The record-union., 1898-05-22
OF CRUISERS AND BATTLEsHIPs.

The Record Union" along with
many of its contemporaries, can bear
testimony to the fact that not nearly so
many people understand the difference
between the several kinds of war craft
IN our navy as might be supposed, since
correspondents here as well as in other
States are writing upon the matter
with view to gaining definite informal
tion upon the subject
Nor is this at all surprising. for we
have had no naval warfare since the
building Of the white navy, and by no
means all Of the people have read with
care concerning the ships while under
construction. Besides, a very consider
able number have come upon the scene
of public activity since the present
methods Of constructing modern war
ships was introduced It is therefore
not untimely to point out the distinction
between battleships, cruisers, protected
and armored cruisers, gunboats, etc,
not in detail, but with brevity and sim
plicity.
The battleship Of the modern type
answers to the frigate and man-of-war-
ship Of the old order in a general way.
1t is constructed for two distinct pur-
poses, to operate Extensively because of
the great size and capacity of its guns
and the superior weight and destructive
power of the missiles used in them;
secondly, to operate defensive1y by rea-
son Of its superior armor, it being great
~ heavier and more generally covering
the ship, thus making the vessel heav-
Ter and requiring enormous buoyancy
to support so much weight
Hence the battleship is made very
broad to secure the essential buovancv
or displacement, for displacement
means that the amount of water dis
placed by floating body equals the
weight Of the body.
In battleship, of necessity, the pro-
polling machinery must be far more
powerful than in one of less weight. in
order to move the ship with reasonable
speed But even then the battleship
Is not swift because of its breadth
and displacement. In the battleship
therefore speed is sacrificed for strength
and resistance
Such ships are intended to stand fast
and fight, to assault and withstand
assault AS they are so well arnored
even to a point well below the water
line, they afford their crews more shell
ter in battle, not only by reason Of the
armor, but because of many other de-
vices in the way of supplemental pro-
lection for gunners and for the people
of the ship generally For as the ship's
crew must stand and fight in the hard
est shock Of battle, they must as far
as is possible be sheltered from the mis-
siles sent against the ship and them.
The crews of cruisers are much less
protected.
AS the battleship is so filed with ma
chinery to move it and operate its guns
and is so heavy, its capacity for storage
OF coal is quite limited, hence such
boats are not equal to long voyages
without being recoaled.
The cruiser IN the modern navy COM
pares with the old-time clipper in the
merchant service. She is built neither
for vigorous assault nor long defense,
but is especially intended to be speedy.
TO travel long voyages without recoal-
Ing, to serve the country on foreign
stations in times Of peace, to scout in
time Of war. and to convoy merchant
men, or to prey upon commerce. Never
theless the cruiser is q ship Of much
offensive power, since she carries long
range If lighter guns, and as she moves
swiftly is able to discomfort the aim Of
an enemy by constant motion and to
easily to get out of range of land bat
teries after inflicting injury
The cruiser is therefore built with
sacrifice of offensive and defensive
qualities to those of speed and voyag-
ing capacity. She has no armor. Her
crew is protected only by shields at the
guns, the ordinary bulwarks and here
and there light protection devices. Her
hull is but shell through which a
cannon'ball can be sent, as was done to
the Baltimore at the battle in Manila
Bay. steel shot passing clear through
the ship. Most cruisers, however. have
some protection to their vital parts. the
engines and central machinery. but it
is rarely of much extent
The protected cruiser is one having
a curved steel deck over her machinery
and boilers, and having coal bunkers
arranged about the central section of
the ship, two feet thickness of a wall of
coal being considered equivalent to
one foot of armor. A partially protect
ed cruiser is one with but a portion Of
the devices of protection described.
The arnored cruiser is one further
protected by light armor, either over the
greater portion of the ship, which is
unusual, or over and about the vital
parts, boilers, engines, etc. In this case
the aim is to secure some offensive and
defensive qualities without great sac
riice of speed. All cruisers therefore
are built as narrow as safety will per-
NIT that swift sailing may be promoted,
and they are all constructed with view
to sea-going quality.
Their ornaments are necessarily
lighter and are by no means so numer-
Gus, their batteries are not really Sc
large in number of guns as in the case
Of the battleship. The speediest cruis-