The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-01
u THE VALUE OF TORPEDO BOATS
DOVBTFCLs

To the Editor: The writer OF the article.
Doubtful Value Of Torpedo Boats" pub
ished In the Post-Inteiiigencer on the SIN
OF July. ventures upon the assertion tEas
-the utility OF torpedo boats is far from
having been demonstrated" also that, IN
fact. the only occasion upon which the
torpedo boat has done effective work was
during the Chilean revolution. in 1891, when
the Chilean flagship Bianco Encalada was
destroyed by q torpedo from the Almirante
Lynch. causing loss OF nearly so lives
The writer omits to mention ten other
instances on record in which powerful ves-
sells were destroyed by offensive iorpedoes
unanswered To- or launched from torpedo
boats. tSee Mr.. Wilson G. LowelFs high
ly interesting article, Aboard a Torpedo
Boat" Post-Intelligencer of June 49, The
utility and vast destructive power of the
torpedo boat have thus been demonstrated
by eleven events. all OF which happened
in actual war. True. IL seems as II our
present war would come TO an end without
a single torpedo boat attack having been
made during the whole OF its course. Yet
this consideration is not as much OF an
argument against the use of properly con-
structed and properly equipped torpedo
boats as IL is a proof OF the necessity TO
provide also a long range automobile tor
pedo as a part of the boats armament.
A, present torpedo boats and torpedo de-
with a reasonable chance for hitting their
mark can be used only at ranges not ex-
ceeding 600 yards. Thus the boat engaged
in the attack not only is obliged TO enter
the zone of the enemy's searchlsht, but
she also must approach her antagonist 10
within a distance too close for leaving the
least hope of escape. The searchlight
changes night into day. the use of smoke
less powder enables the gunner 10 point
anew hts piece without first having TO wait
for the drawing of OF the veil OF smoke
that formerly INSTRUCTED his view after
each discharge. Indeed, under these cir
cumstances the term torpedo boat at
tack may justly be considered synony-
nous with "forlorn hope" However, the
unavoidable danger attendant upon the at
tack may be greatly lessened by adding 10
the armament of the boat few au;omo.
bile torpedoes. that have an effective range
up TO two miles. Should Mr.. Carson's
"Turbina' (iil2 tons, 100 feet long by
feet beam, attained speed 81 knots. 40 1913
miles) continue to prove success. new
era in naval propulsion would have open
ed and It is difficult to imagine how
boat. setting low in the water and present
ing but a small surface, could be hit from
a distance of two miles when going at that
speed. AS 10 the torpedo itself, on the
feasibility of which the value OF this ar
gument depends. il may be stated that
the device or Sucn long range torpedo Is
to be examined by a governmental COM
mi:tee to whose resort weapons of this
class belong. With the writer of the ar
ticle in question, l regret that the Hol-
land boat was not given trial during the
present war, for with him I believe a ser
v!ceable submarine boat 10 be the most
rational solution of the difficult problems
arising In offensive torpedo warfare. How
ever, as long as there exists no submarine
boat answering the purposes of war. so
long will surface torpedo boats continue
Q necessity.
VICTOR Won SCHELIHA.