Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-05-11
NAVAL. WARFARE.
Vastly Different Now from the Time
of Decatur.

Vastly Different Now from the Time
Of Decatur.
The usual spring war cloud which
lowered over France and England and
the little quarrels of the United States
with England and Spain served to re.
awaken interest In naval development
and navy tactics. While 1t Is not at all
likely that the United States Is IN dan.
ger Of Immediate war, Notwithstanding
the clustering and bravado Of certain
Of our public men, It Is not an Idle thing
to consider what such war would be
like. II with any European power but
Great Britain 1t would be wholly a
naval war and under conditions entire.
~ new, for since armored vessels came
ntO existence naval warfare has been
tevolutIonixcd. That brave and inter.
csting little fight In Hampton l,oads be-
tween the Monitor and the Merrlmac
hirty.three years ago revolutionized
modern war. Since that day there have
been suCA vast improvements in sea
fighting machines, for that Is what
men.of.war are, that no one can fore.
tell what the next experience will be,
and It Ii this uncertainty, perhaps,
that keeps nations on their good be.
havlor.
II Nelson or Decatur could revisit
this terrestrial globe he would not know
his quarter deck, and oil his seaman.
ship would be useless. The maneuver.
Ing for the weather gauge ID lost art,
for steam has conquered the winds and
the waves. Nelson used to shy, when
they talked to him about Napoleon,
that all he wanted was ITO get Bony
on . wind" but that would not suit his
purpose now. He must have vessel
that can carry tons and tons Of coal,
besides Its armament, and steam at
the rate Of twenty or twenty-five miles
an hour.
Nelson brought the art Of naval war
to perfection with the means he had.
A battle in his days depended upon
the wind, and to obtain the weather
gauge was the first maneuver. Tho
vessels were made Of heart OF oak,
with huge masts covered with thou.
sands Of yards Of canvas, that had to
be handled while in action. A ship
was manned by hundreds Of sailors, and
carried sixty. seventy, eighty or hun.
dred guns. In a battle Of fleets tho yes.
sells were laid close together, yardarms
were locked, boarders dashing from
one ship to tho other, and hundreds Of
men were slain. But the ships were
not injured greatly, and were often
carried OF % prizes and rchtted for
the victor's navy.
No such warfare II possible now, for.
though fleets would undoubtedly give
battle to each other. there could DO no
hand.to.hand conflict. Tho arms they
carry would bc apt to settle tho mat.
ter. and the best and most accurate
gunnery would win. From tho accl.
dents that have occurred. like the sink.
Ing of tho Victoria, II II known that
an armored vessel injured below the
water line sinks like an iron pot, with
but little chance for the crow.
Tho changes made under the influence
Of modern science make naval war.
fare IN unknown field for tho seq war.
rior. Naval strategy, Of course. re.
mains unchanged, for that has relation
only to tho movement Of fleets and YES.
sells Of war. But naval tactics which
havo to do with the actual lighting Of
fleets will have to DO greatly changed.
All that Nelson asked or ordered was to
DO laid alongside Of one Of tho cnemy's
ships. In the war of the future that
order will not DO made. for 1t cannot bo
executed.