Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-05-22
co AHrE pEEEN aE.
The Helpless Cond ition 81 American Harbors|
"a Plea Tor the Uso 5Of Torpedo. Boats4 s4sa:

war of some sort would naturally as.
sist either Of them in red ucing her pop
ulation, while, as .it has become the
correct thing for the Yanquished to
pay the yictors for the thrashing re-
ceiYed, 8 war Of tribute is not among
the impossibilities. For such a war
any pretext sufices. This may seem
absurd under present conditions, but
it is by no means improbable. The
question of the Panama canal is going
to make . world OF trouble one Of these
days, and as at present fitted the
United States must either keep still or
be thrashed. An extended inquiry
among naval men reveals the fact that
one and all regard the final settle
nent of this question with the greatest
concern. They feel that the country
must arm itself, not for the sake Of
fighting, but for the sake of avoiding
it. t## 5t% & .E&|. !
Nor is 1t alone from the great pow-
ers that trouble can be expected. The
verlest one-horse South American re-
public can make life burden for the
residents along the western coast if it
owns decent boat. How long would
San Francisco stand against some
swift-moving, hard-striklng Huarcar
or Esmeralda, lighting upon the city
before it knew what had come to hand?
1t is the custom in war TO take from
the weaker all the portable articles of
value, and is not the ransom of such a
city worthy of the guarding? Think
OF New York and Brooklyn under the
guns of some foreign fleet, the COM
mander of which was bent upon the
creation of an emergency fund for his
country's benefit! What collection
would have to be taken up; and who
would be the givers? Boston, Phila-
delphia, Baltimore, and in fact every
city and town from Eastport to the
Rio Grande and from the Gulf of Cali
fornia to Vancouyer's island, are
equally, if not more imperlled.
"But," says the uniformed, s'we
have forts. I've seen them myself,"
Yes, forts there are, and forts upon
Matchmaking has been done since the
hour long since when they We're called
complete. The piles of earth and
stone lining the approach of New York
harbor look imposing and are nice
places whereat to spend holiday.
The grass is smooth and green and
the band plays finely. Plenty of can
non lie about, some of them large
enough to hide in; the only trouble is
that they can't shoot far enough.
True when they first went on guard
the world had few like them, but that
was long ago and they are now al
most antiquated--enough so, at least,
to fail against those likely to he sent
against them. If the enemy's ships
would only come within range it
would be ali right, but not accommo-
dating, and, relying upon an ability to
shoot two miles further, would aristo-
cratically stay out Of range and pull
verize the opposition. Therefore it is
needful that the forts along both coast
lines be supplied with cannon equal to
any yet made, and that these be pro-
tected beyond the power of penetra-
ton yet possessed by any gun, that
the harbors may be made inaccessible
from without.
All this is good, and calls for care
full consideration. The needs of the
country, however, are immediate.
Three years time will hardly suffice
to properly arm New York harbor with
the worlds resources at hand. A good
deal can happen in three years. Hence
the burden OF actual present defense
rests wholly upon the navy, and
navy there is none. In the
event OF any misunderstanding
with some foreign nation, about
all the officers and men could do
would be to go out in the poor old
ships to do and die, especially die.
The wooden vessels would stand about
as much of an assault as do the paper
ports of China. Thirteen monitors are
in fair condition and near at hand,
but their guns could hardly indent tho
armor of their opponents, while the
armament of the latter could make
scrap.iro of the monitor in short or
der, and then attend solely to bonn
bardment. (
As stated, the master of the iron
clad is at hand waiting call, and it is
to the torpedo that those interested in
Immediate coast defense look for aid.
The torpedo and the torpedo boat
fill all that is lacking for present
needs. The massive forts and swift
cruisers, with better guns than armor,
are of the things to come; but the
country must have torpedo-boats now.
BY torpedo-poats are meant powerful
little steamers, too small to offer a tar
get to the enemies marksmen and
heavily enough armored to resist at
tack. They should be swift and sure,
that no steaming about can shake
them of, that when once started to
end war-ship's career their own con-
struction may offer no impediments for
the purpose. How can these be fur
nished? Simply enough Let the gov
eminent go abroad and buy the best
made by foreign makers. Why not
make them here? None of our ship
builders know how. They might sue
coed in making hull, and armor, but
fail on the engines very important
feature. The ship-builders of the
Clyde and their engine-makers know
just what to do. Here it is about all
experiment. An engine builder here
sets up his machine as general thing
in ignorance OF its power, does not
know until after trial, and not always
then. The Dolphin may not be a far
sample, but she is all we have. Thus
proper vessels can be constructed but
slowly. and extensively at that. The
country can ,ardly afford to run the
risk of waiting-until some of the back
ward American shipwrights finish ex-
periments at the peoples expense. A
fleet of torpedo boats could be had for
the price Of single great ironclad.
Stationed along both lines of' coast,
in Important harbors, these could
readily repel any expedition brought
against them, and all risk Ct cities be-
ing DESTROYED or laid under tribute