Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-30
BIG WAR VESSELS.
The Efficiency Of the Huge IrOn.Clads
Of Modern Days.

A NAVAL OFFICER WHO RELIEVES IN THEM
THE ADVANTAGES OF THE TWIN SCREW AND
FoRE-AND-AFT REPRESENTATIONS WHICH
OUR NAVY IS SAID TO LABOR UNDER.
81 see Naval Constructor Hichborn thinks
that the immense naval war vessels of the pres
ent day will prove surprisingly inefficient in
action, on account of their being cumbersome
and unmanageable. and that the smaller YES
sells of simpler construction will prove much
better able to oppose them than one would sup
pose" said STAR reporter to a wellknown
naval officer.
"Well, that is a prediction yet to be verified"
was the reply, land it may prove correct. There
has really been no good test of the effect of the
modern war vessels as yet, he continued. 1.-The
fight between the Huascar and the CHILEAN
vessels was the best illustration we have had,
but in that instance the real merits of the man.
of-war OF to-day was not well shown am in
ciined to think that the modern men-ofwar,
although of great size, Will prove completely
satisfactory. There has been as great changes
vessels as in the construction of the vessels
are to be kept in view in construct
ing war vessel speed and
ease in manoeuvering Closely connected
with these requisites is the ability to secure a
fore-and-aft fire, so that the guns may he used
with effect both in approaching and running
away from enemy. The shape of war YES
sells has changed rs the motive power changed.
III tue ou udyS Vi Iuc Sdilcy, WHen tue Vessels
were propelled by oars, the bow was made
sharp for rammfng purposes. When sails came
into vogue the shape of the bow was changed,
for 1t was no longer possible to ram. The whole
dependence in an attack was upon the broad
side. Now that steam is recognized the
motive power, the bow has again changed to
ram, and the old brOadside is not the sole de-
pendence in a naval engagement, for there is
the fore-and-aft fire. Take the monster Eng
ing their size. The double sets of boilers and
the twin screws give them that, while the
latter makes it comparatively easy to
most valuable one. If one screw should break,
two-thirds the usual speed could be made with
srabe tai one which would Se much pre-
fitted out with sails only to save coal and to
have last resource In case OF any great ext
gency. The main defect in the unfinished Boston
and Atlanta is that they have not twin screws.
1t is very fortunate that the Chicago has twin
screws, for she came very near being built with
ONLY one. We must take the best ships of other
countries as our standard, even though there
has been no thorough test of their efficiency,
for we have not kept pace with other countries
In this respect. Our navy is behind the times
both the line and staff. 1t never can keep up
with them until there is a radical change. The
personnel of the navy must be reorganiZed. and
the Navy department must be reorganiZed, be-
fore the service can amount to anything. The
pernicloas system OF rank by seniority will
have a tendency to smother all ambition as
long as 1t is in vogue When an officer feels
that by waiting for the death of those who have
been in the service longer than he has he will
attain just as much rank and be just as well off
in every way if he labors hard, there is no
real incentive for hard work and improvement.
Other countries, of much more experience than
ours, have done away with advancement by
seniority, and it is to a CERTAIN extent a dead
letter in our own army. 1t Is time we learned
something of those who are wiser than we are.
BY radical reorganization alone can the navy
be properly and substantially built up as it
should be. AS it is now, We are nothing.
The service is but little better than its ships.
One good war vessel is all that any country
needs to give us sound thrashing. We have
now no vessels to oppose it. Our wooden bulks
would be but toys before a modern man-Of
war, and the monitors which now lie in the
not in the way. The time will come, if some
thing is not done, when we will have to pay in
indemnity many times greater the cost Ofbuild-
ing navy now. The quicker we go about pre-
pairing ourselves the better will We be off i'm the
end. The Secretary of the Navy is enthusiastic
on this subject, and 1T is to be hoped that he
will have no Set-backs."