The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-09-11 00:00:00

#74t citQntbtibge obstibtr.

SEPTEMBER 11th, 1875

SEAMANSHIP IN THE NAVY.

THE Ismentable disateer to the British
Navy, which has caused such a profound sensa-
=cepa all closet- s, is h ugg est ive of some serious
refl. is. It, the nidole ef the day, and in a
eca ttAllqi:cr!tc: I.s the. Irish Channel, one of
cur new tst and tee: exptuaive ironclads is sud-
denly alma fy a sienr thip Lied in an hour
she is sent to the bottom of the sea. The col-
lision took place in a fog, truly ; but then a fog
is a very ordinary occurrence upon our lands
and seas, and with such appliances as fog-horns
and steam-whistles has been robbed of Most of
the dangers by which such a visitation was for-
merly surrounded. The only redeeming feature
in connection with the loss of such a vessel as
the Vanguard is the absence of that awful
sacrifice of life which makes the foundering of
the Captain on the 6th September, 1870, appear
such a sad chapter in our naval history. But
the sinking of that ship in an autumnal gale of
more than ordinary violence, was an event which,
however disastrous, might safely be looked upon
sa an accident which human precaution could
scarcely be expected to guard against. We can-
not control the winds and the waves, and no
earthly power could have prevented the great
turrent shin from being swallowed up by the
deep. Bnt this most recent calamity is of quite
a different character, and on one can doubt that
the Court of Inquiry will rigidly investigate the
circumstances which could have possibly led to
the loss of such a vessel as the Vanguard.
Meanwhile, it is for the nation, the greatest
maritime power on the surface of the globe, to
take to heart the lesson taught by this incident.
It is for the people to ask whether the science
of seamanship has kept progress with the im-
prcvements in naval gunnery, and the advance
in thc art of shipbuilding. For it must remem-
that men have been sailing the seas now for
some thouaands of years. The first ship,
probably a galley, was brought from Egypt to
Greece by Danana. 3,360 years ago. The first
double decked ship was built by the Tyrians
nearly SOO years before the birth of Christ. In
England, the construction of the Great Harry,
by order of Henry VII., was looked upon as a
triumph of naval architecture. This vessel, the
pioneer of the British navy, was of 1,000 tons
bnrthen, and cost £14,000. Centuries before
this, however, England could boast possession
of a fleet. Alfred the Great built a fleet of
galleya in 897, and the number was greatly in-
creased under Edgar, who claimed to be lord of
the ocean surrounding these islands. A formid-
able fleet was equipped bY the contributions of
every town in England in the reign of Ethelred
11., when it took up a position at Sandwich, in
readiness to oppose the Danes. Edward the
Confessor collected a fleet to resist the Norwe-
gians, and Harold to resist the Normans. Naval
laws were enacted by Richard 1., and a fleet
gathered together by Edward 111. defeated the
squadrons of France and Spain. Sovereign after
sovereign, in reign after reign, did the best to
secure the efficiency of the navy, "whereon,
under the good providence of God," says the old
Act of Parliament regulating its government,
" the wealth, safety, and strength of the king-
dom chiefly depends." The navy was at its
greatest in the reign of George 111., during the
sixty years of which were won those astonishinz
victories upon the sea which have stamped the
annals of the country with imperishable fame.
In 1760, when George HI, came to the Thorne
our navy consisted of 412 ships, manned by
70.000 sailors, and the annual cost was about
three millions and a quarter. In 1814, when we
clesed our watititne war with France, our fleets
numbered 901 ships, manned by 146,000, sea-
men; at a cost of nearly nineteen millions ster-
hng. And although, in the present day, we de-
pend not so much upon numbers as upon enor-
TLIOUS power of our fighting ships.the supremacy
of Great Britain upon the sea is universally ack-
nowledged. 'the naval salute to the British
fleet has existed for a thousand years. It began
in Alfred's reign, and, although sometimes dis-
puted, may be said to have continued ever since.
The Dutch agreed to strike to the English col-
ours in the British seas in 1673. The honour
of the flag salute at sea was also formally
assented to by France in 1794, although it had
been long previously exacted by this country.
In fact, the English claim the right of being
saluted first in all places, as sovereign of the sea
—a right which the Venetians formerly claimed
only within their own gulf.
It is thus seen how important an arm is our
navy ; and how in all ages kings of whatever
predilection or creed have sought to strengthen
it. The honour of our fleet, and the skill of its
commandeis, are dear to every true-hearted
Briton. 'there is no doubt that in times gone
by, the captains of her Majesty's ships were as
skilful Oa they were brave. Had this not been
so, victories like those of the Nile and Trafalgar
would never have been won. In the earlier
years of the present century the seamanship of
the British navy was admitted to be the best in
the world. Ihe French invariably aimed at the
spars and the rigging of our ships in order to
destroy that superior navigation upon which the
British pride themselves so much. But for the
splendid mastery possessed by the officers over
the movements of their vessels, they could never
have manoeuvred so eucceeefully in those great
engagements which took place upon the sea.
Nelson's woudertui skill in placing his ships in
battle was one chief secret of the triumphs
which he won. These would never have been
gained had the oia hero doubted the capacity of
his captains to carry out his instructions with
tne most scrupulous exactness without danger
of one running down another. We cannot
imagine what a naval battle would now be like
with steam rams and armour plates, and with
Such monsters of the deer to deal with as the
Lerwitation and the thutton. We could only
hope ior the best in a maritime Cal:11:UL ; and
the running down of the Vanguard by her con.
Loot% ILLstAtticiing, there is abundant room tel
hope and to believe that our naval officers nick
neither the courage nor We kiii winch so ais.
tinguisheu their predecessors in many a time of
fiery trial.

