The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-04
providence Journal. J

providence Journal.l
Now, moro than ever before, the ques.
ton presents itself to the American MIND,
"What positions in great war offer the
greatest dangers?" True it would be
cowardly to select branch of the service
or a function in battle such as would
guarantee immunity, yet it is important
to know what men must be selected to
hold these important posts which appear
| to promise certain death.
| The most dangerous positions in ma
| val battle will probably be those occupied
by the gunners occupying the circular
galleries arranged upon the military
masts. Their function will be to man
rapid-fire guns pouring hail storms of bull
let's upon the decks and ports Of hostile
ships with sufficient severity to make the
handling of their largest guns impossible.
1t will therefore be the first duty of
great warship to raze to the decks the
military masts of its adversaries. 1t is
not expected that any ship will come out
OF hot engagement with military masts
standing. One we'll dirscted shot will
be sufficient to trim off each mast The
great tower of steel would fall with
crash, the gunners of the superstructures
dying deaths of agony worse than any
projectile could infict. The battleship
Indiana has twenty rapid fire guns mount.
ed in these armored galleries. The decks
being cleared for action, their gunners
will mount their ladders with almost GER
tain death staring them in the face-a
glorious martyrdom, but one disagreeable
to anticipate. They will have but one
duty before them-to kill as many of the
enemy as they possibly can before the
trembling of the great masts beneath
them announces their summons tc anoth-
or world.
Torpedo boats are in greater danger of
destruction than any craft on the sea,
and their crews will embark in open bat
tie almost certain of death. During night
attacks there will be less danger than in
the day, but during all of their hostile
movements their only hope will be the
avoidance Of the rapid firing guns of the
battleships selected as their prey, and
such hope will be at all events forlorn.
A tiny torpedo boat may wipe five
million dollar warsbip off the sea and
send five hundred men to the bottom, but
the likelihood that any one on board the
former will live to brag of the destruction
is very scant. In day attacks flotl Has of
torpedo boats will distribute themselves
and hide behind the great hulls of the
giant warriors as the young chicks hover
beneath the wings of the mother hen. To
make bold dart beneath the sun would
be done at a sacrifice, and every one on
board would expect death. Their most
valuable work, of course, will be done at
night. With all lights out or below deck,
with noiseless machinery, with slnokeless
fuel and with bodies painted the color of
the sea, they will venture closer to their
giant prey, continuing to launch auto
mobiles until assured that at least one
has taken effect. The giant searchlights
of the adversaries would discover one of
these little sneaks a mile away. Should
would have about minute and q half to
do her deadly work. Within that space
of time she would be in SURE reach of a
rapid-tirer, and q one-pounder could send
her to the bottom. With the knowledge
that she was wounded and done for, she
would probably continue under rain
storm of proiectiles, hoping to remain
above water, until assured that her ad-
versary would follow her to dest ruotion.
1t is estimated that from sixty to eighty
per cent. of the torpedo boats attacking
cruisers and battleships in the next great
naval war will go to the bolt ON.
The great ram katahdin has boon COM
pared to bee, for it is said that she will
Immediately lose her own life after in
serting her sting. She has been the SUBJ
ject of more adverse comment, dou btless,
than has been hurled against any other
ship in the Navy, and many officers
prophesy that she will surely go down
with her prey. This is expected to occur
as result of inability to back out after
inserting her ram, or OF smashing her
own bow. Furthermore, she could read
lily be torpedoed by her adversary within
a distance of six hundred yards. After
one bold stroke her career would probably
be ended, and ali on board would go to
the bottom. The full complement, except
the captain, would be sheltered inside
during an assault, and there would be
little chance of escape. They would have
less to do in fight than any crew in our
n avy, yet they would be faced with the
most terrible death which might be pic
tured in the lima gination, imprisoned as
they would be beneath the surface of the
water. This Katahdin has practically no
defence whatever, only four little g.
Founders of the Iaoid-tire type, effective
only against torpedo boats
In actual battle the crew of the dyna-
mite cruiser Vesuvius would embark on
their hostile errand with many chances to
one against safe return. She carries
an enormous supply Of dynamite. and a
Spanish projectile correctly aimed would
explode this. leaving no trace of the