Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-10-30
DRILLING A FLEET.

The drilling of feet is a fascipa-
ting spectacle suggesting as nothing
else can the subordination of great
force to the control of single will
A few gayly -colored flags futter to the
main truck OF the flagship, remain for
two or three minutes, and are sudden.
ly hauled dow. Instantly the huge
ships begin to turn, to sweep around
in great curves, and to rearranee them.
selves in new formation. Or scat.
tered cruisers nearly hull down on the
horizon respond to summons, and in
half an hour come flying back to the
fleet, take up their appointed stations
and conform to it's movements. The
ease with which the 14.00O-ton BATTLE
ships swing round to their helms, the
speed with which they take up their
new stations, the quick responses and
the regularity Of movement are extra
ordinarily impressive.
For shore going parallel to the
feet one must imagine twenty one cav
airy regiments manuevering at a can
ter, each individually responsive to or
ders rapidly transmissible over long
distances. But on shore it would be
impossi BILE, except from balloon or a
commanding hill, to take in the move
ments at a glance. At sea one can
follow the evolutions of each ship. A
mistake, loss or gain of distance, a
superfuous or an inadequate turn, is
Immediately seen. and such signals as
Retaliation badly executed quickly
fly from the flagship to be read by the
whole fleet.
Unquestionably, an admiral wields
power for which general capnot
hope. A public rebuke is thing to
be avoided, and even if this is not
forthcoming any small lapse will be
noted by hundred pairs of eager eyes.
Moreover, a comparatively small mis-
take 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
feet is an eminently serious under
taking, and the accuracy of this drill
is the measure of the maneuvering
power of the whole assemblage of
ships. All turns, therefore, depend
upon the capacity of the captains and
their training Merely to keep sta
tion in cruising formation. following
in the wake of leader, is by no means
easy.
= Attention never for moment re-
Taxed, and the Judgment which comes
only with long experience, are alike
required. Helm and speed need per-
petual 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.
however, many more qualities must be
brought into play. The theorist talks
glibly of turning circles and affects
to believe that the handling of ship
can be reduced to mere geometry. The
turning circles of each ship are, of
course, recorded in every chart house,
but q variety of other conditions arise.
The evolutionary qualities of other
ships must be observed. Wind, tide,
speed or even the crossing of the wake
of another vessel materially affects the
turning circle. Here is no mere ques-
tion of referring to the signal book
and giving certain definite words Of
command. All the conditions con-
stantly vary; judgment is needed at
every moment; the education of the
eye in estimating distances and exact
knowledge of the capabilities Of the
ship are alike called for. The mere
theorist will, in fact, find himself
hopelessly incompetent, and the ef'
ficient handling of ship implies quail
tiles which it is not given to every
one to acquire. 1t is an art rather
than a science, and its possession
largely determines the fighting capa [
bilities of a nayy.-London Times.