The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-10-14
NAVAL PROGRESS.

The Naval Intelligence Book for 1894
has been completed and proofs and ex-
tracts from it have been furnished to the
press. The authors, who are officers o.!
the navy, find in the facts it reveals
ground for deploring the supineness and
penuriousness of our Government in not
providing more literally for the increase
of our navy. The civilian will be ill.,
clined to chuckle as he observes how
much more money the nations of Europe
are spending than we do OH constructions
which in the present state of service are
of probematical value. England's pro-
gramme for this year contsmpates The
construction Of 10 vessels of all types, in
GLIDING ten battle-ships Of 1900 tons dis
placement, to be finished in 1897, 1898 and
1899. six battle-ships OF 5000 tons, several
armored cruisers and about 200 torpedo
boats. France is about to spend S54, 600, 900
in increasing her navy. Her plans con-
template the construction of sister ship
to the Charlemagne to cost 5000 900.
Germany. Russia and Italy are building
three ships to our one, including some
monster battle-ships. 1t is evident that
the question of popular taxation does n OF
countries.
At the same time the lessons of expert
ment are calling halt in the extensio of
engines of naval warfare. The English
manufacturers of ordnance have discov-
cred that the eDduraDc e of guns diminishes
as their caliber increases, and instead of
building more 13-inch guns, or guns even
larger, the Admiralty now holds that the
naval artillery Of the future will be of
moderate dimensions. A gun weighing
thirty-fve tons will probably be the ia
vorite for the next few years, while the
new frst-class cruisers are to be armed
with 6-inch rapid-fre guns. These are
also to constitute the secondary batteries
of the battle-ships. They can be fired ten
times in a minute. Some idea of the enor-
nous sums which Great Britain has been
spending on marine artillery may be in
ferred from the fact that there are now in
the navy-yards and gun foundries 29S
finished guns, VARYING from 16 inch to At
inch. What an investment in property
which may presently prove to be valueless
considerable portion of the report is
devoted to an account of the operations of
the battle-ship Aquidaban, which, for
more than six months, practically held at
bay the city and harbor of Rio Janeiro.
with It's well-armed forts and batteries and
feet. The writer's conclude that her
career demonstrates the usefulness of
battle-ships both for attack and defense on
a coast, and that without such vessels no
adequate line of battle can be presented
against a hostile fleet. 1t will be remem-
bered that these opinions were expressed
before the battle of the Yalu River, in
which the small Japanese cruisers Grip
pied the Chinese battle-shlps and para
lyzed them. 1t may also be observed that
the Aquidaban herself was sunk at last by
a torpedo from the Aurora, and there
seems to be NO reason why she should not
have met this fate several weeks sooner
On dark night the Aurora steamed so
close TO the big ship that most of the
latter's projectileS went over her decks,
and those which hit her did not do much
damage. Blossoms idea was that the
most formidable warship was the one
which offered the smallest target to the
enemy. We have swung round to the
opposite extreme to-day. We build battle
ships which no gunner c0nld possibly
miss, and at the same time we make shells
which convert the spot where they eX-
plode into a shamble Yet the naval
gentlemen who compiled this report think
that battle-shlps are capital thing and
that we cannot have too many Of them.
At the recent laval review in the British
Channel eighty-Dine ships of war were
Unanswered, and il was noticed with pride
that there was but one serious accident.
The jelly Jack tars were not so fortunate
in the Mediterranean; they could not
maneuver their feet without sinking one
of their big ships. 1t would seem that if
these leviathaDs we're sent into action,
they might be as dangerous to their con-
sorts as to the enemy. They are like lot
Of spiay-footed men in small room,
always treading on their own or each
others toes.
In comparison with the naval develop
ment of the maritime nations of Europe,
our own is slow and 10 the opinion of naval
officers humiliating. About half of the
new vessels Of our navy are practically
laid up at navy-yards for want Of crews.
and work on the new battle-shps has been
suspended for want of money. The Min
neapolis, which has already cost the Gov
eminent So. 100000, is reported by Naval
Constructor Eichborn as almost ready to
90 into commission, but as Congress failed
to pass the precipitation for an increase
in the number of enlisted men. she is lying
idle at Philadelphia. There are plenty of
officers to man her, but no sailors. Prob
ably Congress will be asked to authorize
an increase in the enlisted men of the
navy this winter.