Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-10-08
Naval WRrfarsi Present aud Future.
FIRED T. Jane, 10 the October FORUM

We are still blindly cropping when we
dream of the naval warfare of today or to-
morrow. All We actually know is, that
the penetraive powers which we assign TO
our guns are entirely mythical when tested
in actual practice: and that we have no
reliable data, by which we can correct. and
make proportionate scale.
Near or far, however, it needs no gift of
prophecy to foresee some OF the things that
will happen under present-day conditions.
Increased range will merely prolong the
early stages Of an action. Sooner or later
all unarmored portions Of the battleships
will be blown 10 pieces; wreckage of top
hamper will gradually block the guns;
shot-holes in the tunnels will reduce the
speed and make the engne-room an in
ferno OF heat. Two hundred degrees
Fahrenheit may be looked for there: and
il will have to be endured as best ii may.
The water-line is little likely TO be hit.
but rents Just above it will be plentiful
enough where there is no armor; and il
there should be any sea on. the tons of
water thus shipped will seriously affect a
ships speed, if indeed they do not capsize
her. The electric lights will break down;
there will be nothing but oil-lamps TO
pierce the choking blackness. Fires may
be looked for here and there.
1t is the opinion Of many naval officers
that-at any rate in a duel-no captain
will be able to stand the strain for so long,
that by mutual consent the ships will
steam into close range, anxious TO finish
the matter without further DELAY. What
will happen in such a case, with the ships
so near that no gun can miss, so near that
no armor can Withstand the fearful impact,
the Imagination cannot really grasp. The
devastation such an engagement must pro-
duce is too tremendous for a fanciful cjn-
ception. 1t has one bright side; its en-.
durance must be very short. There are
those who think that upon one side or the
other, panic will seize the crews, that men
will spring overheard rather than endure
the strain. II may be so; it is a question
of discipline, and of how far discipline
will hold. The real danger OF a modern
sea- fight at long range lies in the ammuni-
tion question. After such a battle, ships.
perhaps still quite unsubdued, will be left
with empty magazines; the biggest iron
clad cannot carry enough for more than a
few hours vigorous cannonade. Curious
ly enough, saving few torpedo officers 49,
10 whom the question may well present it.
self with special vvidness-no one has yet
considered the thing that, before all 9TH
ers, may cause the torpedoist to fire too
soon. 1t is the thought, Suppose | am
killed before get my chance?"
The average torpedo man expects to get
killed when he attacks; with him the
question is, "Shall be killed before can
fire, or after?" The more anxious he may
be not to die without having done some
thing, the more likely he is to fire at too
great a range. Every step taken in inven-
ton thrusts the brave but unframed sailor
more and more in the background; in ad-
dition to dauntless courage, the ideal
seaman of the future must possess more
scientific skill than is needed in any other
walk in life, and an absolute immunity
from nerves.