716 



ROACH, JOHN. 



ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. 



small detachable magazines, carrying from four 

 to six cartridges, are slipped into position under 

 the breech-opening when it is desired to use 

 the magazine, the soldier carrying several. The 

 cartridges are pressed up one at a time by a 

 spring in the magazine. 



The first repeating-rifles were only adapted 

 to light charges. They are now made to carry 

 as heavy ones as are needed, the Winchester 

 Express using ninety grains of powder. The 

 general opinion of experts is, that the coming 

 military rifle will be a repeater, with a caliber 

 of about '31, using 90 to 100 grains of com- 

 pressed and (if possible) smokeless powder, and 

 a long composite bullet i. e., a steel shell with 

 a lead center, weighing about 340 grains. Such 

 a rifle will sweep the ground for 600 yards, 

 without any elevation of the sights, will give 

 a range of 2,000 yards, and in emergencies will 

 render it possible to produce a hail of fire that 

 would be irresistible. The cartridges are so 

 light that the soldier can carry a much larger 

 number of them than he can of those now in 

 use. 



ROACH, JOHN, an American ship-builder, born 

 in Mitchellstown, County Cork, Ireland, Dec. 

 25, 1813; died in New York city Jan. 10, 

 1887. The death of his father when he was 

 twelve years old threw him upon his own re- 

 sources, and he supported himself until he was 

 sixteen, when he came to the United States 



JOHN ROACH. 



After varying fortunes he found work in James 

 Allaire's iron-foundry, where he served an ap- 

 prenticeship and was a journeyman machinist. 

 At the age of twenty-one he had saved $1,500, 

 $500 of which he then invested in Illinois 

 prairie-land, leaving the remainder in Mr. Al- 

 laire's hands and losing it in his subsequent 

 failure. He resumed work as a machinist, 

 learning also to make castings for marine en- 



fines and ship-work. When he had saved 

 100 he joined three other mechanics in buv- 

 ing the ^Etna Iron Works, then in the hands 

 of a receiver, subsequently buying out their 

 interest and possessing a prosperous business 



at the age of thirty-six. At the height of his 

 first prosperity his foundry was destroyed by 

 a boiler explosion, and he experienced great 

 difficulty in obtaining money to rebuild on a 

 larger scale; but after he had established him- 

 self again his success was rapid. In his new 

 works he constructed the engines of the " Dun- 

 derberg," "Bristol," and "Providence," the 

 largest ever built in this country, and, becom- 

 ing a ship-builder as well as an iron founder, 

 increased his plant by the purchase of the 

 Morgan Iron Works in 1867, the Neptune 

 Works in 1868, the Franklin Forge and the 

 Allaire Works in 1870, and the ship-yards at 

 Chester, Pa., in 1871. In the latter year he 

 began building iron vessels, and completed in 

 all sixty-three during the next twelve years 

 under contracts with the United States Gov- 

 ernment, corporations, and private individuals. 

 Ninety per cent, of the iron vessels sailing un- 

 der the American flag were built by him, 

 mostly for the merchant marine. For the 

 Government he built six of the great monitors 

 ordered during President Grant's administra- 

 tion, and more recently the three cruisers 

 "Chicago," "Atlanta," and "Boston," and 

 the dispatch-boat " Dolphin," besides repairing 

 many old vessels. The refusal of the Govern- 

 ment to accept the "Dolphin " in 1885 led to 

 his suspension, but the vast works were re- 

 opened soon afterward upon the acceptance of 

 the ship. From 1871 till his death he built in 

 all 114 iron vessels, find in the latter part of 

 his life his possessions were so extensive that 

 he could draw from his own property every 

 article that entered into the construction of a 

 complete sea-going vessel. 



ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. The year 1887-'88 

 was remarkable for momentous events in the 

 history of the Roman Catholic Church. During 

 the year 1887 constant preparations were made 

 for the celebration of the Golden Jubilee, or 

 the fiftieth anniversary of the ordination of Leo 

 XIII to the priesthood. This anniversary was 

 signalized by the presentation of gifts from all 

 the rulers of Europe, with the exception of 

 King Humbert of Italy. President Cleveland 

 sent through His Eminence, Cardinal Gibbons, 

 an appropriately bound copy of the Constitu- 

 tion of the United States. It was received by 

 His Holiness with marked distinction. The 

 present Pope was ordained on the last day of 

 the year 1837. He celebrated mass in honor 

 of the great event in his life on January 1, 

 1888. Rome was crowded with pilgrims, 

 strangers, and the halls of the Vatican were 

 hardly large enough to hold the innumerable 

 gifts sent from all parts of the world. Among 

 them were Hebrew Bibles from Jewish rabbis, 

 a magnificent present from the Sultan, and a 

 gold basin from the Queen of England. 



On January 30, Cardinals Gibbons and Tas- 

 chereau started for Rome. During their stay 

 in Rome, Cardinal Gibbons presented his cele- 

 brated letter against the condemnation of the 

 Knights of Labor. Dr. McGlynn, late rector 



