The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-08

commanding genius which mas FAD US uS-
veiopasent In charge. This e sure sign.
according 10 past experience in naval MS
tory. that a change Is az hand. Thas
change lies IN the fscr that The torpedo
boat destroyer Is 10 practically take the
place Of taa battle ship.
The development OF tie material or tor
,,edo warfare. pure and simple. VIII, n the
first place, hasten the coming change. and
in the next 6irecs It's course and determine
what the character of the battle ship OK
the future vil, ne. In the early Gays
Travelled down 10 witness the experimental
firing az the Glafton tprrret. IN company
with some OF the members Of the commit
tee who had been TO polo 10 examine tho
earlier developments Of The Whitehead tor
pe5o. out not one OF them would go 50 Tar
as 20 express an opinion upon is value N
future naval warfare.
The torpedo was first introduced Into gun
ships simply as a different class Of gun.
Had IL remained In this situation 1t would
net necessarily have affected the type OF
war ships. Neither the weapon nor Its ma
chinery Is of any great weight. and. gen
orally speaking, is more a question OF space
than OF weight. II many training tubes are
introduced. The superior gun ships With
out the iorSr<ioes were soon found 70 be
deprived of their greater value. and IL be-
came the tactical policy 10 begin. continue
and end the tight with the inferior gun ship
well out OF the range OF the torpedo.
Hence, conversely. the tactical policy OF
the inferior ships has been 10 use their SUI
perior speed TO get within torpedo range
OF the superior gun ship, which would be
unable 20 Illustrate the attempt. as she
had given up speed 10 retain superior gun
power.
1t is more likely that the torpedo win be
considered as an auxiliary weapon to be
used as weapon OF primary importance
because OF its enormous power Of destruc-
ton. but OF secondary importance because
Ii can so seldom be brought into play. 1t
will be supplied 70 a greater or less extent
TO every ship In a battle fleet: but battle
fleets In action will be compelled, on ac-
count Of the torpedo 10 fight at great
range. and therefore the torpedo will never
come into play.
The great development and Improvement
OF the torpedo thus has no manifest effect.
1t Is more than met by the increase in the
power of the gin, weight for waAGht. There
IS greater range. fatter trajectory. better
mounting. greatly increased rapidity of fire.
The torpedo as an auxiliary weapon In a
gun ship does not promise 10 have much
effect Almost from the frs, it was seen
that an ordinary steam pinnacle. carrying
a torpedo on each side ready for launch
ing, was fun match for the most power
full and costly war ship ever heard OF, IL
only she could get within 200 or 800 Yards
of her which limited effective torpedo
range. The American civil war familiar
lied the naval world with ideas of secret
and silent night attacks. using explosives
against the sides of too SECURE and careless
adversaries. The locomotive torpedo offers
an almost Infinite field for this sort of
warlike ingenuity and daring. and the
thoughts OF all are full Of It.
There is some difficulty in tracing exactly
the connection of ideas between this par
ticular form OF attack and the construction
of light and fragile vessels 10 carry Il out.
l do not recall clearly whether any rea-
sonahle demand for such q vessel as the
Lightning was the cause of her construc-
ton. or whether. being constructed on an
outside and instructive view OF the situa-
ton. she became the cause rather than the
effect OF naval views. Here she was. how
ever. as far back as 1877. only ;hree or four
years after the torpedo itself had secured
the position. She was fragile in huh be
ycnd the dreams OF naval architecture.
Displacing twenty-seyen tons AMI being
seventyfour feet In length. she was too
large TO be called a boat and too small 10
be called a ship. But she could discharge a
missile capable OF destroying any ship
afioat at a blow. and she possessed the
then enormous speed Of nineteen knots an
hour.
Apar. from her whole meaning whatever
that might be, the Lightning was the pio-
neer of new developments in The matter OF
speed. Almost ever since the introduction
Of the screw propeller. speed and displace-
ment had been SO closely associated that
down to the date OF thee Lishtnings APP
pearance We did not look for higher speed
unless there was greater displacement, ana.
II | am not mistaken. size was increased
on purpose TO get speed. Bu; Ia case OF
torpedo boats. their short radius of action,
their untrustwogthiness at sea. materially
iesSSnsd their value and made them ser
Ticc9ble chiefly 10 guard home ports.
Thus their Improvement was not serious
~ considered by England who rested with
confidence upon her larger vessels for pro-
tsctlon. But, for slb-dominant nations
the role OF the Lightning was clearer.
Costing mere trlfe, exposing 10 hazard
the lives Of not more than Il dozen or If
teen men, and yer being a solid threat
against the lie OF battle ship costing
three-quar;ers Of 4 million OF money. and
against tbs lives OF the five or six hundred
men embarked in her, the new vessel was
eIniHently qualified "a prevent tha blockade
or her nother-port by battle ships and 20
compel all ordinary war ships OF the enemy
TO keep their distance. All the Continental
najoas forthwith hegan 20 build nauititudes
or improved Ligh,nings They were gen-
and improved economy OF consumption
Their force VAS also increased hy add
Iional torpedo tubes and a larger reserve
Of torpedoes
TIE building o. great numbers Of torpedo
boats b. Continental nations which were
continually improving tn speed and in
crossing in size went on. England dis
riactiy- hut I iairk Qate logically Jagged
hshtpd n the production of these enlarged
L5Eh,n.ngs. The gradual extension Of ~.
Fsoivs o. action 4 the torpedo toat began
- change is raisoa d'etre. l. began 70 be
h1id t3at France especially. ia building "a
class az sea going forredo boats vas de-
veIopiuE The torpedo boat attack on our
ports rat'sar taau the torpedo boat fefer-e
ot Der own. But this kind Of feeling dis
not arise Until about eieven Years after tns
lightning. when IN 1893 France produce.
sach vessels IS the AIarfne Aventurler.
b"G@- ouragao. &c. vessels 80 fae. long
ot lte tons displacement. - kuots speed
- tons Of coal. four torpedo tubes and tvy3
three Founders a. gan armament.
Tbs English ooats Of that date were
Shorisr. smaller N every way. bat were 40,
ceacisfst ia speed. torpedo tubes or x,,g
armament. English naval Authorities ana
hsnsfish naval oificers generally >onrlgs I'D
70 tH-aN that. a. SEA az least, the place
AID rose OF TIE large heavily gIlnaed ard
heavily arFuorezt bsGtseships vas SECURE
The state OF the feet al the moment Vas
the EneSt complete ard convincing exfl-
titfea O TINS VIEW S4nsiry expert rseafx
had assisted 10 keep Tie EnglssA IN that
frame OK E}sE1c- Actual trials at s@a rad
shown Ao| mGcn nearer tbs measured
nile SPEED % the sun ship CT vszsel was
"a Ter sea spas4 than Ga& that 90 .he
TORPEDO host. sTen os shs largest aaa
r9oSE Approved patterns Attempts On Ire
part q TIE French IN their rlaEeglvsrs 10