Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-21

nance of the present day carried by, foreign
battle ships is the source of grave appre-
hension and the inspiration of general
query as to how this helplessness may be
overcome. The men who have studied the
frt of war in its most practical sense, and
who are familiar with it's engines and i'm
Elements, as artisans are with their tools
and appliances, giving the question SCI
rious ana careful consideration, and espe-
cially is this the case among those peions-
ing to the naval branch of the government
service.
has so studously and impartially investia
gated the subject as Admiral James A
Jouett. Years and years ago he earned the
famous sobriquet which makes Fighting
Jim JoUett' an inspiration to the younger
officers in the service, and sets the tongues
of the old tars wagging with tales OF daI-
ing and heroism. 1t would be almost idle
to repeat the story of his brave life, be
cause that Is indeibly written upon the
brightest and ploodiest pages of the ma
TONS history.
Our Unprotected Coasts.
Admiral Jouett. hearty and jocund, and
bearing his years as though his body was
as young as mis- heart, was met by a Star
reporter this morning. and the talk natu-
rally turned on the subject of our coast
defenses
coast lnes now, said the admiral, with
q serious expression. Our coast cities are
at the mercy of any foreign fleet which
may visit them with hostile intent The
conditions should not be allowed to con-
tnue any longer than it will take common
sense, which is another name in this In
stance for the instinct of self-preserYation.
and money to remove them. Gen. Miles,
continued the admiral, recommended IN
his last report the erection of a line OF
fortilications along the coast. Ihey would
cost $50, 600 or 100000, and would I'M
doubtedly be very good things, but 1T Is
difficult to see where they could be eihca-
cious when modern fighting ships can lie
off twelve, thirteen or fourteen miles from
shore and set our cities on fire. while it
would be impossible to see those ships
when they were more than eight miles out
from shore"
No Necessity for Experiments.
1--WE have the means at hand to protect
ourselves from foreign attack in abundance
without INDUCING in experiment. What we
want for the safety of coast and its
thriving and populous cities are forts, to be
sure, but not stationary forts. Floating
forts are the necessary adjuncts to our sys-
tenn of protection against loss or invasion
from without.
Yes, we have them now" he went on. in
reply to the reporters question. The Puri-
tan is the most powerful fighting machine
aloat She is simply invulnerable to at
tack and irresistible in assault That Is the
type of vessel we need-the Monitor class
modified to meet requirements.
Look at the Monterey" continued Ad-
mral Jouett with ring of enthusiasm in
his tone. THE reports to the Navy Depart
ment from Captain Kempff revelations
to the student of naval warfare In one of
those reports he declares that while at sea
in the Monterey he experienced two gales
as strong and violent as any he had ever
known
Fought the Batteries in the Gales.
"In pitching, tossing sea on both occa-
sions he ordered the men to quarters and
fought the batteries without difficulty,
when, he declared, 1t would have been i'm
possible to have fought the battery of an
ordinary man-of-war. Another point in one
of the reports from Captain Kempff is re-
markable in another important particular
The average ship of war is prevented fire.
quently from rendering necessary service
by reason of her immense draught. When
the Monterey was at the mouth of the Co.
lumbia river she found there a merchant
vessel that couldn't get over the bar. The
Monterey, however. went in and slipped
over 1t without difficulty.
There should be no reason" said Ad
miral Jouett, with all these splendid object
lessons at hand, for the government to hesi-
tate an instant in selecting the most eff
cities"
The Puritan Can Whip Anything
AHont.
Again referring to the extraordinary
fighting machine which we have in the
Puritan, Admiral Jouett said:
II consider her capable of whipping any
battle snip afloat for these reasons-frst,
she carries very heavy battery. which
She can fight in any seaway; second. she
has a twin screw and is easily unanswered
and third, she has but thirty inches free
board, W hich can't be seen two miles and
which presents only a very remote oppor-
tunity for getting struck in a battle. A
battle ship on the contrary, has from
twenty-five to thirty feet free board from
the water line up that presents a good
target at distance from which the Puri-
tan's decks can't be seen.
This class of vessels" continued Ad-
miral Jouett. draw but fourteen feet of
water against over thirty feet by a battle
ship. The Puritan can seek harbors and
inlets of secluded sort and run out at
will and strike the enemy. Her decks
will admit of the finest possible torpedo
platforms and the cost of such a magnifi-
cent fighting machine this is about a
million and a quarter against four millions
and over for a battle ship And too,
monitor like the Puritan can be built in
half the time a battle ship can.
The Navy the Nation Needs.
I should consider our northern coast per-