THE IRON TRADE.

THE STRIKE OF MILLMEN,
WOLVERHAMPTON, Wednesday.

The attendance on 'change to-day was un-
favourably affected 'by the current meeting of
the Iron and Steel Institute at _Manchester, a
considerable number of the South Staffordshire
ironma.sters being away at the trade gathering.
Business was further impeded by the refusal of
the rollers and Inill-furnacenien generally to ac-
cept the reduction of 5 per cent. upon which
the masters at the meeting on Thursday deter-
mined. Throughout nearly the whole of the
district there are wills standing on this account.
The workmen display much resoluteness in their
refusal of any terms whica are a reduction on
those that prevoiled when ..os. 61. was paid for
puddling ; and it is only where they are being
reckoned with at the old rates, or where they are
led to untiersaud • that•the old rates will be
giveia, that the men are on. The inconvenience
and loss to the trade by this aciien at a juncture
when specifications. Shouln he got out, of hand
• ,
rapidly, in order t.hat stappers requirements
may be prowptiy met, is a serious matter ; and
shippers express same surpri*e that ironmasters
should allow themselves to be put to the incon-
venience and the loss which a strike just now
to. the man's claims
entails, when the yielding
would not involve a grt•at ootlay. Upon that,
.4
however, no opinion t! xilreAi,-1 here. Con-
smilers who were anxious to their iron deli-
vered promptly would-not give out orders with-
out a definite assurance of the date of delivery.
Even upon these terms not much
.business was
done, though there can he no doubt that the
masters could get a few- more orders than they
now have upon thiAr books if they could only
make the iron within the time prescribed by
customers ; and this applies in sine eases in
which the nifq.l are not upon strike, but where
the hands available are under the needB of em-
ploytrs. Pig-iron was
film the basis of £4.
10A. for all mine; and the quotations of good
. on
finished iron were regulated by the £lO. quota-
tion for Staffordshire marked bars. It is made
known that ..Viessrs. Wihilm pawis and "SO3lB are
about to blow out another firrnao,! at Withy-
moor, near Dualey.
The
then left in blast will besheevennutymobnerly?f furnaces