The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-05
BATTLEsHIPs AND CRUISERS.


BATTLESHIPS AND CRUISERS.
When the war between the United
| States and Spain broke out, it was
thought by the experts in naval war
fare that many important questions
would be settled, and they looked for
ward to a meeting between the fleets
of the two countries with great inter
est. All that the battle of Manila
proved was that American officers and
seamen are infinitely superior to Span
ish officers and seamen, and that they
have dash and fearlessness that make
their attacks irresistible. In the way
of solving problems in modern scientific
naval warfare, nothing was solved.
The battle at Santiago has proven
something more in this respect than
the superiority of American officers
and seamer over Spanish officers and
seamen, and like Manila, proves that
the fighting qualities of the American
navy are as good in every respect as
in the days of Jones, Decatur or Farra-
gut
In the July number of the Pail Mall
"Ironclads in Action" has an article
entitled Naval Problems to Be Solved
in the War; He lays great stress upon
the fact that the conditions of the war,
from a naval standpoint, are very sim
liar TO what war between England
and France would be. Due notice, al
most undue notice, is taken of the race
question. So far as there is any prob
lem in this regard the war. on the sea.
has solved it in favor of the Anglo
Saxon.
The first great problem to be de-
cided,' says Mr.. Wilson, lis the value
of the battleship against the armored
cruiser and of the large armored
against the large unarmored ship. If
put less technically, the question is this
which is the more valuable factor,
speed, or armor, combined with heavy
guns?'
Mr. Wilson is inclined to favor speed,
but the battle at Santiago was decided
" in favor of the heavy guns, for the
speed of the Spanish vessels was not
great enough to let them Immediately
get away from the American fleet of
battleships, while the armor of the
cruisers was of little or no use against
the heavy guns of the battleships. Had
the almost as heavy guns of the cruis-
ers been able to land their projectiles
on the battleships, something regard
ing the value of heavy armor would
have been learned. 1t would seem that
in this case, at least, the decision must
be given in favor of the battleship.
THE want of heavy guns in the ar
mored cruiser is not quite so serious as
it might SEEM" says Mr.. Wilson. 1T
is perfectly possible that the battle
ships monster pieces, with their pom
derous turrets, moved by hydraulic or
electric power, will at an early stage
in the action be disabled. Hydraulic
and electric machinery is VIGOROUSLY
delicate, and is deranged with the ut
most ease. 1t is rare for a battleship
to go to target practice with her heavy
guns without some slight hitch occur
ring"
The American battleships have used
their 13-inch guns quite freely in bonn
bardments and now in naval action,
and so far as known there hasn't been
a single accident TO any of the turrets
or the machinery working them. The
bitches which Mr.. Wilson notes as fire.
quently occurring when the battleships
go to target practice with their mon
ster pieces. have not occurred in the
American navy in actual war. Mr..
Wilson's criticisms in this respect may
be regarded as not valid.
Connected with this subject is the
trial OF the seakeeping qualities of our
new warships, which this struggle will
impose says Mr.. Wilson. THE en-
gines and boilers of the battleship or
cruiser are lighter and weaker than
those of the merchant ship, knot for
knot, since weight is most important
In time Of peace the
warship rarely steams faster than 10
or u knots at which pace her machin-
cry may perform we'll enough. But in
war time she may have to steam con-
for days at her very utmost
speed; or, if in company with a fleet,
she may have now to run at top speed,
now to stop, now to go astern, when
the strain becomes tremendous. Amer
lean ships are well boilered, and should
stand this kind Of work as well as any.
Where they are perhaps weak, is in the
number Of tricky engines and lodges
that they carry. Hand-worked am
munition hoists are preferred in the
British navy for moderate-sized guns
because they do not break down at the
critical moment. In the American
navy hydraulic or electric hoists are
more favored. Their behavior in bat
tie will be watched with the greatest
interest"
The fourteen thousand miles voyage
of the Oregon is a complete answer to
all questions regarding the seagoing |
qualities Of American battleships. The
preference for hydraulic or |