The Indianapolis journal., 1898-07-04
WITH SIMPSONS FLEET.
A Young Officers Daring Feat-Pick-
ing Up TOrpedOes.

correspondence
Among the uncelebrated acts of courage in
the naval campaign, one performed by the
young executive officer of the torpedo boat
Porter, who is the son of Admiral GilliS,
takes my fancy. One dark night, as you
have heard, Admiral Cervera sent a de-
stroyer out from the harbor of Santiago to
torpedo two or three of our ships of war.
Whether the destroyer ever got back to Ger
vera is not certainly known; but next morn
ing some of the German torpedoes were still
floating around aimlessly among the Amer
lean fleet.
Nosing along under steam for three knots.
rolling in the sea like a cork cigar, the Por-
ter sighted one of these much-feared engines
and lit was coming straight for my little
brute" says Captain Fremont in telling the
story: -
pressing the indicator for more steam.
you.
all-nothing in his composition but plain
nerve. have to watch him all the time, or
I'd lose him and the Porter, and myself, too,
and l don't want to do that, because l like
him, and I'm responsible for the preserva-
ton of the Porter; and, Furthermore, have
happy home. But this time he was too
s1lUf1 slowly IF If it S touched our SIDE there would
be nothing more for any of US except bed
under water.
and his coat, and / said: Don't do it, Gillis;
she's got her war-nose on
I'll unscrew it, sir, said the boy, and
over the side he went threw his arms
around the torpedo, headed it away from
u.s. and then began feeling for Its business
end"
"business end" no tip containing the full
minating charge Ca fact which shows how
careless Spaniards are, and why they are in
effective in war; and the a alr-eock COCK, opening
arms to the bottom. Not many minutes
afterward the lookout reported another, tor
pedo and this one aiVe. wari9ose SiidaoS and AL
under the captains directions; and 1t now
lies by the port rail of the. torpedo boat
Porter, a most interesting prize and worth
ernmentS money.
This war has been disappointing thus far
to those curious patriots who demanded St
for the sake of what it would teach about
modern armor plates, projectileS, the re-
spective values of heavy and light arma-
ment, about sand and concrete compared
with masonry, and dynamite cruisers, and
war balloons, and box kites. Yesterday the
VesuviuS succeeded in throwing dynamite
into Santiago harbor from those fixed guns
of hers that are aimed by the ships helm,
and, aside from the interest this feat no
doubt excited lin the States, she surprised
herself by making the dynamite explode.
She is likely now to take up the plan OF
mapping the channel, and whenever a sub
marine mine is anchored, drop a dynamite
she'll there to destroy it. Except one other
successful experiment made in actual serv-
=
paign.
The other successful experiment is the
practicability of coaling war ships at sea-
AS / write, a collier has arrived from Pen
sacola, and in a swelling sea that tips
dishes from our able,she has steamed along
side the Iowa, put enormous tenders be-
tween, tied up and is now transferring coal
to the battle ships bunkers with as much
facility as II she were real wharf. Three
days ago the flagship New York. in heavy
weather, coaled from a vessel alongside at
the rate of 2S5 tons day, managing it with
out the slightest mishap by easing off the
bow lines and keeping both ships moving
ahead. At Guantanamo bay we have seen
it demonstrated that the possession of
islands for coaling stations is not every
West 700 miles away, when all war ships
were needed all the time on their stations :?
The thing to do was to seize from the enc
my naval base nearer to hand, one al
ready supplied with coal, IL possible, but if
not. harbor or small bay where our own
golfers could deliver their cargoes to the
bay, = short forty miles distant. and the
coalng station problem took on a great SIM
plicity
What do you think of this?" one of the
most intelligent and begt-known officers IN
tiie --i--.-, We.
Il think it supports very strongly theory
/ have held to-that it is seldom difficult, il
you are powerful, to gain some base in the
enemys country which will serve you better
than any you have maintained throughout
times of peace. What our navy needs is not
isolated coaling stations so much as suitable
coal-vessels, tenders designed for supplying
fuel and fresh water at sea. Hawaii? Well,
the usefulness OF owning Hawaii depends on
future developments. If we really have, as
j fear. entered upon a new policy. If we are
going in for colonial expansion. taking lands
in various quarters of the earth we shall
need Hawaii. we shall need many coaling
stations, just as England does. And when
we start out upon this guest and conquest.
we shall need England by our side-foreign
entanglcments and naval coaling stations
being mutual necessities"