The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-15

der. Upon these San Francisco NAV relv
as she does upon her good police, her superb
Lre department AMI upon her arrangements
Ior water, sewerage and light.
Our navy has been much increased and
much improved siuch the above statement
was made. Tie torpedo boats and the
whole torpedo system have been slowly and
surely developing; The experimental NOR
Tar, firing so as to land shells within forts
or upon the decks Of approaching vessels,
has been constantly advancing, and many
good guns OF long range are in existence
our outer forts can be put in order up n
both approaches to New York harbor, so
that do not believe Italy, with her best
iron-clads, could get past our naval squad-
ron, our torpedo arrangements and our
shore batteries into any otfing that would
enable her TO practice upon the Brooklyn
bridge or the postOffice building.
The account Of the recent conflict in the
war now progressing In Chill is apropos
and indeed demonstration of the present
value or defensive works-works properly
located and manned. The iron-clad Blanco,
belonging to the insurgents, in an attempt
70 blow up the armed government
tug Florence, encountered a hot fire
of shot and shell from the forts
under whose guns the Florence was moored.
The BlancO could not withstand this fire,
and was forced to leave the harbor. The
same night a tOrpedo-boat and the Flor
ence steamed out of the harbor to attack
the BlancO. The ironclad, in company
with the sloop-of-war O'Higgins, DESTROYED
the attacking force, and again engaged the
forts with disastrous results to the ships. A
she'll from the fort struck the O'Higgins
and went clear through her Another she'll
caused the gun on her quarter deck to ex-
plode, with the result that the deck was
fairly form ont of tha ya.Go1 and nil
out of the guns crew of twelve were blown
to atom. The sloop was driven out of the
range Of the guns in the fort.
Thus the forts first drove an iron-clad out
Of the harbor. Again the next dav one
vessel was disabled, and another badly
damaged, and driven beyond range by the
defending forts. Here were used the three
lines of defense that we must employ
against the foreign enemy, viz: First, men
of-war; second, the torpedo boats and float
ing batteries; third, permanent works prop
erly located and well equipped.
1t rejoices my military heart that one
regiment of New York artillery is forming
as part of her national guard. The more
skilled military men we have the better.
may end my letter by saying that
Grants and Sherman's method of defense is
the best. 1t was to take the offensive as
often as possible. Our navy is not yet large.
We cannot divide it up too much. We can,
however, take the offensive very readily,
ever remembering that the little Mon
ltor slew the giant Merrimac. The pluck
or our naval men is equal to any emer-
gency that may come MP on the open sea-
This is not boasting, it is part of my faith.
If we are attacked, the cause will not be
that we mean to cover up crime, but to
defend our republican way of righting
wrong. May God defend the right and so
lead us to keep us from all war. But if war
comes, We must be ready.
o. o. HOWARD,
Maior-Gen. U. S. Army.