The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-04-15
A YEARS. NAVAL AFFAIRS.
REVIEW OF WHAT HAPPENED IN
THE YEAR 1897.
Lord Brassey's Discussion of the De
velopment of Arms. Armor and Ma
rine Engines of Destruction.

From Lord Brassey's Naval Annual
the following interesting discussion is
taken:
There is no event which stands out
conspicuously in the naval history of
the year that has just closed The
Spanish navy. which has been energet-
ically employed i'm chasing the ves-
sells which were supplying the Cuban
rebels with arms and ammunition. is
the only navy except the British
which has taken part IN active opera
tions. The meeting of French. North
ern and English channel sQuadrons in
rough weather, while escorting the
Russian Imperial yacht with the Car
on board across the channel, was Il
magnificent spectacle.
The troubles i'm Crete have been the
occasion for quite as formidable a
gathering of warships in the Levant,
as was present i'm kiel i'm 1875.
As regards ship building policy it
is not easy to see how il is possible
to construct a good fighting machine
fulfilling all the conditions of defen-
sive and offensive power which are at
present required without accepting a
from the large expenditure which this
necesstates. and believe that the
monitor type ought to be revived. On
this point it may be observed that the
monitor type, dear though it ought
to be to the Americans, has no place
in their new fleet. Like all the Prin-
cipal naval powers, the United States
are building ships of high freeboard,
capable of keeping the sea and hav-
ing good accommodation for the crew.
The partisans of modern monitors do
not deny that the ships which they
contemplate would hardly be habit
able, but they get over the difficulty
by saying that such ships should be
reserved for war purposes and for
short manouevres, and that the crews
would be trained on special vessels.
Such a system would be most unsat-
isfactory. The protected cruiser has
lost ground, but, on the other hand,
the torpedo boat destroyer of thirty
knots or over is in favor. viii this
latter render the service expected of
it? On this point there is a great diff
ference of opinion. Some maintain
that it would be preferable to sacrifice
several knots speed to the strength
ening of the hull, to Availability. and
TO sea keeping qualities, but the at
traction of high speed is great.
In artillery high initial velocites
are the principal characteristics of the
new type of gun. The steel wire gun,
already i'm use i'm the English navy, is
under trial in the United States. 9th
er navies do not appear to have any
intention of adopting it, The calibre
of quick firing guns is being increas-
ed. According to German technical
newspapers 50 inch and 94 inch quick
firing guns are to form part of the ar
maments of the new battleships and
cruisers. Such progress as this has
only been obtained by the employ
ment of mechanical contrivances, a
disadvantage which Will probably be-
come apparent in actual warfare. In
a modern navy. such variety of
delicate machinery is employed that
anything which tends to further com
plicaton should be accepted with a
considerable reserve. For working
heavy guns the powers at present EN-
ployed vary greatly. We have had the
hand power, hydraulic power, com
pressed air, steam and electricity. o.
all these the most simple is manua
power. but when it is necessary tC
employ machinery, recourse should
be had, especially on board ships, t.
the power which is most easily con
troled and the least complicated.
The question of explosives is among
those which are arousing the most in
terest among naval men. TO pierce
armor plate and to make the shell
burst inside the ship after having
completely penetrated the armor, il
the objective point which the manu-
facturers of ordnance keep constant
| ly in view, but the secrets of their eX
| periments are as rule carefully
guarded.
The parvenu of today is the peer o