Smyrna times., 1896-12-09
THE MODERN BATTLE SHIP
For the Smyrna Times.

For the Smyrna Times.
Some day another Cervantes' will
level the Lance of Quioxtic ridicule at
the wind mill policy of maritime nat
ions endeavoring to excel each other
in producing costly and cumberous
Knights of the Sea.
There is such thing even in archi-
lecture as "Incompatibility of Temper"
a temper nullifying all adherence to
natural laws and sacrificing all sem
blance of comfort to the bugbear of in
vincibility.
And what of invincibility? First a
fort is designed, tier upon tier of bar
betted guns are arranged for firing at
all the angles Of the Quadrant, then
say that this fort is capable of throwing
II, 1,OOOpOunds of metal at one discharge,
and the fighting status Of the embryo
battle ship by comparison with other
ships of like discharge calibre is deter
mined. This being done, it becomes a
matter of detail to build hull to carry
this fort. Herein lies not the evolu-
tiOn, but the imitation of the modern
war-ship.
England has set the pace and pattern
for this innovation in marine architec-
ture at the expense of untold millions
of treasure and as yet has not produced
the ideal battle ship or what is of moro
Importance the elimination of struct
ural defect.
No class of men know better than
the executive officers of these ships who
are responsible for their care wherein
lies their structural weakness.
By this is implied that extreme
rlgidlty Of construction has yet to ac-
commodate itself to the wear and tear of
ordinary service.
In the equilibrium of fluids the
law of displacement inexorably de-
mands that certain concessions be
made before body immersed in that
fluid can be benefited by its buoyancy,
among these concessions not the least
is that of gravitation.
SO long as the molecular pressure of
water is exerted at all degrees radiating
from their centres, so long may insta-
bility be looked for in ships whose
centre of gravity unconciously climbs
SO high by reason of towering battle
ments encasing great guns as to en-
danger their very safety at sea by ex-
cesslve rolling and placing at a min
lmum the effectiveness of the power
full batteries they were especially de-
signed to carry. This tendency has
had the effect of retiring from use the
100 ton gun in the English Navy, and
to certain extent the ships themselves.
No amount of reasoning will explain
this defect away and while existing
will impair the eficiel cy of this type of
War ship fully one hal..
1t would seem that this deficiency
would be more than compensated for
by the heavily armored, Turrets, Bar
bettes and Topsides in action were it
not counter balanced by the ease with
which the lightly protected under
body is open to the attack of Torpedoes.
So it happens that a 1900, 600 ship is
easily at the mercy of a forty-dollar
torpedo rightly directed.
During the Rebellion the New Iron
sides with her battery of % eleven inch
guns held Fort Sumter and the numer-
GUS water batteries in contempt, but a
string of tOrpedoes across the harbor
always held in check any impulse to
steam up and train her guns on the city
OF Charleston. So of what use does
the strength of a Lion amount to if a
fly can hold it in check? How differ
ent was it with the swift Alabama
roaming the seas on destruction bent,
laving her sides now in the water of
the Pacific now in the Indian ocean
and swooping down like a Nemesis
upon the rich commerce of the Allan
tic. Had there been no gallant Win
slow in the Kearsarge to grapple with
her and shunt her beneath the waves
this fast cruiser alone would have be-
fore the war ended exterminated the
American commercial Marine, and that
too if hundred battle ships had been
in commission without her speed.
The United States profits by her ex-
perience, and when her naval lists are
filled with such splendid Cruisers as
the Columbia, Minneapolis, New York
and Brooklyn roaming the seas with
Old Glory flying in defiance, we as a
nation can go to bed and sleep we'll
o'nights.
JAMES B. SCOTT.