The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-03

an early date proposed to build rams
pure and simple 20 contend with. and
so To supersede the tronclad battleshfp.
They were to have been small. swift
and but lightly armored-Just sum-
GENTLY armored. in fact. to ensure that
a numerous and yet not effective hre
could not be employed against them by
the battleship. such a ship was never
built. and II Is impossible TO say what
might have been the result had one
been built and tried. Blu at a very
early period the torpedo. which had
till then been an adjunct to the bsttle-
ships gun and ram power. was given
a vessel to itself; and from that mo-
ment the torpedo BEGAN al independ-
n threat TO the battleshlp. which the
ram had never been. That threat has
been greatly developed In recent years.
and the place II will take ultimately
may be determined by opinion, even
though that opinion Is wrong.
The point Is that his Is only one OF
the many questions vital TO the future
OF naval war. yet We do not know any,
him about II In reality. The immense
progress that has been made In increas-
ing the propulsive power Of the pound
OF coal destroyed sail power. and there
Is no reason TO SUPPOSE that develop
ment has ceased. II has. by greatly
addln to the speed OF the torpedo boat
II hE11fAf sANaNI "a -"
threat Of that instrument Of war. as
against the battleship. and not impossi-
bly, may destroy the type. In the tor
pedo boat itself the Improvement has
been IMMENSE: II has a etraighter. longer
and more certain trajectory than II
originally had and travels at much
greater speed. The experiments now
going on in applying the ~gyroscope to
the rudder may possibly extend the ef-
fective range OF the weapon TO loo
yards. The destructive effect from =
blow OF the weapon has been continu-
ously increased by enlarging the charge
on the other hand. the Improvement on
the anti-torpedo boat gun may really
be a complete answer TO the torpedo
The Maxim automatic 37-mm.
gun has been brought up to a IRE OF
300 rounds per minute; and with smoke
less powder this terrible stream OF IRE
Is sure TO be much more accurate ana
deadly than hat OF the Nordenfeldr gun
could ever have been.
The difficulties OF ~forecasting the fu-
ture OF tactics Is greater than in fore
casting that OF strategy. though the
questions interlace. II Is rs yet quite
a matter Of opinion. m OF very loosely
opinion. whether the future sea
will be between battieships alone.
in the sailing days. or Tvs tor
pedo vessels alone. or between torpedo
ahd 1aAhAC.AAEE 0A VAL y -
between vessels armed with Dynamite
guns alone. I 10 not myself believe II
20 fight mixed fleets. but 9TH
srs quite as competent to judge a. I |
feel confident that IL there are to be
sea fights in the Immediate future they
will be fought on both sides by torpedo
vessels and battleships closely associ-
ated and intermingled. The decision 70
be come TO Is evidently crucial and fun |
damental | believe II can be truly ar
rived at by proper courses of expert
Blu l am bound 10 say that were
/ responsible for the naval expenditure
any nation l should not dream of
and sudden expansion until 1
the results OF these experiments
When England awoke. some thirteen
years ago. 10 the conviction that she
MAS In a unique naval situation. requir-
Ing m naval force. she was quite
right to follow the lead of her possible
opponents. and TO build what they built.
only in greater number"
L. c. r.