New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-25

rrA r,,or-China war has demonstrated one fact
,ho, 8, &c nromotve OF a vide range OF discussion
and practical discussion on the advantages anu us
.dvanfages Of modern ships OF all types iHis - CO
n.cally noticeable since me great pat"' 'o'"
,.o opnosIng fleets at Yaloo River The Tribune mas
s-ven more or less space to most or the views az
vanced pv naval men the subject OF Da'teS''p'
,orsue cruisers" and while there are some aole au-
vocates OF the battleship policy. the majority op
nose batteships because OF there much src"'e' "''
and unwieldlness compared with swirl cruiser
A "Captain of a Battleship' In an exhaustive a'''-
Gle I'm London Engineering. sums up U'a' ''.' Gun
is the paramount weapon: that the RAM though
IA n properlv applied "a attended with so inuch
uncertainty and chance In its applicatloh anu u
lykclv to be SO injurious those using H. tha' ~
can scarcely be regarded as practical Weap," ~
rrntahea adj discharges in any ship larger than 'o'
pedo-buat are practical apSuruN'
The naval revolution has taken place so suuue"iy'
and with no naval war intervening TO HI the gap
mar thcrc has been no object-lessons In purely
naval tactics since the arrival OF the steer N'SS-o'
war until recently. The Captain or ba'ueSpip
maintains that the radical change IN the me'hous Vi
propulson is a far more important FACTOR Ill the
case than any change OF weapons or OF defensive
mower; in other words. that the greatest develop
mont has been by the steam engineering officers
n. believes that the Yaloo River fight has demon
strated that the ship or squadron possessing d
superiority OF speed will have the power OF bringing
on an action Immediately. the power OF aVoidhs one
altogether the power Of postponng an acuoh' 'he
power of selecting the distance the power OF choos
inc nos,ion with regard to the and wind, and
the mower TO dog and watch an enemy without
lighting at any time IL may seem desirable lot
strategic reasons. As between the hlgn-sued patue-
shps and the monitor stem vessels, IKE the Aiih-
tonomoh and others OF that kind in the American
Navy the same writer says that although the low
frecboard ships Gas the monitors arc) may not De
sighted dead TO wirdward the low freeboards might
escape by taking the wind abeam; but II IL came 10
actual dghting in rough weather. the ships or low
frceboard would have the advantage, presenting i'-
tie or no target
The vessels of the American Navy are not the only
ones that are sometimes run on rock, although
such accidents too frequently 10 satisfy the
taxpayers or to satisfy the officers VINO Deco'he
victims OF the court martial. The Cincinnati. when
she ran on an obstruction IN Long Island Sound
few days ago and punctured her bottom. steamed
about eighteen miles back to New-York. but wher
the Italian torpedo vedette boat Avo.taio touched
an n rock of Genoa about the same time she was
run ashore for safety and afterward was towed to
Spezzia She Is l5i feet long ana susiaed REM ~,
her bottom about 4. feet long pesdeS ioS'hs '"o
blades of her propeller.
Another English officer. writing on the Defects
OF Warshlps." critcises the method OF armor' ana
saws: THE weakness OF the unarmored extremities
NJ tho II battleshps in which 40 feet OF Their
sides are unprotected-that Is. 20 feet at the DOW
and sern-are liable to damage from the shock ana
vibration caused by firing their heavy turret ord
nance ahead and likewise to serious Injury In case
OF touching the ground He adds that there is a
further drawback OF heavy rolling. which greatly
r,ilitates against accu-a ~ % fire well inter-
feres with the needed rsp,dy OF working the guns
Further on he says: "Our lAS0lton vessels are in
tended to be propelled by 1900 horse power but the
French Chsrienagns and her two ss' lister ns a.
TO be driven by 1900 horsepower. This superiority
wound enable these or similarly propelled vessels TO
move round the large liners pouring into their long,
light unarmored ends a rain Of shell hre"