The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-02-09

element in future naval battles. Vessel
of great speed will race each other, fricn
sinking friend. The smoke from the burn
ing petroleum will envelope the enemy i
heavy clouds, making it impossible 70
them to see each other or the shore. TIL
harbor buoys will be removed in time o
war, and the officers, not being able to sc,
the landmarks; cannot get their bearing
to steer by. They may attempt to stee
by compass, but that will not save them il
a narrow channel What will they do
They cannot turn in narrow channel
Signals cannot be seen. If one ship stop
the one astern runs her down. They can
not get out as they came in. The utmos
confusion-a panic will be the result
Some ships viii get aground while group
ing about in the smoke and flames. Worse
still, some of the surface pipes will fire the
petroleum high in the air landing it on the
decks and against the sides of the armor
clads. They will not burn, of course, but
the petroleum will 1t will be ignited by
the fire on the surface of the water, and the
flames viii creep up the sides, setting FIRE to
boats and all exposed woodwork The
flames running up the sides may reach the
ports and the guns.
THE ENEMY's GUNS USELESS
The gunners can see nothing. They
cannot aim their guns, surrounded by a
cloud of dense-black smoke The sitting
fumes Of fercely burning petroleum will
render the crews helpless if it does not
sutfocate them. And while the enemy's
ships are thus inextricably mixed up, be-
wildered and ground, other means of at
tack may be used to complete their destruc-
ton. The dynamite gun mounted ashore
on fixed platform is acknowledged to be
wonderfully accurate, and at known range
shell may be thrown among the enemy 5
feet Small. fast vessels, with their bows
strengthened for ramming, may dash out
from inside the Narrows, and with their
crews protected from the smoke may rush
upon the helpless enemy who cannot use
his guns to keep them Of, and thus sink
his ships. A feet in this position, while
il can see nothing, can itself be seen from
the shore aud thus be a target for all guns
and torpedo boats. A few vessels of the
yesuvius type, however vulnerable to shot,
would be of great service when the enemy,
shut in by the smoke, could not train his
guns upon them. Dynamite, FIRE and dsmoke
combined would leave nothing of the proud
iron-clad feet of the enemy. They may
come to these shores prepared to fight the
usual weapons-guns and torpedoes-but
they will not be ready, like Clusters cavalry,
to charge through hell and back again.
OTHER AMERICAN PORTS.
Similar defense could be placed in Long
Island Sound at different points to defend
that approach to New York. To defend
Baltimore aud Norfolk, plants should be
established at Cape Henry, at the mouth
Of Chesapeake Bay, and between Fort
Monroe aud the Rip Raps. Other defenses
near Baltimore. where the water shoals in
the Chesapeak would serve as an inner
line.
Philadelphia, New Orleans and Wash
ingtOn would be perfectly safe. The Poto-
mac, the Mississippi and the Delaware
could be converted into rivers OF fire for
miles.
Nearly all the ports of the United States
have outlying islands with narrow passage
between them, where the petroleum defense
would be effective, supported BY dynamite
Boston, for example.
Many people viii say that this scheme
is a wild and imaginative one, but 1t Is not.
Il is practicable and il viii be so demon
strated. As the Monitor swamped all ideas
Of naval architecture in 1862, so the petro-
leum plan will revolutionize harbor defense
to-day There is an abundance of petro-
leum in this country, and if properly used
an ironelad enemy viii be kept out OF our
harbors, homeless spectator in the dis
tance
The United States is self-sapporting.
Il needs nothing from abroad. 1t may
close its ports or permit them TO be block
AIDED indefinitely with little harm, while
few fast cruisers rowing the sea may play
havoc with the enemy's commerce. 1t Is
only necessary to keep irOnelads so far from
the cities that they cannot be bombarded,
and the United States may not fear war.
The magnificent naval ornaments of Eu-
rope can excite no terror in this country
when they must paas through sea of fire
TO get at US. Once more the American
mind proves equal to the emergency. IL
will not be led; it insists upon leading. Ii
viii not build miles of forts, and spend
years in constructing guns and armor, but
it takes a staple product of the country,
and with it provides ample defences that
can be ready when war is upon us