The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-20
ENGLAND STICKS TO BLACK
How to Convert a Man-o-War Into a
Merchantmen Naval Architects
Endeavoring to Profit by
Natures Example.

sued to the dock yards of the United
States was to paint all ironclads and
cruisers black. Certain marine officials
at Key West and elsewhere, ii was said,
wanted TO change this for green. for
whatever reason. but black was the hue
eventually adopted. and some portion.
at least. Of the grant OF congress for
$50. 900. 900 went for this purpose. be-
cause IL Is by no means "A little matter
either to decide what color "A ship or
war should he or. when the decision is
made. to paint her-that is to say. If
the job be done properly and not mere
~ sailors phrase, with "A lick and a
promise
our own admiralty has been. il would
appear. considering the same problem,
for a statement has lately found publi-
cation which says: MY lords have
decided that all ships of the navy are
to be painted either black or white, the
neutral tint French gray having been
abandoned. The vessels to be painted
white are those either serving or COM
missioned for service at the home ports,
in the East Indies, China. southeast
coast of America, west coast of Africa,
Cape of Good Hope. east coast
of Africa and the Red sea. All other
vessels in commission viii be painted
black This is merely an adhesion TO
A1i' bobh 'ld III VI Ali' SCI WIZ
has established black at home and
White abroad as the othodox and regu-
lar livery of her maiesty's navy. Tor
pedo boats nave sometimes a tint of
livid gray, or slate color. rendering
them even more ugly han is their hid
eous wont, and hulks and receiving
ships, laid up in creeks or harbors, will
often be tinted with that ~luEubrious col
or which we see the Temeraire wearing
I'm Turner's noble painting, when the
gallant old vessel passes under the
scarlet sunset TO her last berth. mourn
fully arrayed lin a sad suit of dock
yard drab."
In Nelson's time. and ever since. black
has been the prevalent coloring Of Brit
ish men of war, which are distinguished
now on also all the temperature stations
by their majectis ebon hulls. free of all
establishment in gliding or color. cx-
cept the blazon on the stem and the
name ribbon on the stern and with buff
painted topsides and upperworks and
tunnels, characteristic if not lovely. The
French are fond of a ~dove-Colored or
leaden-tinted coating for their war
ships, which makes many an uncouth
Gallo monster of their sea line ill-fa-
vored To the last degree. The Spaniards
stick mainly to black. The Italians,
japanese, Chilians and Chinese paint
their vessels either white or light blue
when they go abroad. These matters
rest a good deal with "a commander
taste and inclination when he is not
sailing In squadron. In days of flbus-
tCring. piracy. privateering and the like
all sorts Of tricks could be played. and
We're played. with the paint pot by cap
tains more ingenious than honest. With
the leisure of a dry and quiet day the
strategiCal skipper could convert his
most Nickcd-looking, jet-blaCk craft in
to an innocent trader, with a blue stripe
around her bends, i'm token of mourn
ing for her owner, and gun ports block
ed out with yellow scroll work and an
gels i'm Dutch metal.
The notorious Alabama more than
once entirely altered her color scheme to
cheat the Yankee cruisers who were
chasing her or to deceive the Yankee
merchantmen, no less than 80 of which
she destroyed. And more han once in
u own naval history n clever captain
has effected a fine stroke Of luck by
piping "all hands to the paint pots
when expecting a meeting with some
needless enemy. Under the circum-
stances of modern warships, however. ii
no longer greatly matters what hue
a warship wears. Beyond question
white paint VIII keep a vessel cooler in
tropical seas. There is a sensible differ
once due TO radiation i'm the temperature
of n craft thus coated and the swart or
somber-tinted hull. which seems to suck
in the fiery beams Of the sun.
In point Of escaping observation there
is not much to be said i'm favor Of one
color over another. Cats are all alike
gray in the dark" and one big ship is
as plain as another if her hull can be
seen at all after sunset. Long before
that part of her appears above the hori-
zon "A good lookout man will have con-
cluded by her rig, if she carries canvas.
and by her pole masts or lighting tops.
IL she $ an iron-clad. what lies below.
On board the Alabama. already alluded
To. the confederate Scmmes had "A sig
mailman who could detect any American
rigged ship by the least portion of her
gear, 50 he never once made "A mistake.
and To follow his hail was generally TO
add another Chronometer to the utfari-
Gus captains collection. or To send an
other Boston or New York trader and
cargo To the bottom of the ocean.
White paint for a man-of-war, as also
for "A cruising pleasure schooner or
steam yacht, is certainly comely and
Shapeful. bringing out fine lines as no
dark colors will. but IL soon grows rusty
with the weeping from the channel irons
and soilcd from the Bullets of the waves.
50 that dark hues will stand better for
long voyages. But whoever has OBJ
served distant craft at sea. from their
first appearance on the far verge until
you can read their name plate and see
the cut Of the shippers beard. will agree
that tint makes little difference. The
hull may roll snow white or light black
or green. or blue. or yellow. like Chi
nese junks. To the sunlight. but what
ever you see first is that sunlight
cleaning on her wet band ana the
shine of The copper. Even "A light ship
painted blood red loses its diferentia-
ton in any wet or thick weather and
looms gray as tie pillows IL rolls upon.
II is no doubt another question alto
gether with torpedo boat and torpedo
boat ~destroyeTs. the business of which
devilish craft Is 10 steal unobserved into
proximity with their victims, SO as TO
deal the fatal blow with some chance
of safety and escape. All sorts OF expert
ments have been made abroad and at
home in this regard. initiating or trying
TO initiate nature. which has so many