New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-04
SOME LESSONS or THE WAR.
A STRONG ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF
FASTER BATTLE-SHIPS-THE ADNAN-
TAGES OF SMOKELESS POWDER.
From The s ,turday Review.

TAGES OF SMOKELESS POWDER.
From The ,turday Review.
Of IMPORTANCE only as regards details Nothing is
taught that has not already been emphaszed az
Joints of Where evidence is most needed
time The immense value of armor the importance
D Dew s0s story S"0" All these things have demon
straied again and again The moral dlietenSe az, or
arguments based on the Santiago battle, as TO rela-
tive efficiency Of various types delusive As there
ners Of the Spanish Navy proved quite unable. with
the best and newest guns to mr. the tatge, ana as
the tune of some 20 per cent. II is not wonderiul
that this unck navy has been wped s on the
American material in excellent order ana the sea
ne and saRg 9ua al hs H
traordinary mistakes before Santiago have lowered
sampson and Dewey and Commodore Schley have
shown tha they know their business. and have
Already the somewhat hns,y deduction is being
drawn from the American successes that British
fleet would go through the Russians or French as
easily. For the Russians 1 cannot speak. but the
French May will never disgrace itself as the Span
practice; they have regular manguvres. For in
stance, while this summer great British fleet has
the coast. the French have. with admirable sue;
torpedo ATTACKS They are tour years ahead Of
England In discarding conbustlble fittings. 1t is
some cruisers and battle-ships, which
arr, crammel ron, end 70 end With wood fittings,
meal press. The history OF the French at sea is
man generally fights we'll ard is fair seaman
In examination and in the possession OF a general
egg, our neishbors are again before us
on Of pa of was yfF
and was maintained with consummate skill When
Americans were taken by surprise. fire was opened
rapidly by the latter that Spanish officers. after
found their enemy nj general quarters Speed, too
, Wss attained IN the American ships Win aston
three hours worked up from eigh. to sixteen and
quarter knots. though at the outset she had only
engine room SANS showed equal efficiency. and
ing OF the stokcrs in tie intenss heat was extreme
At the same time the Spaniards contributed by
their inertness TO the effectiveness of the blockade
They had Two dcslrOyers and at least four steam
pnnaces. which might have been used for torpedo
attacks; but no torpedo attacks were made Again
and again the American ships opened a Wild IRE
at nigh sometimes on their own colli Her, or
their own boats. That the latter were not hit
boat The strain OF the blockade" writes a cor
respondent with tho American fleet was Intense
two armored cruisers six or seven cruisers. and
ne many armed Yachts torpedo boats. They had
serious armor protection. and two destroyers. They
outnumbered their enemy in displacement by some
thing Ike 10 three. and In numbers even more
from The blockade TO coal and rest at Guan,anamo
to watch SANTIAGO Contrast. the condition Of a
airy base available and force insufficient to main
tain the watch. The fatuity OF ne Spanlrras
ted battle hip nightly TO approach within a
mile Of the h1roor and 10 play searchligh stead,
upon "A fac, which surprised Admiral sampson. AZ
II wei, might II Is no slur upon American cour-
shells would have sent the batte-shp hustling out
OF range.
ADVANTAGES or sMOKELEss POWDER
The Americans fought throughout win smoky
powder the British built New -Orleans alone hring
rmokeiess The Immense ADVANTAGES OF sfnokeess
powder are now fully appreciated. II IS amusing
io reflect upon what might have happened haq ne
Venezuela affair had serious consequences win
smoky powder aeanst A British heet carIyning
smokeless IN" Americans would have been terrlDy
handicapped In some respects the Washington
Navy Department surpasScs the CONSERVATISM OF
whitehall -,.
The heavy CUR has gGrformcd disapP pot KY
hand points TO the high efficiency in action OF mod
crats-sized rapid Airing weapons. or these thsre
were few in the American feet AT Santiago, for In
mediate battery OF SEnch guns winch most iaree
execution and Il is significant that In the design OF
tho newest American hattle-ships these snch pieces
have been rentroduccd. after they had been orig
nailv discarded We may expect a moyemen,
toward a hattlp-ship armored much as was the
Crisohal Colon. and equipped win Prthasy Ua
has already designed such ship in the Benedetto
Brln England VIII hnv" 70 fonow. favor y, ,os,o,
sn'pS W.T." ~ has been said over here that the failure
NJ tho Snanish cruisers to steam Fast proves that
superiorIty Of speed is worthless. | wonder that
the pundits who write thus ala not argue ,naS' a. a.
Inc SnanIsh guns hurt no only two men. 70
be accurnte-guns were useless encumbrance. ~
should be noted sign OF the tines that neea b
nar,ormonce in the battle has been scarcely noticed
or dispnraged This wilful blindness is likely 10
useless md took the whole sting ont OF me Ameri-
can ire upon her But the pundits Will not see