The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-08-08
CAPTAIN II. G. TAYLOR.
president Naval War college,

president Naval war college,
letto, and there gun cotton, smokeless pow
der and the illuminate Of mercury for fuses
are manufactured, and the steel used In
new warships is tested.
The war college proper was founded In
1884, and Admiral Luce was It's first pres
ident. Two years later he was succeeded
by Captain Alfred Il. Mahan. During his
presidency the college made wonderful
strides, and his book, "Sea Power In
History, termed by Gladstone the great
est work of modern times" was based
upon his first course of lectures at the
naval war college. After Captain Mahan
was detached from the college to do duty
In Europe the Institution was placed in
charge Of Commodore Francis M. Ramsay,
and during his presidency it languished
somewhat, not perhaps because of any per-
sonal remissness on the part of the COM
modore, but because OF an opposition to
the college among many influential naval
officers.
But better times were coming for the
Newport college. Assistant Secretary of
the Navy James II. Soley became interest
ed in it, and as result the old Newport
poorhouse which had hitherto been its
domicile was abandoned and the present
This structure was formally opened In
1892 with great ceremony, but during the
following summer the institution again
languished, no orders were issued for sum
mer lectures and the building was largely
occupied for other purposes than that for
which 1t was designed. Then Admiral
Luce, the real founder of the college, came
to its rescue, personally pleading with
Secretary Herbert and Assistant Secretary
McAdoo that the college should not be al
lowed to go down. Assisted by Captain
H. @. Taylor, who has since been made
president, the admiral prepared scheme
Of study and maneuvers which were sub
mitted to the secretary and his assistant
l. was held by the admiral that some spe-
cial instruction of the officers of Uncle
Sans navy was absolutely necessary If
they were to be fitted for actual service In
case of war. For 80 years, 1t was pointed
out, the United States had been at peace
with all the world. During much of that
| time the navy had been much neglected.
| Within more recent years IL had been
| greatly improved and its officers and men
| carefully drilled and instructed. But dur
ing all the 30 years, the admiral further
pointed out, these officers had had no prac-
| tice and but little tactical instruction.
such as they could receive at the naval
war college. There was much opposition
to the scheme for the institutions s revival,
chiefly from the older and more conserva-
| tive elements in the navy, but Admiral
! Luce was well backed by the younger and
more progressive element, success finally
rewarded his efforts, and the season Of
| 1894 was the most brilliant In the history
Of the college.
1t Is not possible in the brief space Here
at command even to outline the scope of
the institutions work. A course of lee
| lures, now about half finished, was begun
in June to extend during that month, July
and August. In September the solution of
a carefully prepared war problem will be-
| gin. Briefly and perhaps inadequately,
this problem is here summarized;
On May 10 war is imminent. The en-
emy is assembling at Halifax and proposes
probably to occupy tho New England coast
as far as Boston. To be successful occu-
patton must be completed before June 10
and maintained for ono month. The en-
emy's force consists Of feet three times
as strong as that of the United States, with
10000 men In 90 transports. The Amer
lean fleet Is 8 battleships, 8 armored cruis-
efs, 10 unarmored cruisers, 10 gunboats,
~ tOrpeuO DOath anu ona ram. III Is ordered
to assemble at Nantucket sound. War is
declared on May 20, The enemy's fleet
leaves Halifax, occupies Provinoetown and
blockades Boston harbor on May 23. Later
1t approaches nearer and goes through va
rious evolutions which need not be detailed
here. To the study of repelling the en-
eniy under these circumstances the "a
members Of the present class three oi
whom are officers OF the revenue marine
"a are line officers and one Is a Danish Off
Ger, admitted by special request, are devob
ing much Of the summer time, and the leo
lures have been laid out with reference C
assisting In Its elucidation. Besides, there
are various naval games to be played, chic
of which are "the duel, " tactics" ant
STRATEGY" apparatus and rules for thl
eaying of which are proyidad'