The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-04

not exact for the largest guns. but is cor
rec. for the smaller, and is nearly correct
for the larger.
The battleships are armored cruisers of
less speed and coal capacity with greater
gun power and thicker armor. Our sec
ond-class battleships. the Maine and Tex
as. have a speed of seventeen knots. with
four 10 or 12-inch and six 6-inch guns for
the primary, and twenty guns for the
secondary battery. The first-class battle
ships Massachusetts, and Oregon. of 10, 2SS
tons displacement. have each four 13-inch
eight S-inch and four 6-inch as primary
batteries. and thirty rapid-aring guns as
secondary batteries The Iowa is II 40
tons displacement and has slight varia-
ton IN her battery. while the two battle
ships allowed by the last congress viii
carry four 1s-inch. four S-inch and four
teen 5-ineh guns IN their main batteries.
which Will be the finest armament OF any
hattleship OF their class. The 1s-inch guns
weigh sixty-one tons They fire projectiles
weighing 100 pounds. the powder charge
being 80 pounds II IS diflcult 20 realize
the energy that Is generated by such a
charge and stored IN the she'll when il IS
Hired But as a matter OF fact, as the
projcctile leaves the muzZle il has energy
enough 20 lift f00oA-ton hattieShip three
feet, and when all the guns OF our first
class hattlcships are fred they throw n
weight of proieetile OF 5a26 pounds with
total muzzle energy OF 200 0o0 foot
tons. sufficient 20 lift the battleship TWEEN
" feet.
Upon the completion or the ships now
allowed by congress our feet win consist
or fifteen Eunhoats sixteen cruisers two
armorcd cruisers. SIX coast defense YES
sells. two second-class and six first-class
h2tfleships. This VIII give us q feet OF
sixteen lighting ships as the cunhoats
ard cruisers would not he expected TO
iight avmorcd cruisers.
Tho cruisers. however. form a very inn
portsnt Part Of TIRE feet. on account Of
their suecd they would IN wartime DESTROY
the crcmv's commerce. serve as scouts
and nEht vessels OF their own class But
the future naval battle VIII depend. as Il
always has. on the vessels that are esne-
cially constructed for lighting purposes.
Since the completion Of steel-clad shlrs
with high-powcr guns. and automobile
torpedoes no war he's taken place that
has shown what they can do - properly
fought ~ the battle % the Yalu river.
between the Chinese and Japanese. and
throughout the Chino-Ja panese war tho
iar'nciIal lessons learned were the inn
portaucc Of battlcships. the terrible effect
Of rarta clsn FIRE and the ease with which
tbe woodwork IN the living quarters 81
the men and ot'1ceys IS tgnitef by exploa-
ing shells. During the Nalu fight the
Su0srlatlve value 81 Ere hattieship. az
compared With any other tvpe 81 vessel
Ter wavIIke operations was Well shown.
n that battle the Japanese IRE wss TO-
the greater part of the time directed
mainly aSairst the two Chinese hattl,-
shi7s. ore 90 which was hit 40 times
NotwttNsta-f tt's terrific FIRE and the
great number % 'irlrs these vessels were
hit they were practically u0iuSurcf
JUST how n modern seet should bc
fought &c question The world waits for
fho t'~riH'e ordeal q war - learn bow
TIE human element. IRE most Important
factor. Nil 30 its work with the uumer-
o}fs weapons a. SIS disposal But orc
thirg q C@~ta'~. The outer lire 81 defense
ot our country, rs with an maritime ma
FLOWS. ~ests urcn the battIeshius In ,trre
- war the navv wili not cuiv ~ expected
On rEht. hat e wil ~ called upon 20
guard the principal cities - patrol our
lao0a miles - coast lire and prevent the
enemy from houaharitnC our many sea-
port towns The honha rFirneut % city
means more tha1 the words imply. while
notice - now always given. in order that
the women and children NAV Get away
the suffering = invariably immense. rs
the usual food supply Of cities liable % BE
hombarae1 IS sure 70 diminish AID may