Evening journal., 1891-04-30
NEWSPAPER OPINION.


Sunk by TorpedOes.
New York Times
As the first and the last naval engage
ment In which modern ironclads have had
an opportunity to show what they could
do, the attack upon Alexandria by the
British fleet in July, 1882, has been q
subject Of much study and discussion,
but that battle must now yield the palm
for interest and instructiveness to the
extraordinary achievements of the Chill
Ian torpedo boat, the Almirante Lynch
Later aud complete reports of the de-
struction Of the Blauco Encalada aud the
famous Huascar by this little craft will
be awaited with Impotence by the naval
authorities Of every Power big enough to
have navy, and the Powers that have
the biggest navies will be the most inn
patient for the news. The bonn ba dment
Of Alexandria, though presenting many
features OF technical interest, was q
one sided affair, aud afforded an incom-
plete demonstration Of the powers Of
iron clads in attack and IN sustaining an
enemy's fire. The Qualifications were
altogether overmatehed by the eight
British war ships Their gunners were
able to hit the iron clad only with round
shot, which inflicted no great damage, and
the fight was over In ten hours. The
Almirante Lynch. on the contrary, has
given startlingly complete demonstra-
ton Of the destructiveness Of the
| Whitehead torpedo II the meagre re
ports 50 far received do not exaggerate
her performances, her torpedoes de-
stroyed absolutely the Blanco Encalada,
sending her officers and crew to the bot
tom with her, and sank the Huascor also.
/ both on the same day. The Blanco En-
calads and Huascsr were armored war
ships Of 3, 800 and 800 tons respectively,
while the Almiraute Lynch is a puny
craft Of only 751 tons, though she
appears to have been assisted, to an
extent not yet known, by the Almirante
CondeL But In torpedo warfare size OF
ship and thickness of armor are consider
atoms Of the great moment The one
vital point is the manageabilitv OF the
torpedo. The great Lspanto of the Ital-
ian navy, of whose formidable
powers we have heard something Of
late, would have disappeared from the
face Of the deep with as much prompt
ness as the Blanco Encalada showed had
she been hit by the torpedo cent out
from the Almirante Lynch. Naval con-
structors who advocate and Powers that
have adopted the policy Of building
larger and larger war ships with con
stantly increasing thickness Of armor
Will devote much study and sober
thought TO this first decisive exhibition
Of the effectiveness Of the automobile
torpedo in actual warfare. If 1t be said
that navy building has been tentative
during the last fteen years. IL can now. at
least, be affirmed that solid facts have
been submitted to the consideration OF
the naval world Unq gestlonably, the
quotable price of the ironclads the great
Powers now have lin stock will be
seriously diminished by these unlocked
for events on the West coast. and It Is
equally certain that the study OF the
possibilities OF torpedo warfare will re-
ceive wonderful impulse At any rate
since we are so poor In war ships, th'
news Of what the Almirante Lynch has
done will give us new confidence In oul
ability 70 defend ourselves against an,
aggressor equipped with nothing bettel
than 10. OO0-ton ironclads