The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-08-19 00:00:00

PO ATLAND.

THE RESERVE SQUADRON COLLISION.
A rorrrvon lent writes to Truth as follows, —"Sir,
—Truth owl earl ue other Onrush' hove commented
on the Reserve Squadron celiatoe an I con...pleat
c oat-martial, but to my method of thinking they
here Inbreed the poir.t. Luring thi Led filter.. years
I Ito, oerred lively. In the Channel and Mediter-
ranean, ,to claim CI have 0 me experi see in seeing
etc to.nre lotted, art offer my news ..n the
accident. Th. eight Alps were in 'brie Ilse* the
numb a of ships I k each Ike wee three shi;.-, three
ship*, ant two 'bit..: ha Mature) betwean one ship
nod the next Arad aird astern was 400 yard-, and
the distance *Lies, .ye between the lines wae 400
yo .1.. Thia m tire( of sailing wee a pur.ly f ice, one
(which neither I nor any one els. bare . •-r seen
uO-.1 except going in an I out of harbour in broadNdayr
ligl.t ; but even then the ship* were Away* in two
liues). Of con-se, the Admiral In et rip:mend h
discretionary ;ewer to arraup his *hips a. he thinks
fit. The nerrart appriach In the Admiralty Si:mil-
li° rk to the formiti tn dawn-abed la "Ship, in three
columee 1.1 dlviel to Ilne she .d ;" but it I. 4/1 tioctly
ordered that the dietance b teflon the line. 14 to be
doable the number of cab!es (a cable I. 200 yards)
that there are ebipr in the longest line. 8. he lines
would bars been six c .bles, or 1,200 verde anat.!,
instead of 400; and an error In niing the helm coed
n d hay- tensed a. In any case, the distance
b-tween rhil s ahead and attain of each other is not
very material, but the lateral distance la of vital
Imp at .i.ce. Farley squadron arranged as were
Cote eight s•hije overtaken in • fog ! some
passing rat rrhant aliip puzzled with the me-s of lights
cutting amengat the old i ! It would be • ',galaz
case of God help no! My verdict I. that the primary
e .use of the whole .11witer waa having the squadron
*avenged in an obeord ant dangerous l,rmetloo ot
night. rich WI WO one 1.1 the ne.y has even ever dremat
of b f re. Excepting for going in and out of harbour,
the formation is n. t only dangerous, but senseless. It
leads to nothir g ; it cannot teach anyone anything ;
you could not form into line, eight your gone. or
marrpurre in any way from it. It Id eimxly the off-
epring of ignorance, 01-;ectiesa, and fraught with
danger to the slalom compoeing the equadron an I the
peaceful peaser.by. I 'to not make these regulars to
defend Captain Pollard ; the evidence ci, en he f tee
the I "dirt aloe.l ho g d his deeerte. But it also
showe.l that the action of the member. of the %ion
we. most unwholesome, who they put a rider calling
muffle of collision "improperly perfo. mine a' eiropla '
manoeuvre," and nev.r had the heart to make the
slichteet allusion to the real mope of the di-aster—
viz.. eh. sill, f rmeioo her %Isjesry'a Rewire.
Sittlfelengl tee railing In. 1., f cr, gee whole thirg is
the topic and Isughing--tock of the navy. Everyone
know* that Ain* must be exercleed, m.raeuvring Ia
order, a- .1 ran vi k- of mirtakn awl ediird a
It it why oolrt ta:cr :—Your obedient accent,
—. London, Aaguat.