Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-07-30

WASHINGTON, July 1f.-Beyond
doubt torpedo warfare has received 3
blow In the late disaster suffered by
the French. That eight torpedo
boats should be destroyed by q storm
is certainly remarkable, and the SC
companying loss of life is appalling.
But after all II is no more than
should be expected, when torped o
boats venture out of the region OF
safety, and are caught in gales which
wreck far stronger vessels. Just be-
fore the disaster. the Admiralty and
Horse Guards Gazette gave this ac-
count of the French vessels
"a force Of eighteen torpedo boat
eft Bastia for the purpose Of assist
ing In the attack on the squadron al
anchor in the Bay Of Ajaccio. A
stifflish breeze was blowing, aud the
sea was q bis loppy, bat the weather
was not sufficiently rough to inter
fere with the regular arrival of the
packet boats at Corsica. OF the
eighteen t0rpedoers that accompan-
led the men OF war, only six got
around Cape Corsica; and of these,
only two were 10 such q state as to
prevent their taking part In the at.
tack before making repairs. One
was patched up, so five torpedo boats
engaged Ia the operation upon which
50 much interest centred All the
second and third class torpedoers
had been compelled to put back.
those which got round being boats
Of the FIRST class. Il is said that only
two men among the crews of the six
torpedo boats escaped seasickness. -
IL is clear, therefore, that such
boats are not suited to violent gales.
Yet torpedo boats have been built
and have maze the voyage from the
Baltic through the EnglIsh Channel
aud around by the Mediterranean to
the Egean Sea with great steadiness,
and, 50 far as could be judged, en-.
tire seaworthiness.
At all events, whatever the fate of
the French boats, ventuling into seas
and weather for which they are not
fitted, we cannot afford to 90 with
out them. Of all the coast defences
now projected or practicable, the
torpedo boat Is that which can be
supplied quickest and cheapest. The
building Of an lion fort, with no pro-
vision yet made for rolling the re-
quiFed plates, is an affair Of years.
The supplying of 100 ton guns to
these forts is still more prolonged
and formidable JOB, which would
carry as into the nineties, II not far
along toward the next century. Be.
tween this and that decision wars
could be fought Undoubtedly the
country ought 10 60 TO work 70 pro-
vide such defenceS and so it ought
also to 60 to work TO provide aoat-
Ing iroRclad batteries, which win
take long in their construction. But
meanwhile torpedo boats, which are
auxiliary defences, can be turned out
with great rapidity and not much
cost II EricssoA's Destroyer, with
lts submarine gun, should commend
itself to those who examine il, 10 q
short time our hRrbors could hemade
to swarm with such defences
So is il with the ordinary torpedo
boats They are built rapidly, and 3
bolt from one Of them may send to
the bottom an ironclad on which
years and millions have been lavish
ed. They creep on their foe AZ night
pnpereeived until within little more
than half . mile, and then, with thelr
tremendous speed, which enables
then 70 cross that half mile In sew
enty or eighty seconds, they are up
on their prey, and, In fact. can dis
charge their torpedoes still earlier.
Whatever the failures Of torpedo
boats IS seagoing craft We cannot
dispense with them Is harboF pro
tectoFs.