Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-02-25
[From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.

WASHINGTON, d. C., Feb. 81, 1880.
Senator Bayard. who was in Europe
last summer, and saw some of the power
full 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 oil
foreign powers from entering any United
States port and placing our wealthiest
cities under contribution. Notwithstsnd.
| ing the millions that have recently been
expended on our navy, it is n fact well
known that our entire naval force would
be powerless to meet single ship of the
class which is not uncommon in the navies
of England, France, Prussia and Russia.
Torpedoes may be very effective in de-
fensive, maritime warfare, but they have
not yet had the thorough testing that will
enable them to be relied upon with assur-
ance. The next war in which ships take
part will show startling novelties in meth
DDS and means. The electric light will
play a prominent part, and it will be very
difficult for the furtive torpedo to creep
up to floating fortress, with the sea rods
in every direction almost as light as day.
and the ships 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 protection of our coast.
The canal completed-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 ma
rine ram with Il submarine beak TO which
torpedoes are fixed. 1t was supposed that
this would be terribly destructive vessel
but she has no more speed than ferry
boat, and one shot from the heavier guns
of IL first. class English vessel would disable
her.
Admiral Ammen appeared, last week,
before the naval committee of the House
and advocated the construction of num-
Der of marine rams, the purpose of which
shall be collision only. They are to carry
no guns or torpedoes, but to be built with
view to irresistible strength, speed and
facility in maneuverng. 1t is estimated
that one of these vessels, with its steel
beak, will sink any ship with which it cal
collide, and while it is eminently probable
that the ram itself will be sunk in the col
lision, still it feels that it can afford it
for the ram is supposed to be worth only
half million of dollars, while the vessel il
has sent TO ocean bottom has cost ut least
two millions of dollars. The result of
war, whether on sea or land, has ceased to
be Il question OF physical courage, en-
duranco or skill; it is becoming every day
more question of science, of mathemati-
cal and pecunairy forces, and if we can
successfully oppose two millions of do
lars with five hundred thousand dollars, it
will seem that we have an advantage of
four to one in defensive maritime warfare.
Admiral Ammen has urged the adoption
of this ram for the last seven years, and
the truth of his theories has since had con-
elusive and tragic illustration in the in
Simultaneous sinking of the Grosser Kur
furst, the most powerful iron-clad of the
Prussian fleet, from collision in the
English channel. But whatever may be
the means, it is folly to delay the protectiv.
that will enable us to sit in
security amid the great and increasing
wealth of our coast cities. We are so
strong on land that we have no fear of such
armies as the combined world might bring
10 attack us on our own soil, but our weak
ness is at points where we can be attacked
from the sea--at Boston, New York, Phil
Baltimore, Norfolk, New Or
leans and San Francisco. At these points
we arc lamentably weak.