The sun., 1891-08-12
Tho Naval slancuvres of 1891.

With the exercises Of Admiral WALKERS
squadron for the benefit OF the naval reserve
IN Boston harbor and at Fishers Island. and
with those which are to be conducted later
In the season along the coast between Cape
Hcnlopen and Bar Harbor for the instruc-
tion OF tho fleet itself, the present summer
will long remain notable In our navy. But
1t has also been remarkable on the othcr
side of the Atlantic. Austria's plan Of mo-
bIlizaticn has included twenty-eight vessels,
divided into two squadrons, one for the at-
tack and tho other for the defence Of the
Dulmatian coast. Germany's fleet. also di-
vided into two opposing squadtons, COM
prises twenty-six vessels under Vice-Admi-
ral DEINHART. including seven or eiRhtiro
clads. France. in her Mediterranean ma
nnuvrcs. employed moro than sixty vessels
and moro tEan 10000 mon. Tho English
manDuvres. conducted In the North Sea,
have as usual called out very largo forces.
comprising two main sQuadrons and two
smaller fleets.
Tie climax In the French manGuvres wns
an attack upon Toulon. which was defended
by forty batteries mounting l34 guns and by
torpedo boats. The attacking fleet. headed
by the Formidable. and numbering about
sixty vessels Of all sizes and classes, in
Guiding several OF the best modern French
armorcads. opened concentrated attack
against tho st. Mandrler fortiAcations and
after heavy firing forced their way into tho
harbor. One OF the lessons drawn from tho
manpavres, which this year wore very eat
isfactory. In spite OF few collisions, WIS
the excellent service OF tho heavy armorclads.
It was officially reported that those vessels
during nearly three days kept up high
rate of speed and without accident. 1t was
also laid down as proposition demonstrated
by experience that II a squadron OF armor-
clads o, Inferior speed is accompanied by an
adequate number Of swift unarmored cruis-
ers Or despatch vessels. 1t can inform Itself
Of the movements OF faster hostile squad
ron bound Tor tho wes tern Mediterranean.
and thus he allie to check It's designs. 1t
was further shown that tho vessels most
needed by France are large swift cruisers.
Still another noteworthy feuture was tho
successful employment OF a captive balloon
towed b. war steamer. The French orig
mated the use of balloons Oh Shipboard
three years ago, In experiments with the
Inplncable and lndomptable. and then
founded o regular naval balloon station
near Toulon. Last year these experiments
were repeated, with improvements In tow
Ing the balloon. ard this year a small
steamer took 1t along without difficulty. It
is found that the balloon, attached by a limo
several hun lred feet long, can be towed at
the rate Of ten knots, and that the COM
mander can ascend to any height required
for observing the cDemy, ana give bis orders
by signal OF telephone. Thus, after doing
away on war ships with the lofty masts that
once furnished lookouts naval science is
bending itself to supplying their place with
the captive balloon. In the next naval war
we may perhaps sec some officer winning
renown. like that Of FARRAGUT In the shrouds
at Mobile. by this new form Of going aloft TO
direct tho battle.
The British manPuvres lasted three weeks.
and ircluded both tactics and strategy OF
Importance. The critics fell upon them as
usual, finding fault with trivial details.
In the same spirit that caused ono OF
them. glsncing across to our side OF the
Atlantic, to declare that "the naval
mannuvres at New York were Q greater
fl SEQ even than the performances Of
Admiral TRYoS's and Admiral SKYMoUR's
fleets In British waters last year. and all be-
cause OF the fouling OF the cables OF the
Concord andth Newark. which is an Incl
dent hardly remembered here. Stu. 1t is