The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-27

ter every twenty-five or fifty feet in the
channel and thereby exploding all the
carefully planted torpedoes in which we
trusted for protection.
The Whitehead torpedo is clgal
shaped submarine boat. the forward enc
containing the percussion fuse and eX-
plosive charge, the after end propeller
and gas engine. Discharged from tube,
the initial shock breaks bottle OF sui
phuric acid. This combines with other
chemicals and generates gas when
soon acquires tremendous pressure ano
working the engine, drives the torpedo
at furious pace against the enemy
That is, if it is aimed straight and noun
ing causes it to swerve from its path.
The faults of the machine, as applied &c
coast defence, is the short range at winch
it must be used in order to do the WORK
with precision.
The Lay torpedo is one That drags at
tor it an electric cable by which 1t is
steered by operators on shore. The prln-
ciple is good, but the Whitehead seems
to have met with more general favor.
Both these kinds can be guarded
against by torpedo screens hung around
the ship from the ends of spars and
Blooms, The torpedo, striking screen,
explodes or is DETECTED, and the ship is
untouched.
Another scheme for offensive protec-
ton is to rig all our tugs with torpedo
spars and turn them loose on the invader.
The Boston Record had an interview the
other day with Lieut.. Commander ). Z.
Solely, the able and experienced comman-
der of the Massachusetts, Naval Battal-
ion, who advocated some such plan.
Last summer the s'web-footed militia, -
in small torpedo boats, made night at
tack on the White Squadron at anchor in
Boston harbor. Whenever search light
struck boat, and the blank cartridge OF
a Hotchkiss gun crunched its timbers, it
was to consider itself sunk. In spite OF
the terrific cannonade, the Massachusetts
Naval Battalion was successful, and the
brave coast defenders were adjudged the
victors by board of arbitration, espe-
cially appointed for that purpose.
Yet the testimony of many officers and
men of the squadron goes to show that
Captain Jack didn't play fair; that varl-
Gus boats, legally sunk, frequently re-
appeared from behind some neighboring
vessel and rushed full tilt on a warship.
The great feat of the evening, however,
was that accomplished by the gallant and
impetuous captain himself, who dashed
through perfect storm of gun wads and
electric lights and placing terrible tor
pedo under the admiral's quarters on the
Newark, forced that ship to an ignomlnl-
GUS surrender.
The result might possibly be different
in torpedo boat attack on a vessel with
plenty of sea room, wandering about at a
20-knot clip, and casually dropping an
eight or ten hundred pound shell into
Boston each minute.
1t is condition of affairs like the
present one that calls our attention to
the matter of coast defense. Of course,
we cannot believe that Chill, holding the
small hand that she does, will be foolish
enough to call the United States. She
seems to be bluffing now in hopes that
she may be able to divide the stake and
come out even with the game. (The good
readers of the PRESS will, I hope, over
look the ungodly SMILEY But suppose,
for instance, that she persists in her ne
farious purpose. How are we situated?
Chill has but one vessel that can be
sent against us, the Captain Pratt, whose
guns for bombarding city have prob
able effective range of between 10 and IL
miles. She could not touch New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington or
New Orleans; but lying off in the open
sea, she has at her mercy Portland, Bos-
ton, Newport, New London, Charleston,
S. c., and Mobile.
At most, if not all of these ports, there
are points of land jutting out some
miles into the sea. Let the government
fortify these points. Let them mount
there as good guns as there are in the
world, 1--WE make them in this country,
and then the protection of the city is
more or less question of subtraction
of distances.
In our own case, mount a battery of
XII inch steel breech loading rifles about
five miles out on the Cape Elizabeth
shore. Then subtract this distance
from twelve miles the range of the
lacking ship comes close enough to reach
the city with her guns, she exposes her
self to the fire of twelve mile battery
working at the comparatively short range
of seven miles. If she prefers to at
tempt silencing the battery first, we
have the advantage because we can as
certain her range exactly by means of
two plane table stations separated by a
long base line and connected with the
battery by telephone. But the ship has
only her own length for base, and can
not determine her distance with such
precision.
Forts situated as are Scanned, Preble
and Gorges were sufficient protection in
the good old days of 'Long Mines and
Short Skies" Now they are subjects of
antiquarian research. We must follow
the tactics of modern war, throw our
skirmish line far forward and do most of
the fighting on that line.
Should the present entanglements re-
suit in war, it may be too late now to at
tend to this little matter of defence. And
if the CHILEAN cruiser pays us visit we
must, as cheerfully as possible, pay her
what indemnity she will accept, and
then economic on kite shaped race tracks
and public monuments.
In any event, we should have some
such protection as suggested. Boston
should have it. All the coast cities
should be provided with these powerful
outposts as far from the city as neces-
sary and as near to the bombarding vessel
as possible. No expense should be spared
to make these batteries of the best, for
the expenditure of a few hundred thou
sands might perhaps save millions OF
dollars.
Backed by heavy guns, torpedoes are a
good defence-if you've got 'em. But