The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-15
THE RAM IN NAVAL WARFARE.
Suggestions From the Recent Disaster
in the North Sea.

Suggestions From the Recent Disaster
in the North Sea.
The sinking of the North German LLOYD
steamship Elbe by the British steamer
Crathie, with its resulting loss of life, in
evitably revives the discussion of the ire
mendous distructiveness OF the ram as a
weapon in naval warfare. The rapidity
with which the Inflated steamship went
down and the comparatively small size of
the vessel that struck her are points that
are rightly considered to be significant.
They show that even inferior craft, like
tugs, if they have sufficient speed, might
be employed as rams.
Then the fact that the Crathie was able
to go to port without Difficult is sug-
gestive, writes a correspondent of the New
York Sun. 1t appears that her stem was
completely carried away above the water
line, but she was able to return to Rotter-
dom. Yet the damage to her was more
| severe than to the ramming vessel in
some other collisions, the case of the
! schooner that sank the Lady Elgin being
one among many tn US recalled. 1t is also
not quite certain how much damage the
Crathie really sustained. But in any case
the destructive power of vessel built like
! the katahdln, expressly for ramming, and
her defensive strength, derived from
| specially constructed PROV, must be OBJ
vious. She might sink ship like the Elbe
and do herself no harm of consequence.
mo blow" said the report of the Mccain
Board, often known as the Policy Board,
(which can be inflicted by any weapon
other than a mine or a torpedo carrying
very large quantities of high explosive can
compare in effect to that of vessel NOV
ing at high rate of speed"
On the other hand it remains to be seen
how far the disaster to the Elbe might
| have been minimized by q system of bulk
heads better constructed or better operated.
Perhaps it may be some time yet before
detailed knowledge can be had of whether
! the bulkhead doors were closed and
whether one lesson in this case is not
practically the same as in the case of the
Victoria. But, be the responsibility what
it may of constructing ships that cannot
wholly be sunk as the result of collision, it
remains true that war vessels as now con-
| structed are in great danger of a ram that
can strike the machinery compartment
below the water-line. 1t is reported that
the Elbe had fewer com artments than the
most modern steamships and that she
had bulkhead doors where now it is
recognized that the only safety is in
| solid partitions. Suggestions of rusty
doors and other causes of failure to shut
off promptly the flooded apartment from
| others have been made. Again, it is
thought that the Elbe was struck at the
| pulkhead aft OF the engine-room, possibly
breaking in two compartments. But, look
| ing at the matter in any way, it is evident
! that the attack of hostile ram, which can
| be repeated II necessary, must be more
dangerous than an accidental collision.
As as offset we have the vigilance of the
attacked vessel in a combat, and her ability
to avoid or diminish the damage of an at
tack by maneuvering. Many of the acct
dental collisions occur in darkness or fog,
when there is no time to move so as to
avoid collision.
Perhaps after the Katahdin goes into
commission, which will doubtless be at no
distant day, since she will soon have her
trial trip, something may be learned in
practical experience of the hardness of
vessels expressly built for ramming. The
general belief in the capabilities of this
form OF warfare may be judged from the