New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-28

aoencic. Of death and imprisoned seven h"hdic"
man in 4 whirlpool IF destruction. The suction
| 81 that en,rm us. heavily weighted snip a. II
settl,d rapdy 10 the bc:tcm was force when
r,,-,lvzc1 the s.ronge.; arm. The great Sr'ewS
, 1,;,.o, lax tho mighty mechanism in the water
FIGHT commandments were like murderou>
cr.hing-ml in the aby>mal pit into which
tho hcplc.s seamen were dawn. The ship was
| sinking with tremendous forces imprisoned ana
| unman,ceabl, in the cnginc-room. Those
force, were released by explosions under me
sea. TO the awful peril of the revolving KNIFE
blades were added the indc>"iibable horrors OF
something very like submarine volcano.
Whom the hurricane swept over the harbor
IF ,uil and drove the American and German
varship, on the reefs. the triumph Of Nature ;
devastating forces was not complete. There
vas one ship, the British Calliopc, wh!ch was
able T, steam out of the harbor by virtue Of
the superior power of her engines. That was
q convincing demonstration of the utility OF
modem mechanism. In the Tripod disaster no
similar source Of consolation Is IN reserve Tor
human pridc The fleet of batic>hipS repre-
scntel all that was progressive in naval awhi-
lecture and modern mechanics hut when the
wright and the metal worker had been cxaau>i-
cd in the construction of these formidable iron
cl,d.. their work seemed u tend only toward
destruction. Natnic was in her quie;cSt m1od
and had 10 part in the scene OF dcva>.liion ana
death The Victoria. designed by the wit OF
man ~ be nvulncIablc and fhmdablc. was
sent 10 ME bottom in one OF the simplest
manocuvrc, Of naval parade. Her armor. hey
heavy Guns. her enormous dimensions and her
complex mechanism combined TO facilitate her
destruction and f. prevent the rescue OF hcr
Officers and men. Every agency OF modern
scionre was con.rbut)ly f0lce T. seal the
doom of her brave men.
There i, ;, much that is appalling III the
details of the catastrophe that criticism oil the
conduc. Of either Admiral i diSlimcd. When
tho curt martial comes on and the expert. are
heard thee will be time 10 consider whether
Admiral Tryons manocuvre Of changing col
umn was extremely hazardous. or whether the
disaster was caused by momeniary hesitation
on the part Of Admiral Markham to follow the
signal Of the n,g>lip. The one overwhelming
thought which i inspired by TINS horror "i
naval horrors is the pcwcrle'snc.> OF mechanr
art to protect human life. and - direct ana con
troll the mighty forces which II employs. Inc
cour. martial when it assemblies may d'>cuS'
the fine ,nt> of naval tactics and listen TO the
learned explanations Of experts and con
s,ructors but the catastrophe has momcn'a'lN
discrclitpd modern science and human inicllI-
ccncc. There +, grim irony in a Wanted
lcviaihan'> playing al war AMI M II th'
bottom more hclplc,.y and speedily than 90
mmbu,'s fragile santa Maia in a West Indian
blow. With their rroulc.i baii!c'hip> demon
,tla,cd T. be little more than ine nou' death
tars from which escape i wc-n:gh impc,-
.ibl, in MINI. warfare one j., tempted = won
der what .oit Vt hgurr mcrirl> would make
if an intelligent observer from an thor pian'
could survey their marycl> Of naval progress