The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-05-22

country can lardly afford to run the
risk of waiting until some of the back
ward American shipwrigbts finish ex-
periments at the peoples expense. a
fleet of torpedo boats could be had for
the price of a single great lronclad.
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
ended at once. So there should be no
more waiting. Admitting that de-
lenses could be improved in the event
of sudden attack, though this is about
impossible, prevention is always better
than cure. BY gradual preparation
the government would be enabled to
secure its armament at the lowest pos
sible cost, whereas a sudden demand
brings up prices to the topmost notch.
In the matter of case tOrpedOeS, to be
buried in harbOr channels, Gen. New
ton, chief of engineers, has every point
mapped out and every nine located;
only the torpedoes are lacking. The
mines must be inclOsed in copper
cases, costly and of slow procurement,
while one company controls all the
copper output of the land. Had the
chief engineer power to buy gradually
on the market, a great saving would
be effected and all risks ObViated.
The moral effect of torpedos and
torpedo boats can hardly be OVeresti-
mated. They are diSagreeable things
to contend with. Backed by electric
ty in its manifold applications nothing
can be more formidable. No country
cares to have it's ships destroyed and it's
sailors massacred wholesale. There
fore, as the foreign policy of this cOun-
try contains little of aggression, were
its ports guarded as above it could
stand no possible peril,
To show how deeply the great pow
ers appreciated the need of torpedo
boats it may be stated that England
has built % first class and 81 second
class, and is building 4 first class and
6 second class, q total of 129 France
owns Is first class and 50 second class,
and is building 3 first class and 7 second
class, a total of 76. Germany has built
35, is bnilding 70 more of the powerful
little steamers, expanding in so doing
81, 900, 900 or One-Chird of her annual
naval appropriation, or their construc-
ton and equipment, and coptemplates
q further fleet of As when these are
ready. When all are in the water
Germany will lead the world. Russia
has 4 first class and III second-class,
and is building 4 first clsss, a total of
125. Italy possesses Is first-class, q
second-class, and is building IA, a
total of 50. Of the minor powers Hol-
land owns "a; Norway and Sweden Is,
Austria IA, and Denmark 8. The
United States has none, unless the
Alarm may be so counted.
A first class boat of the pattern al
luded to is about 100 feet long, draw
ing from Al to 6 feet of water and
capable of steaming 164 knots per
hour when at sea, and of keeping it
up for at least $50 miles, with an
ability to carry enough coal for a
cruise of 1900 miles. Her armament,
besides %torpedoes, consists of a brace
of revolving cannon The quick and
terrible work of these little crafts was
evinced on the Danube during the
Turco-Russian war, when the Russians
demolished many vessels, and later,
during the present Franco Chinese
troubles, when several Chinese iron
clads of the first class were blown to
atoms, together with their crews, and
without harm to the destroyer
Brooklyn Eagle.