The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-01
ToRPEDoEs AND BATTLE-sHIPs.

The destruction of the Aquidaban by a
torpedo-boat, following so closely after
the sinking of the Blanco Encalada by
the same agency. will probably insure the
adoption by Congress of the committees
recommendation that provisions be made
for the construction of four more torpedo
boats. When the Blanco Encalada was
sunk American naval officers said that the
disaster was chargeable TO the inefficiency
of her officers. They were ashore, or at
any rate not at the post of duty; the ship.
though lying in waters which contained
hostile craft, was at anchor with no
springs on Der cable and no steam in her
boilers. The Aquidaban was sunk after
a prolonged action, and was presumably
prepared for emergencies, though in bad
condition. 1t may be that both catastro-
phies might have been averted If the ships
had been under the command of American
officers of experience. But the fact re-
mains that the ships were sunk.
The incidents are calculated to
strengthen the faith of those who believe
in torpedoes and to diminish the weight
TO be attached to ex-Secretary Whitney's
depreciation of that engine of warfare.
1t may be true, as Secretary Whitney said.
that torpedo nets carried at distance of
from twenty-five CT thirty feet, or even
less, from a ships side furnish an effective
protection against torpedoes. Such nets
are a barrier against almost any torpedo
that was ever invented. They can easily be
handled and can even be let down while
the ship is under way. But there is always
a possibility of the net getting out Of gear,
or of the officers of the ship being too slow
in lowering it, and under these circum-
stances no feet can hereafter be cOnsid-
cred properly equipped unless it is accom-
panied by a flotilla of torpedo-boats,
manned by daring officers.
The work of the torpedo is one of great
difficulty and danger. With the search
light such craft can be detected at night
under ordinary circumstances before 1t
gets within striking distance. Such YES
sells as our three battle-ships can then open
upon it concentrated fire from their sec
ondary batteries of quck-fring guns. AS
the torpedo-boet is unarmored, it would
seem that it could not survive such a storm
Of shot and shell for many minutes. The
nearer it approached to the bstte-ship the
more destructive the fire would be; at the
point where it lets loose its torpedo it
would be almost certain to be fatal. Thus
1t may be said that an attack by single
torped0-boat upon battle-ship properly
equipped and commanded would be almost
sure death 10 the assailant, with compare
lively slight risk of injury to the battle
ship.
The result would not be as obvious il
the battles hip were alone and were at |
tackled by feet Of torpedo-boats. These |
little craft are new being built TO steam |
tWenty-seven knots for a short distance, or |
nearly a mile In two minutes. If six or |
eight of them attacked a battle-ship stimuli |
taneously, half Of the number might be |
sunk, but one of the remainder might |
break through the torpedo net and sink |
the ship. That is the reason why the |
European powers are building torpedo |
boats by the score, and why France
and England have 200 Of them afoat. In |
the time of the war when the ironclad
Merrimac- Virginia was fitted out for an
attack on New York. the naval authorities
agreed that no vessel of the Union navy
could undertake to stop her with any
chance of success. But plan was devised
to attack her simultaneously with fleet
of unarmed tugs. whose bows had been
strengthened with timbers aud which were
armed with iron beaks. The calculation
was that every tug which was struck by
shell from the ironclad would 20 to the
bottom, but that enough would remain
unhurt to cut her in pieces by ramminc
her at their utmost speed. The plan YVES
devised by Commodore Vanderbilt. who
rather woke up Father Welles by telling
him that the momentum of moving object
was the weight multiplied by the velocity;
$50 that, sir, will take my ship. the Van
derbilt. and drive her through any stone
pier that was ever built" The commodore
had no chance to prove his thesis, but
there was truth enough for ramming pur-
Moses in naval actions