The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1880-02-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Our Defenceless Coast-Admiral
POrter's Torpedo BOat-Admir.
al Ammen's lsam-The Danger
Of Delaying Defensive Action.
[From Our Regular Correspondent. ]
WASHINGTON, Feb. 81, 1880.

lfrom Our Regular Correspondent.
WAsH1NGToN, Feb. 81, 1880.
Senator Bayard, who was in Eu-
rope last summer, and saw some Of
the powerful armored vessels of the
European navies, recently made the
remark that, he knew of no defence,
unless it might be torpedoes, that
would prevent the ships of foreign
powers from entering any United
States port and placing our wealth
lest cities under contribution. Not
outstanding the millions that have
recently been expended on our navy,
it is fact we'll known that our en-
tire naval force would be powerless
to meet a single ship of the class
which is not uncommon. in the ma
vies of England, France, Prussia and
Russia.
Torpedoes may be very effective in
defensive MARITIME warfare, but they
have not yet had the thorough test
ing that will enable them to be re-
lied upon with assurance. The next
war in which ships take part will
show startling novelties in methods
and means. The electric light will
play a prominent part, and it will
be very difficult for the furtive tor
pedoes to creep up to a floating for
tress, with the sea for rods in every
direction almost as light as day, and
the ship protected by an outwork of
wire.
The proposed inter.oceanic canal
makes it all the more important that
we should look in time to the protec-
tion of our coast. The canal COM
pleted-there will always be on the
Atlantic or the Pacific side a number
of those iron monsters with which
nothing in our flimsy navy can cope.
Admiral Porter is the inventor of
a marine ram with submarine
beak to which torpedoes are 6xed.-
1t was supposed that this would be a
terribly destructive vessel, but she
has no more speed than a ferry-boat,
and one shot from the heavier guns
OF a first class English vessel would
disable her.
Admiral Ammen appeared, last
week, before the naval committee Of
the House and advocated the con-
struction of a number of marine
rams, the purpose of which shall be
collision only; they are to carry no
guns or torpedoes, but to be built
with irresistible strength, speed and
facility in maneuvering. 1t is esti.
mated that one of these vessels, with
its steel beak, will sink any ship
with which it can collide, and while
it is eminently probable that the
ram itself will be sunk in the coils.
sion, still it feels that it can afford
it-for the ram is supposed to be
worth only half a million of dollars,
while the vessel that it has sent to
Ocean bottom has cost at least 49,.
100000. The result of war, whether
on sea or land has ceased to be a
question of physical courage, endur-
ance, or skill; it is becoming every
day more question of science, of
mathematical and pecuniary forces,
and if we can successfully oppose
100000 with 100000 it will seem
that we nave an advantage OF four
to one in defensive maritime warfare.
Admiral Ammen has urged the adop-
ton of this ram for the last seven
years, and the truth of his theories
has since had conclusive and tragic
illustration in the instantaneous
sinking of the Grosser Kurfurst, the
most powerful iron-clad of the Prus-
sian fleet, from collision in the
English Channel. But whatever may
be the means, it is folly to delay the
protective preparation that will ena-
ble us to sit in security amid the
great and increasing wealth of our
coast cities. We are SO strong on