The National tribune., 1882-11-23
WANTED--A NAVY.
Something About the Work Of the Advisory
nOarl.

/ The Naval Advisory Board, provided for by
act of Congress during the last session, is hold
ing meetings daily at the Navy Department in
this city. The board has two subjects for con-
sidcratiou. First, it is to consider plans and
specifications for the construction of two un-
armored steel cruisers, and, secondly, the COM
pletion of the four ironclads, which were con-
tracted for nearly eight years ago, and which
have been q fruitful source of turmoil in Con-
gress ever since. 1t is the desire of Secretary
Chandler TO have the new cruisers built accord
ing to the latest improvements so that they
will be as powerful as the best OF their class
anywhere in the world. If this is done, we
viii at least have two good ships Of war. Now
We have none. The vessels OF war now pos
sessed by this Government are made of wood,
which are simply valuable as quarters for the
accommodation Of the officers and men, and
couid never for an instant be brought under
the fire of an enemy as war ships are now built.
The only hypothesis upon which the policy of
this Government for the past fifteen years could
be based was that no foreign nation would
attack us out of pity for our defenseless condi-
ton. The great cities on our sea coast are
subject, at any moment, TO desolatiOn by for
cign feet. 4 certain class of statesmen are dis
posed to ridicule the idea Of any nation in the
world committing an act Of hostility against
This Government. This is an easy way Of beg
cing the question. Grant that our vast resources
are well known to all the powers. Grant that
we have 50,000,000 people loyal to the Govern
ment. Grant that we have mountains of coal
and iron and forests of wood. mills, factories,
machinery and mechanical skill surprising the
world. Possessing these elements Of strength,
we are power,ess to make them effective. The
bTGvcst and strongest army in the world would
be of 10 more use than n cloud Of sparrows
for the business in hand should even a fourth
rate nation to-day see lit to make war upon us.
Should such an event happen the Government
at Washington would be obliged to sue for
peace On any terms in sixty days. The prop
crty-owners on cur seaboard would rise up en-
n,asse ana demand It, They would decline TO
pay for the folly Of the Government in its
failure to provide heavy ordnance, fortifca-
lions, and an armorcd fleet.
In the language Of Mr. Blaine, "Well may
the Government bo afraid to be out after dark"
II is the business Of the Naval Board to de-
wise means Tor the protection of the country, to
some extent. Within the last fifteen years,
during which VIC have built no war-vessels,
naval architecture has undergone a radical
change. For time there was a race between
guns and armor, until finally piece Of artil-
lery WAS devised able to throw a solid shot
through p wall Of iron so thick that no vessel
could carry It and float. 1t was then proposed to
abandon armor altogether as next TO useless,
hut by a simple device the situation has again
changed and the power of the guns is once more
overrcaclad. This was accomplished by sim
pie arraupomcui Of the steel plates of armor, so
that the shot would strike it at an acute angle
and glance OIL instead OF penetrating it. The
application Of this idea has given rise TO
system of DETECTING armor which is carried
through the construction of the entire ship A
curved steel deck, the edges of which come
below the water-ine looking like the back
Of great turtle, is placed over the magazines
and machinery; gUn-carriages are so con-
structed that the men work behind two shields
placed together like the letter TO defect the
small shot from the machine guns; and upon
the monitors is mounted turret shaped like
two soup-platcs, turned ore over the other
no III i SSHtIai way gives d rough luea oI
the system upon which the most approved
modern ships-ol-war are built. All these plans
with scores upon scores of variations, the Ad-
visory Board is studying over. They viii be
compelled to adopt this detecting system in
some form, for the simple reason that all the
rest of the world IS using it. An old-fashioned
windmill cannot compete with one that runs
by steam. In the same sense has detecting
armor taken the place of vertical in naval con-
s,ruction. The advisory Board viii be COM
PEELED TO adopt it, because England to-day is
building al her new ships with it. China,
Brazil, Chill, Italy, Denmark, rk,-every nation in
the world, in short, rt,-building or buying ships
within the last few years, has built or bought
them constructed with detecting arlnor in
some form OF its application.