New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-02
POSSIBLE DEFENCES OF NETWORK.

A TALK WITH REAR ADMIRAL BRAINE ABOUT
THE NAVAL FORCES AVAILABLE HERE.
RearAdmlral Braine, Commandant Of the Naval
station Of New-York. seen at the Brooklyn Navy
Yard by Tribune reporter. The Admiral said I'VE
are not well prepared for war. I can not think
that Italy would seek a with this country,
but If she does she will not find wholly
unprepared. have at the yard now one Of the most
formidable fighting ships ahOat, the monitor Man-
toromoh. She has two guns OF teninch calibre
mounted in her after turret and the guns for her
forward turret at Annapolis, and could be got
here in short order If it She is ready
to go into commission, and would give any vessel
afoat hard fight. Then there is at the yard the
dynamite cruiser Vesuvius, with her capabilities Of
throwing great masses Of dynamite the old monitor
Nantucket which has stood hard battering. and
could stand lots more; the Alarm. with her torpedo
tubes; the Concord. Bennington and Terror The
Miantonomoh is however, the only fighting ship
now at the yard The Maine has not single Oh
her armor-plates on nor have they been delivered
They to have been here a year ago, but are not
delivered yet. II Italy means it would be i'm
possible to get the Maine ready In time. The Terror
also out of the question She is so incomplete that
long time must elapse before she Is in shape to
20 in commission. l have no fear Of an Italian ship
lying outside Sandy Hook and throwing shells into
New York. The guns on the battle-ships Of Italy
are mounted in such manner that it would be i'm
possible to elevate them sufficiently TO put a shot
into New-York They might reach Brooklyn. but
not New-York. have been on board those battle
ships OF Italy and have seen trials OF their guns In
the Bay of spezza. 1t is doubtful II great Italian
battle-shp would dare to force the entrance of New
York Bay and steam eighteen miles up to the city.
Distinctions might easily be placed in the narrow
channels which would render the entrance Of an
Italian feet impossible. The Army has a complete
system Of submarine mines with which the entrance
OF Throgg's Neck is already defended. and it would
tail m Ia Lower BAY.
the feet we could muster and the distractions we
could place II would be extremely difficult thing
for Italy to lay New-York under contribution. The
great weakness o, New York is by the way Of Long
Island Sound The forts at the passage of Throggs
Neck are ndefenslbe, and that passage once forced
York would be at the mercy Of any hostile man
war. But the value of hidden battery is as l
TO a 100 against known one, and where those bat
teries would be In case Of war Is known to no one
IAN Italian fleet might easily blockade New-YOrk.
however and stop that great tide o. commerce which
now daily GIBBS and flows through the Narrows. What
are our Naval resources Well with the exception OF
the Miantonomoh, there is not ship we have ahoat
that could face In fair fight one of the great battle
ships of Italy. Still. there several monitors up
the James River which ready to go into commits
sion at once, and would be now. In times past.
very dangerous fellows The Texas, battle-ship, is
not yet launched the Names armor Is not ready. and
the Others of our new Navy are simply commerce
battleships Of Italy, They are mere eggshells and
Hotchhss gun could kill their gunners and disable
them. l hope that the present crisis If 1t Is
crisis, will force upon the people the necessity q.
building fighting ships. / view with pain the building
by my country Of commerce destroyers What would
be thought Of an army organized for the purpose OF
destroying cities and villages and not for hghtlng.
You may destroy the commerce of nation. but YOU
cannot conquer it If you cannot fight 1t. Under
the pressure Of necessity much might be accomplished
but the building OF battle-ships is matter O. years
and the construction Of guns Of modern type not
thing Of day. The ultimate outcome Of a war with
Italy cannot be matter Of doubt, but in the mean
time we might be called upon to suffer great humil-
iation In the matter Of tOrpedoes we are wofully
deficient. BY torpedOes l do not mean submarine
mines We have experimental and talked and talked
and experimental. but yet we have lust two auto
mobile torpedoes, one at Newport and one at Wlets
Point used for purposes OF experiment ana lnstL9c-
tion That is all. As to coast deences TO supple
ment the operations OF naval force why. coast de-
fences are a minus quantity in this country: When
will the country give up its lalsseZ faire policy Inc
nosslby of the seabOad cities Of this country belng
placed under contribution by foreign Power should
not be a subject for discussion at time like TINS.
n onrht to be entirely out OF the question: trust
however that will not come until we are oetter pre-
pared for it,"