The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-22
FRIDAY, July 20, 1894.
THR ACTION BETwREN THE KEAR.
SARGE AND THE ALABAMA.

iAOen the English sympathizers with the Re-
belllOn are at the result Of the action between
the RedrSdrqe and the alabama. 1t Is very
natural for them TO be grleved at the loss of
their shp and prestige. The ship was theirs,
except In officering, and, Of course, they can
not complain Of the quality Of that, after hay
ing spoken Of II with so great cOmmendatlon.
After the first burst Of astonIshment and
dismsy, the English set to thinking how the
AIdbdna could have been beaten By the
Regsrce. They then made the great dis
eoyery that the Kedrsarge was the superior
veeseL In the simplicity OF the Yankee mind
bWss never doubted before or after the fight.
But the English had to reason about it. They
are 30 profoundly skilled In Analytic" "that
they would undertake 70 provo by force Of
argument . man g no horse" They have
proved by ratiocination that the superiority
OF tho KedrSorOe In lighting qualities was the
cause OF her victory. Perhaps we Yankees
were too hasty In jumping to this conclusion
without receiving the weight of English au-
thority, but we must admit that even before
they reasoned 1t out, we had supposed that 10
be the case. We did not On this account find
that the thing was unfiir, for we reeoIected
to have beard that superiority in fighting
qualities Is generally conducive to gaining
victories. Moreover, We thought that, pro-
badly, no two ships ever fought on more equal
terms than those incident to the action under
discussion.
From the flrst conclusion, that the Redr-
SaTpe was superior, tho English, who are
the champions Of fairness generally have
come, a. we said, to . second concIu-
siOn-that the fight was an unfair thing
In TACT II was deceptive trick OF which
30 one but Yankee could be capable.
It was the very reverse Of what they had
a right TO expect, consequently they confess
that they are disappointed, for john Bull k
an honest and q straightforward fellow. o Cap
tain WSsLow, how could you take advantage
Of your superior tonnagel What If 1t was
only few tons, yet you sank vessel under
your sixel Why did you fire so slo,0ly2 1t
was an unfair advantage In aim Why did you
not take pattern from the method In which the
Ezcesient's ernners peppered the seaS We
wonder whether It would be possible for Us to
please England; whether, II the KeGrsarge
bad gone down, she would have sunk accord
Ing 10 Epgllsh notions of sinking-propriety; !;
whether, II Captain WINsLow had got hold Of
Coating spar, he would have forfeited his
honor, although SEsidEs, being without law,
10 above law. We wonder whether We could
ever please the Englishry.
In enumerating causes to which the result
OF the action between the KeGrsdrge and
alabama might be ascribed, the English have
chADced upon one which had nothing to do
with the matter. This alleged cause is the
ppeed of the KeGrsdr0e.
The consideration of this question Is inter
estlng In itself, with reference to deductions
10 be drawn from the experience of a fight
which has never had its exact parallel. Here
were two steamships Of very nearly the same
tonnage aud speed, and, in every particular
quite well matched. The English say that
the superior speed OF the BearsGrge enabled
her 10 take up better positions. This is
ridiculous, for the case is not one u. TWO sail
Ing vessels, each trying to get the weather
gauge, but of two steamers moving around in
circles. UnquestiOnably speed Is an sdyan-
tage, but not for the reason assigned; for the
stesming around circle, must have been
identical.
II may not be apparent 10 some persons how
We can be certain that the course the vessels
steamed over was circle; 80 we will com
mence by demonstrating that L could not have
been otherwise. We know that they steamed
on a curve. and that each fought her starbOard
battery throughout the whole number of revo-
Iut,ons. Their couree could not have beeu
elBptlcsl-or, 70 use the popular expression
oval: fUr Il il had been, they would have pre-
sen;ed positions liable ~ be raked durin.
The greater part OF their course- One yesse
could NOT have borne down for the other io
ln that case, she would have lost the use Of tht
greater part Of her battery, and would haS'
rva Toe ri5i. Of rakiug lire. There
fOge, the curve upon which the yes
sells steamed was circle, not msthem2
titslIy correct, but .tiu u circle Of which tn
tNO vessels represented opposite ends Of
diameter. II our description hiss been uuder
stood, it win now be easy 10 perceive bov
speed Is 40 advantage. The quicker boa
being Of course able 10 accomplish the sam
circle 10 lees time, the necessity Of avoiding
railing firC, and, at the same time, Of insurin
the full use of her broadside, compels th
slower boat to continually adopt o smalle
circle. The relative speed of the two vessel
10 the same on the smaller circle, and thus
boat may compel slower Vno ~ 0Vme b
close quarters, the effect or speed being {
mako the vessels tend to the nn~as0on centr
Of the circles which they have been describing
This is inevitable, If the slower vessel doe
not rellnqulsh tbs contest, but tries 70 keel
her brOadside parallel with that Of beT an
tagonist,
The speed Of .he Re0rsorge, Rs we bav
shcwn, could not have enabled her 20 take uI
better positions; and as the alabama shOWe'
no reluctance for close quarters, the action wa
not, In this instance, affected by the speed O
the eforner. But in the ease OF a vessels desirins
close quarters In an setion where two boa,s ar,
steaming In circle, superior speed wouIt
enable her 70 constantly approach, and =
compel her adversary 20 approach, and sA
would thus be mistress Of bhe situation,
-s.a Ns.r,aKa An anna uslEas q IOFga 0ra IA \