The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-03
plosive engine or some new mode of mortar,

plosive engine or some new mode of mortar,
for instance?"
Mr.. Tracy shook his head That's in
the future" said he, that's in the future"
And he looked as If ne did not think the
future likely TO be a very near one, either.
well" said |. determined To make the
best Of the situation, ''it is encouraging to
know that If We are deficient in loading
stations, at any rate our vessels are con-
structed to carry SO much coal that some of
them can steam round the world without
needing TO take in coal"
"There has been a great deal of hum
buggery about that, the secretary replied.
People don't take into account the differ
ence between theory and practice. The
English especially have been hum ugged
about this matter, and | wrote an article
in the North american Rerje0 explaining
il. The fact is. coal has to be used all the
time aboard these ships, both when they
are at rest and when they are moving, for
a great many other purposes besides that
of loComotion. The result Is that ship
which. theoretically, can steam 1900
miles without recoaling. can as a matter of
fact steam but 5000, and one which. ac-
cordiug to the theory, Is good for 5000
miles has to stop at 1900. You must di-
vide the theoretical distance by two III all
cases
what is the character of our navy?" l
inquired.
THE men who man our ships are very
intelligent: they adapt themselves readily
to altered circumstances. battleshlp
now IS an entirely different thing from
what il was some years ago. All the sail
ing business-the going aloft, taking IN
and making sail and all that-are of course
done away with. The work of the man is
below. There are about thirty distinct
machines aboard one of our modern men
of-war; the machines for loComotlon, for
moving the anchors. the electrical ma
chimes and many others. In spite of the
complete change in the nature OF the
duties aboard snip, We have had no acct
dents. The English. on the contrary, are
having accidents and making mistakes ali
the time Our men are more intelligent,
careful and efficient.
ION the other hand though" continued
the secretary there ar. some serious
faults in our system. AS Things are now.
our heutenants are between % and ~
wears old before they can he promoted.
They have been subordinates SO long that
when the time for them To occupy an IN
dependent position comes, they have not
the nerve to fulfil its duties. No man who
reaches % without having had the dis
ciniine of responsibility Is ut to be en-
trusted with responsibility afterwards"
lis there no remedy for such state OF
thinss?" :
We'll. | have always been in favor of
increasing the number of rear aGmiraiS
from six TO ten There oucht 10 be new
adjustment generally The number of
lieutenant commanders might be advan-
tageously increaSed--might be nearly
doubled in fact Then, again. there
should be changes in the manning, rating
and command of vessels, with view To
bringing the younger men INTO more re-
spousible positions. Inc engineer corps
should he enlarged, and its training per-
fected TO meet the requirements OF the
rornplex and delicate mechanisms OF our
ships. But. with the best that We can DO.
the situation is open 10 grave criticism; II
is in many respects an anachronlSm, es-
pecially in a country generally so ad-
Vanced rs ours"
in case OF war how many seamen have
we2"
why. very few; only enough 70 make
nucleus for an effective force. But quite
lately something has been done 70" ARCS
forming naval militia a. various points
along the coast. qualified To be avahap9e IN
case of emergency. Organizations have
been established AZ Massachusetts, Ne"
York PENNSYLVANIA. Carolina, GeoTSla,
Texas and Callf0rnia"-I am not sure mat
other states We're NOT included-"aud the
department sends officers and proFldeS
ships for their periodical drilling ana n
struction. They have been pracuced IN
firing guns. and in firing them at targets.
which il about the most important thing
they can learn 20 DO. They have done
very we'll They cost little or nothing ana
are liable al any moment 10 become OF the
greatest practical value.
Are our present heavy ships IS easllY
handled as the old ships / asked.
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