The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-12
HOW MONITORS FIGHT.
The OId-timers Thought to BE better
Than Ever Now.
New York Press.

new 4Olk 9TeSS.
Those old warriors, the monitors Nahant
and Jason, which have been ordered up
from League Island navy yard to help pro-
tect New York, could do some real service
in stopping q hostile fleet The war, IL 1t
comes, will not be the fight of the last gem
eratiCn, either in men or in instruments or
warfare 1t is the business Of this gen zen.
Nevertheless, the monitors of the last war
may be useful in some ways. 1t is not
quated lighting machines would be match
for q modern war vessel, but there is no
doubt whatever that the old monitors might
be made decidedly useful in certain cir
TT would not be the part of wisdom to
operate the monitors extensively or on the
knows every one of these vessels like a
book to the writer yesterday. Their chief
value would be defensive Should 1t be
they will be used in shallow harbor water
mostly, though circumstances may rise
which will make it advisable to go outside
''The guns they now carry will be used
from necessity since the turrets as they
stand would not accommodate modern ord
nance. But these old pieces might give
surprisingly good account of themselves
SHOULD they have the opportunity 1t is true
that they are not rifled; that modern conf
cal proJectileS of high penetrative power
cannot be fired from them, and that their
range is only from one to three miles. But
within certain limitations they are capable
of deadly execution.
"The strength of the old guns? 1 do not
think there need be any fear on that score.
They were designed especially for strength,
and should be stronger now than when they
were first fired. base this superstition on
the result of certain recent European trials
of ordnance that had lain absolutely idle
for a term of years, exactly as the monitor
guns have. 1t may seem strange, but it
was found in these tests that the old guns
tested showed greater strength than pieces
of similar make and design had shown
twenty years before, when they were new.
&c nj CT OF h
came from the natural Encouragement of
molecules which is known to take place
when iron or steel is under no strain what
ever for term OF years
las to accurate firing with the monitor
guns, am sure that there need be no mis-
givings that score. 1t was shown con-
clusively and repeatedly in the civil war
that good marksmen could shoot as straight
with them as-with any gun of equal CALDER
ever made or to be made. Give us the gun
ners, and there need be no fear but the
monitor guns will make record to be
proud of.
still, owing to the greater range of the
guns on modern battle ship, monitor
might labor under the serious disadvantage
of having to crawl up to its enemy in order
to get in effective work.
Now, this crawling up is ticklish bust
ness, as you may we'll imagine, and the
crew Of monitor that should attempt it
would need to be composed Of tirst-cl2sss
men as to nerve and daring. But while 1T
might well be termed forlorn hope work,
destruction of the monitor is by no means
a certainty. It is much more difficult to see
a monitor at a distance after it has been
made ready for fighting than you might
imagine. In the first place, like all other
United States war vessels in lighting times,
the monitors would use hard coal, and thus
be secure from betrayal by means or smoke.
In the second place, the hull sets SO low
down in the water that the deck is prac-
tically level with the surface, and the waves
actually break over from time to time, so
that the body of the vessel affords almost
no break in the monotony Of the sea level to
is lowered and thus the turret alone APP
pears above the water. Painted white or
black it would readily attract attention. but
painted duh bottle green 1t could hardly
be detected at all inside of a mile or mile
and a half. especially at night or on a dull
day. and this would be we'll within the range
of a monitors gun.
'Once let monitor get within the dis
lance I have mentioned and II would be
possible for it to fire several shots before
the enemy's guns could be trained upon it,
It's range would have to be secured, first of
ALL and as the monitor would be constantly
moving, of course this would take some
time. Even after range had been secured
the monitor would not be an easy mark to
hit. since the turret would furnish the only
target, and it is of small area, and. being
round, would need to be hit squarely, else
the projectile would probably glance off. OF
course the deck might be hit. but, lying
fiat, shot of fiat trajectory would be more
than likely to be DETECTED than otherwise.
1t must be admitted. however. that should
a conical steel bullet from modern high
power gun of large size strike a monitor
tower fair and square, the structure would
no doubt be carried away and the vessel