New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-16
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD.
rr.rs WITH TORpEDOES AND PROTECTIVE
DEVICES
uuRRYING VESSELS ALONG AND sENDlN" i"i'
TO DUTY-TIIE NETWORK COMING HERE
,.u,NcrS ~ OFFICERS DUTIES.

uuRRYING VESSELS ALONG AND sENDIN" i"ii
TO puTY-TuE NEwYORK COMING HERE
CHANGES IN OFFICERS DUTIES.
Tho torpedo boat Gushing started n few days ago
for Moxach Bay TO begin a long series ol "s' Vi
,orn.does and torpedo netting which hau Deeh co"
,omna,ed for some time. These tests nave d" III
portant bearing upon the future armament o' 80
o, the Navy with this kind OF weapon anu p'o..,',"
and value which naval officers cannot no" e'
Tho net l., one those protective oeNioc' a",
which naval officers Of all nations have diverse views
Some arc strongly convinced that Their. WIZ never Nv
any better protective device for snip u''ue ."
-, GOA than good loolouts from the tops ana 'h'
| ridge and a general readiness for immeoi"" VIZ,
and all seem TO be agreed that III caSe VI ""' w."
officers of the batteShips and big cruisers wien 'o
,.,o boats ar. likely to shoot out from alho'' '"'
direction would better follow " Brer haoo'' ''u'
sci and lay low -
A., oricsr a, the Navy Yard. speaking OF the tor
odo NET on Friday when on the batlcship or o'ooo-
ton armor.d cruiser Maine, said ships ol 'his SUN
when under steam sea, Will aNali thehse'o' vi
all tho protective devices which moderh mNeD.Io"
and modern progress may pat at toeir DISPOSAL NV
o,d cruisers will OF course. have speed IN their
favor and II torpedoes be discharged a' '"e"' ,
nossiblv he able to -manoeuvre the weapons f"s'
craft will no difficult to hit II properly handled.
BRITISH EXPERIMENTS
.rh. o,,erence, with rpcdo resisting nets In
tho r.cent Ell,sh feet mano,uvi did not prov 'h''
h ,e,s could be quickly placed. The fist operation
was exceedingly slow. but subsequently the nes "c'o
rlnced with greater rapidlty But even wheh 'he'e
not, were down It shown that they "ouiu ho'
stop A modern torpedo running at hijl speed anu i
net which takes long 10 handle does not so''h i
desirable adjunct 10 a batleship. IL Is OF COURSE
advantageous II nothing else VIII serve Instead OIL H.
Then again the placed net seriously crppies the
inability of IN. ship using II. II Is not Desirable ior
, ship TO get under way with her nets out ana II
IA. choose, 10 take tn. risk. she can only move AT
"A snail, pace.
suppose. t,r instance. an Iron clad squadron W p
anchored In an undefended harD0r. anu P'o'e'"
sr,n. the attack Of torpedo boats by means OF nets
at,.d ne n, are attached to the majority Of battle"
ships and the cnemys iron-cnd squadron h"nvrs III
sight from senward with the intention N attaching
In fore. aud at once: what i To b" don" Of! WIN 'ir
nets ont the ships cannot mnnoeuvre anc !" get 'he
net, I'm requires time Of grace which the enemy VIII
ma, Grant II +, deemed by that the modern
t,rp.does have power enough TO enable th"m III
certain circumstances. 10 pierce any net now rAN'hs
and Il I, nl,, declared that. II the torpedo VIII
not do II, the new device OF shears which can De-
aunchd TO ,orpcdoes will do II. Even If this not
true II /, fact that after torpedo II modern
typ. 4, discharged nj and exploded In contact with II
,h,ns nets ia. whole defence In the neishborhood OF
the explosion will be seriously dsorgnnzed n
an entrance
The fact l. there does seem to be anything
in the way OF armOr net protection which VIII
Withstand the attacks Of modern weapons Take, for
instance. tho ram which now Is part OF the con
,tructon Of All modern warShps; the poGt Of 1t Is
80 much below the line Of the arm0r belt that,
I'm the case Of the Camperdown-vlctorla collision
ship afoat can be sunk n struck And the torpedo
Is a weapon capable Of doing such destruction that
no naval clnmors for war. The mental and
ply sicaT str1n which those who participate In the
next naval war will he exposed will be Of the most
terribly trying nature steam power. always the foe
II rest. has Of late developed to such extent to
seriously threaten murder sleep In wnr time nj
and the troublesome consequences Of the high develop
nent Of steam power have been intensified BY the
abolition In modern ships Of masts and and by
the attempts which have been made 10 give the
smallest and least conspicuous cmft-ihe torpedo
cruiscr-thc greatest amount Of speed
DEPARTURE OF THE DOLPHIN
There have been few changes In the Navy Yard
wthn the week In regard TO The movements of vessels.
The dispatch boat Dolphin, which has taken the place
OF the Despatch, which wrecked the coast
two years ago, Is in every way better fitted for the
special service in which she Is now employ ed-that
Of being the Official yacht Of the Executive branch OF
the Government, well for making trips Of quick
dispatch between the several naval stations-than any
other vessel In the Navy. She has had the necessary
Dverhaullng al the Navy Yard and has had tie sub
merged part OF her hull scrapcd Of all the growth
which accumuates rapidly upon the modern steel
vessels. Her hun thoroughly inspected TO find
whether there any deterioration from corroson
other cause. She has had repaired the three bow
plates damaged in the collision with the British tramp
In the North River at the time Of the Naval
Review. on Wednesday she started for Washington
TO take Secretary Herbert his Official tour to the
scvernl Navy yards. The Secretary's long experience
rs n member Of the House Naval Committee suggests
20 him the necessity OF obtaining knowledge OF the
condition OF affairs Of the Navy from personal OBJ
servaon so that on tbls tour he only does what
Is expected OF him, but he does II In a thoroughly
practical way.
The cruiser Baltimore, which Is being made ready
for three years cruise In the Asatic Squadron as
flagship OF Rear-Admral John Irwin. looks almost
rs good as new with her paint and furnishing II
+, not probable that she will get away before the
middle OF August, there Is considerable to do on
her vet and she also has to go into the drydock for
tho cleaning OF her hull and for coat Of anti
corrosive and antfoung paint Then she Will
start for China by way Of the Suez Canal.
TIE CONCORD MAY GO TO SIAM.
The crinboat Concord has already started for China
and her stop will be ut Gibraltar She will then
20 by way OF the Suez Canal 10 Alden. Arabia where
orders will be- found for her movements This precau-
on has been taken because 0f the disturbed condition
Of affairs between France and siam. II the troubles
hive not subsidized by the time the Concord reaches
Alden she will BE- directed to go direct to Bangkok
Instead OF going without stop from Singapore to Hong
Kong Aside from the American missionaries, how.