship, capable of delivering an all-round fire. It seems to fulfil the ideal of many naval architects, In that it is nothing more nor less than a floating fort, capable of motion. AU the cluiracterlstle outlines of a ship are missing from it. The Novgorod marks an advance beyond a point nt which naval constructors have hitherto stopped, and It Is interesting to explain what this itolnt Is. Although modern Ironclads have ceased to look much like ships, they still retain below the water line the essential form of sailing vessels. This form has, In fact, varied little since the beginning of human history. Tn spite of the wonderful achievements of modern science, men have not been able to make any revolution in the shape of a ship's hull. Even the peculiar development of the modern racing yacht’s hull, which ha* hid great results In a narrow way. is not applicable to the vessels of trade. Is tlie peculiar shape of a ship's hull, with the pointed stem and blunt stern, an eternal necessity? Surely no human contrivance is destined to last forever. That is what Admiral Popoff said when Ih> set about the designing of a new type of warship. One of the recognized weaknesses of an ordinary warship's construction is that the guns eau only be used against objects facing the side on which they are mounted. To bring the guns on the other side to bear it Is necessary to turn the ship around, a long and complicated operation, during which it may be destroyed. It Is claimed for the Novgorod ttyat It is able to maintain a fire in alldirections and to revolve within the space occupied by Itself. It is thus relieved from the necessity of making many difficult and dangerous movements, and no enemy within striking distance can escape its aim. Its deck rises a very short distance above the water, and the heavy guns are mounted in two revolving turrets, which together command the whole surrounding space. Owing to its shape its propelling and steering machinery is constructed on very different principles from that of other ironclads. London Streets. The city of London has now about twenty-three miles of carriage ways laid with noiseless materials, of which, roughly speaking, asphalt counts for three-fourths and wcod for one-fourth. In the noiseless footways, which are calculated to amount to about fifteen and a half miles, asphalt has the field entirely to itself. Gilt buttons on buff linen waistcoats are affected by some modern Beau Brummels. Years ago coral buttons on white duck waistcoats were the height of fashion.