The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-04-09

tive position of the man stationed in
the military mast-hes get as much
chance OF coming out alive as a snow
bali in-well, you know interestingly
because d battleship or a cruiser viii
devote more time and scientific knoWl-
edge TO getting rid of a torpedo boat
than she viii OF a dozen OF her own
kind. In battle these little devils hover
on the off-side Of the big battieship,
or mother ship, until near the enemy,
and then scuttle out and do die. If
one of these featherWeightS can ever
get within 500 yards of a ship and
maintain her position for d couple Of
minutes, her ships name is mud,
or whatever constitutes the bottom
where she is. But the torpedos long
suit Is the velvety night. Let bevy
Of them get after a big l2000-ton bat
SlaShiI, and she might better haul
down her flag She'll flash all her
wonderful flashlights on them, but
Miss Torpedo Boat will use ruby lights
on her gun sights and knock her fash
lights TO pieces with her r. T. G.'s,
and that's the end Of Mrs Battleship.
The torpedo rsed today consists OF
4 cigar-shaped envelope Of steel or
hosphCr-bronze containing six COM
paruments, used for its prOpelling, di-
rectiGg and exploding. It's power is
compressed air; il is propelled by two
tWO-blaGed screws, revolving in oppO-
site directions about the same axis;
Is kept on a straight line by vertical
yanes. and at one depth by horizontal
TuddeTs. First is the magazine, second
the secret chamber. This is where the
works are kept that keep the torpedo
at a given distance beneath the sur
face. Third, the reservoir for COM
pressed air: fourth, the machinery,
fifth, the buoyanCy, OF alright shell,
and sixth. the beYel-gear chamber.
Torpedo boats, like battleships, nave
instruments to help them, and the tor
pedO-director is one Of them. Knowing
the speed of his torpedo and the speed
of the enemy the officer adjusts his
instruments, looks through the sight
Vane at the rear 10 the sighL-bar in
front, and, when the enemy heaves
in sight, the torpedo goes on its mis-
sion Of destruction. TOrpedos have
wonderful speed when one considers
that they travel under water. For 500
yards they travel about thirty-fiye
miles an hour and then TO 1000 yards
at about thirty miles. \ torpedo is
only five feet long, but planted grace
fully in the solar pleXus of a nice,
bTand-neW batJleship or cruiser, costs
all the way from s., 900 900 to $4,000. goo
coin Of the realm from which she came.
Speaking OF bagatelle millions, 1t
might interest you to know that when
q batueship Of the first class is de-
livered fresh from the shop. she costs
from 5000 900 10 $4,000 0JO This means
when she has her guns aboard. her
stores, some quinine pills and "a bottle
# rum for the ''Yoh-hea Ve-ho" men.
A cruiser Of th. Columbia tyne, from
81 900 To $4,000, 900. Double-turreted
monitors about the same; single ,urret-
I'd monitors, s.. JOG. 900 10 S., 600, 900, and
dispatch boats torpedo boat destroy
crs and torpedo boats anywhere from
100000 To $500. 600.
In this age Of steel ships steam and
electrical motors do almost every
thing on board ship nowadays The
great problem that has made naval
directors Of stores grow gray before
their time Is that Of coal Not coal
itself but Of how TO get coal on board
Of Warships IN time Of war. One can
not load a Warship as you would a
grain ship. She can't France up to am
elevator and have them pump coal into
her-she's not bull. that way. She's
got bunkers, and they are a great big
factor in keeping those big 1200pound
and other projectiles from getting
into her watchWorks and stopping her
running Now, il may seem funny to
! Us laudsmen. but ii is cracking smart
crew that can load fifty tons Of coal on
a batueship in an hour and when you
come to think Of it. "A crew isn't in good
condition for hnstlng coal, say. after
an action or after a long spell
Of being on tenter strings. When ships
/ are burning powder they have to pro-
cure their coal from Golfers, and at
sea, AT that and should the enemy
come no. she is pretty sure To plant
a sinking shot into the collier first
During the recent naval maneuvers
in the British Channel the fleet used in
ten days, upward of $4,000 tons OF coal.