Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-08-25
THE VICTORIA DISASTER
Lessons Which May Be Learned from
the Great Disaster.

There are two lessons which it seems
to me we can learn with great profit
in this country from the late disaster
The first is the necessity for squadron
drills, and the practical manoeuvring
of fleets. There is no amount of the
oretical learning which will give the
same results as this experience. Many
of our ablest naval officers i'll the
United States are deeply impressed
with the lack of practice of our own
men in these practical evolutiOns. 1t
would, in my judgment, be of great
value to the country and the service
could we have a series of practical
manOeuvres such as those in which
the late Admiral Tryon distinguished
himself in the British fleet movements
in 1888. That we have not been able
to keep up more or less constant prac-
tice by a squadron of evolution, is
not the fault of the department. Our
navy is small, and is necessarily, for
the protection of American interests,
scattered all over the world. The de-
mand for ships in distant waters is so
great, and the number as yet so few,
that we are not able to keep 4 large
| squadron in home waters, or mass
them in foreign countries. Undoubt-
edly, however, this will be changed in
the near future as new ships are put
in commission. At any rate, it is to be
hoped that our officers and men in
the future will have more frequent
opportunity for fleet drill, us it is the
only practical way to acquire great
skill and ability to handle ships in time
Of action, and is, moreover, the surest
method Of acquiring precision in that
most important things in the navy, the
art of signalling This leads to the
second and greatest consideration, the
Importance of the personnel. With all
his learning, persistence, skill and ex-
| perience; with all the secrets he has
Wrenched from nature and learned
from art, man has yet made no ma
chine superior to himself He may
cabin, cOnfne and chain the great
forces to do his bidding, but the SUI
preme intelligence which directs and
controls is after all the master Of the
situation. Think for moment OF
what depends upon the ability and
courage of the man who, in battle
stands in a small armored tower, into
which the light penetrates from a mere
slit between the rim and the roof
through which he must see every move
ment Of his enemy, and who directs
] every movement of his ship! On his
intelligence, learning, skill, courage
and nerve rests the safety Of the ship
and the life Of the crew, and the fina
out come of the conflict, he holds
in his hand the great powers, which
beget life and action in the ship, anG
at his touch she pours forth her fear
fully destructive energies; a single
false move, signal misunderstood, {
clouding Of his vision, the tremOr O.
his hand, the failure Of his heart, {
nervous collapse, an error Of judgment
: the lack Of experience, and, above all
a failure to possess quick and acute
intelligence, and the cool courage t.
act with great promptness, and thu
contest which may involve nations
: rights, it's honor, or the invasion O.
its territory, or the spoliation and hu
initiation Of its people, is lost beyond
retrieve.-Hon. William McAdoo il
: North American Review.