The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-21
TIE BRITISH FLEET.
LITTLE TO ENCOURAGE FAITH IN
MONSTER ARMORCLAD SHIPS.

During the Recent Maneuvers-A Very
sInyeniy Performance-yessels RunninR
Short Of Coal-Torpedo Boats.
The recent maneuyers Of the British fleet
did little 10 encourage those who pin their
faith to monster ships and heavy nrmor. In
deed, even the unbelievers in this type We're
scarcely prepared for the sorry spectacle pre-
sentcd by the mightiest feet ailOat, for III the
IRISH channel where Admiral Baird essayed
T. defend the shore line against the assault Of
! Titzroy, aud again ia the English channel
and North sea, when Hewitt sought 10 pierce
F. the line Of Freemantle, the big ships proved
OF best both awkward and uncertain.
There were several collisions and many
! breakdowns in all dozen ships out Of two
score were disabled 10y their own exertions,
o. gave out from lack Of coal during the fort
nigh, Of evolution. The great ships Ajax
and Devastation crashed into each other
"a Is In the day. and it was only by quick
work, and what must lie regarded as good
luck. that the latter did not 20 down As
! il was. she was badly listed over ON TO her
side. with her guards under; something heavy
in the way Of machinery having been sent
adriit below. The Ajax was disabled and
! Law like a dead whale IN everybody's way,
aud constant menace TO all The new steel
cruiser Curlew, from which 50 much was ex-
pccted was 50 awkward 10 handle and so
sloveny In mindiDg her helm that. when the
report came she had broken down, and
powerful tugs were sent by Admiral Hewitt
to tow her into port, a sigh Of relief must
have gone up among the fleet, for from the
descriptions given Of her movements, she
seems to have been as deadly as an iceberg,
quite as dangerous 10 friend as enemy, and
required a whole ocean to herself Then there
was the COLOSSUS Of which so much has been
vrtten-tne floating fortress, carrying
enough power TO cripple ileetl Unless she
can do better than her recent performance
promises. 10 heet need fear her for, IN order
| 10 sustain injury 1t would have TO come up
and considerably lie to. possessing itself in
patience while the really formidable battery
was trained, for it is said 70 have taken an
I hour and thirty minutes 10 work the Colossus
into position and load, tram and fire the after
guns on the port side After firing ono round,
/ the big ship feli back disabled, and lay help
less IN the tldeway
The Terror might not inappropriaiely lie
renamed the False Alarm, and tue lmpe-
rieuse. the ImpOtent: for the former on two
occasions Numbered down upon the enemy,
aud. when at point blank range, was unable
70 train her battery till she had passed the
/ target. having then 70 run over circle Of IA
mile, diameter 10 get around again into posi-
I f.ll ,ut ~ lin no
cause running short Of coal-bless the mark
=. And when again her bunSers were full, she
was so slovcnly IN a cross sea as to be well
nigh unmanageable.
When We remember that the rate OF speed
at which the ships were working was ouly
seven knots an hour, and that notwithstand-
jng they were within easy reach Of great
coaliue station. several Of them ran short OF
coal while mameuyeriDg, we cannot help won
derlng what would happen such fleet fight
ing in mid ocean, II may safely be said that
if the result Of the fOrtnights maneuyers Is
fair exponent OF what fleet Of monster ships
are capable Of we need have little fear OF
attacx by such vessels ON this side OF the
VIZ 20 Few Of these large ships would carry
ANYTHING like enough coal to bring her
across. a,,d those 50 capable would be com
PEELED 70 coal at some station here before
ready for aggression, or, barring that sup
uiv. be unable 10 get home again. Hence
blockade or capture Of the coaling stations
would render such feet harmless.
! II ought T. BE- said OF the officers i'll com
maud Of this great fleet that they are as ca
Inable a lot Of men and as able seamen as can
BE- picked up on the ocean. Experienced, too,
/ of 81
and war material, used to working modern
lships, and, quite a. important, familiar with
the waters they sail IN. Ii was 10 fault oil
theirs that some Of the monsters they com
manded carried weather helms with wheels
hard over, OF, ~ was the case with another,
parted the Shaft willie trying 10 work head
IuD ID wind with engines OF 5000 horse power.
All attempts to form line Of battle whether
lin the form Of column crescent OF wedge.
were fairly unGyaillng from naval stand
lp0int. because the time occupied was 50 pro
lionced rs To give quick witted enemy OPP
p0riunity 10 anticipate the mnneuyers and
evade the shock The biz ships on several
occasions rammed one another while getting
into line, and breaedowns and demands for
assistance marked the most important ma
neuyers This was 10 fault OF the command
crs, but OF the ships being built to carry
great batteries and bear ponderOus armor
ather than for seaworthiness and rapid
movement
The work Of the torpedo and torpedo boat,
from which 50 much is-not unreaSonably-
expected m future naval wars, seems TO have
been puposely underestimate at the maneu
yers this year, as it was III the French ma
neuvers last year, for fear Of shaking the
sailors faith in the impregnablity Of the
ships he sails in.-Scientifc American.
| Products of Sewage Farms.
! DR.. Tidy, in marked contrast with DR.. Cor
field, thinks that there is danger that entozoic
diseases may be communicated 10 both man
and beast by means Of the products OF sewage
farms lie says that the fact has always
been recognized that entozoic diseases have