The Portland daily press., 1897-04-02
WANTED-A GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.
Naval Scientists the World Over Anxious
to Test the Power of Modern Navies.
(From the Pittsbure DISPATCH

(From the Pittsburg Dspatch)
We are indebted to naval officer of high
rank for the following:
One can conjecture only as to the rise and
progress of a contest between two modern
battleships. A scientist has figured ON the
result on the crew of one of these ships
were it to fire all its guns continuously He
says that in five minutes the auricular appar-
atus of all hands would be permanently
affected and in twenty minutes every man
would be in state of Inconsistencies.
However, it would be out of the question to
have all the guns going simultaneously, and
it would be rare event indeed when a ship
quire such fire: yet with such firing as
might be expected in an ordinary engage
ment the conclusion would be a severe trial
to the crew. Even with the old style 32s
and Gas between decks of live oak ship
was not pleasant place for ones ears
when target or salute firing was in progress,
and ordinarily one raised oneself gently on
the ball of the feet as the gunner pulled the
lanyard. The conclusion is felt much more
acutely Cd the water than on the land.
However, the probability is a big ships
crew could stand the conclusion as we'll as
COulQ LIE CREW OIL d IlOHltOI lyle vessel, or
of a Merrimac, this being an intermediate
between the Monitor and the modern ar
mored war ship The interesting profile m
that a war in the Mediterranean would solve
is whether the modern ships are battle
worthy. They do not seem to be weather
worthy, and taking the instances on record,
the proof SO far is against their battle ca
pacity. They can not stand ramming, for one
thing. Recall the Camperdown and Vic
toria instance at Anglers, in 1893; also the
English channel incident about the same
time, of two German battleships stea1ning
four knots when one ported helm little
when starboard should have been the
move, and humping lubberly into its con-
sort, down went said consort to the bottom
of the sea. Now, a general engagement be-
tween the big fleets of Europe would tell
whether the navies are to be reconstructed
and if arrangements were made by which
one side should bring in midway the com
bat double turreted monitor great would
be the additional knowledge gained there
by.
Jack Tar has always had a decided adj
vantage over his brother warrior of the land
forces in the important matter of facility for
making regulations for courage, and doubt
less to this advantage is largely due the fact
that wars have usually given the sailor the
higher niche in the temple of fame. One
seldom reads of man 7of-war's crew, how
Ell badly defeated in an engagement, hav-
ing fought other than heroically. man
ot-war may have avoided an issue with
palpably superior force, but once compelled
to engage the fight is fought as desperately
as though the odds were even nor i'll such
emergency does this persistence in combat
lessen because an enemy is on the flank as
well as in front. man -of-war having
cleared for action and begun firing cannot
in the nature of the surroundings retreat
other than as whole II there be two or
more ships opposed the weaker force must
stand up to the work as one Jack Tar, OF
at worst maintain running fight as one,
and finally succump or escape as one. There
Is no such episode as u cry OF part OF the
crew, ''We are tianlzed,'' followed by spread
of decentralization and panic throughout the
ship, and rush to the rear of every man for
himself and the devil take the hindmost.
There is no room for such Generalization.
Then men know they are confined to the
circumscfibed area within tie ships lines
and have no ssrear,'' except the ship itself
shall be worked thereto by the usual meth
DDS known to navigators, and which can
not be put into effect without the officer of
the deck giving the necessary orders to
make the maneuver. Until recently
warships We're sailing vessels, frigate was