The Cape Girardeau Democrat., 1895-10-19
DRILLING A FLEET.
A Few Flags Guide the Many Rapid Evols-
tiuns.


a Few Flags Guide the Many Rapid Evois-
tions-
The drilling of feet is a fascinat-
ing spectacle, suggesting as nothing
| else can the subordination of great
force to the control of single will.
A few gayly-colored flags hutter to
the main truck OF the flagship, remain
for two or three minutes, and are sud-
denly hauled down. Instantly the
huge ships begin to turn. to sweep
I around in great curves, and to rear
range themselves in a new formation.
Or scattered cruisers, nearly hull
down on the horizon, respond to a
summons, and in half an hour come
| flying back to the fleet, take up their
| appointed stations, and conform to its
movements. The ease with which the
fourteen-thousand- ton battle-ships
swing round to their helms, the speed
with which they take up their new sta
tions, the quick response, and the regu-
| larity of movement are extraordinarily
| impressive. For a shore-going paral-
| lei to this fleet, one must imagine
/ twenty one cavalry regiments ma
| neuverinG at a canter, each Individual
I " responsive to orders rapidly trans
missable over long distances. But on
/ shore it would be impossible. except
/ from balloon or a commanding hill,
to take IN the movements at a glance.
| At sea, one can follow the evolution of
each ship. A mistake, loss or gain
of distance, a superfuous or an in
/ adequate turn, Is Immediately seen,
! and such signals as Retaliation badly
executed" or "Clytemnestra keep sta
ton" quickly fly from the flagship to
be read by the whole fleet.
Unguestionably an admiral wields a
power for which general can not
, hope public rebuke is thing to
I be avoided, and even if this is not
! forthcoming any small lapse will be
noted by one hundred pairs of eager
! eyes. Moreover a comparatively small
! mistake may involve disaster. We
may club our cavalry without
! real harm, but the contact of two of
/ these great ships moving at ten knots
may mean the loss of one or both. The
| drill of fleet is an eminently serious
J anu JilC hCCul VI Nlllo
! drill is the measure of the maneuver-
! ing power of the whole assemblage of
! ships. All turns, therefore, upon the
! capacity of the captains and their
! training. Merely to keep station i'll
cruising formation, following in the
/ wake of leader, is by no means easy.
/ Attention never for a moment relaxed
, and the Judgment which comes only
with long experience are alike re-
! quired. Helm and speed need perpetual
! alterations. and the requisite changes
must be carefully estimated, or the
ship will continuously Oscillate to
; starboard or port, in advance or astern
/ of her station. In evolutions, how
ever. many more qualities must be
brought into play. The theorist talks
glibly of turning circles" and affects
to believe that the handling of u
ship can be reduced to mere
geometry. The turning circles OF
each ship are, of course, recorded
! in every chart house, but a
| variety of other conditions arise. The
evolutionary qualities of other ships
/ mist be observed. Wind, tide. speed,
| or even the crossing of the wake
= of another vessel materially affects
the turning circle. Here is no mere
question of referring to the sig.
nal book and giving certain definite
words of command. All the conditions
, constantly vary; Judgment is needed
at every moment: the education OF the
eve in estimating distances and exact
: knowledge of the capabilities of the
ship are alike called for. The mere
! theorist will, in fact, find himself hope
lessly incompetent, and the efficient
handling of a ship implies qualities
which it is not given to everyone tC
acquire. 1t is an art rather than a
science. and its possession largely de.
termines the fighting capabilities OF
of a navy.-London Times.