The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-26

t.oshir and a cruiser. having the heavy
guns Of the former and the speed OF the
latter. The Nizcaya, although cruiser,
carries ll-inCh guns with a Pinch arm0r
belt and has a speed Of twenty-three
miles an hour.
The next step I'm reducing armament and
increasing speed produced the protected
cruiser. which carries no armor belt, but
retains the protective deck. upon The slop-
ing sides OF which Is stored the coal.
The turrcts disappear altogether. and
there Is usually only one S-luch gun. the
battery being principally made up OF 4
inch rapid-hre guns, and o, 4 and / pound
ers. As this class Of vessel Is not able TO
cope with the armOred cruiser. il must be
faster, for the general principle holds
good that the weaker the vessel becomes
in point of offensive weapons or defective
armor the greater the necessity that she
should be able 10 run away. The best
types OF the protected cruiser in the navy
may be found in the Columbia and MIN
neapolls, which have a speed Of about
tWenty-seven miles an hour.
The weakest class Of an Is composed Of
the unprt tected cruisers, which have
neither armor belt nor protective deck,
and carry only light batteries Of rapid
FIRE guns. When these vessels are slow,
ike the Detroit, they are intended for
long voyages and for duty in foreign
countries and are Of little use IN a sea
fight The very fast unprotected crui-
sers. like the American line steamers
ST. Paul and ST. Louis. attach little inn
pOrtance 10 their armament and rely for
protection upon slowing the coal behind
the place occupied by the arm0r belt IN
other vessels. All the beautiful wood
work which was 50 much admired IN
these vessels has been ripped out 10 make
NH
sufficient TO protect them from anything
but the heaviest guns. on account Of
their extreme weakness as fighters these
cruisers are necessarily the fastest Of all
me large vessels, and can run away from
anything. For this reason no concern
was felt for the Paris by those who know
the principles which govern tho safety
OF modern vessels.
The various types OF cruiser are not eX-
pected 70 fight with any but vessels OF
their own class. which they may en-
counter in the dicharge OF similar du-
ties, such as securing the seas as the ad-
vance guards OF the slower line-of-battle
ships. preying upon or escorung merch-
ant vessels. blockading ports, and acting
as conveys for troop ships. Gunboats
ara simply nght-draught cruisers, and
are intended for use In shallow waters
and rivers.
Torpedo boats, as their name implies.
depend entirely upon the torpedo as
weapon OF attack and they carry no guns
except a Few very light caIbre rapid-iirers
to keep of small boats. Their success
depends on their ability 20 approach a
vessel very rapidly, launch their torpedo.
aud retreat before they are detected and
sunk. Speed is their great requisite. and
a torpedo boat like the Porter can steam
thil-ty-two miles an hour. Naval eX-
perts consider their bark worse than
their bite. because with the modern sys-
TEN OF loOkOuts and seGrchlights and the
accuracy and rapidity OF The secondary
batteries il is impossible FOR a torpedo
boat 30 get within range without exposing
itself TO instant destruction, and after
torpedo fleet has once met with a serious
repulse. Il is believed that IL would DO
almost impossible to get the crews 10 30
into action again.
The torpedo boat destroyer, contrary
70 general belief does not carry any
heavy guns. but depends on It's great
speed and It's ability 10 cripple torpedo
boat with its six-pounders while keeping
out OF range OF the enemy's tubes. All
torpedo boat destroyers carry torpedo
tubes themselves, so that they can be
used against the enemy's battleships or
cruisers II the occasion offers. The fast