The record-union., 1898-06-08
m THE THICK OF BATTLE.
RISKS ATTENDING A MODERN
NAVAL ENGAGEMENT.
Victory to be Decided by Swift At
tack and Superior Marksman-
ship-Machine Guns.

The Secretary of the Navy recently
sent a message to the men of the fleet,
encouraging them to emulate the ex-
ample Of Admiral Farragut, since which
time several journals have referred to
Farragut's famous ascent of the rigging
of the Hartford during the passage or
the forts at Mobile as a proceeding
which might with advantage be copied
by the commanders of our present ships.
The truth is that for any one to ex-
pose himself on an open deck in an ac-
ton between battleshipS or cruisers is
almost certain destruction, and in all
vessels in which the plating of the su-
perstructure is not sufficient to keep out
nachine-gun prOjectiles the loss or lie
Will probably be greater than has ever
happened before in naval conflicts.
Some vessels, though by no means all.
are provided with armor; but it is not
true, as is generally supposed, that the
armor is there primarily to shield men.
It's function is to protect the guns, the
motive power and sufficient of the COM
partments into which the ship is di-
vided to keep her afioat, even if all the
others are injured.
PROJECTILES FROM MACHINE
GUNS.
In our last war the forts at Mobile
and New Orleans used grape and can
lister shot with much effect against our
attacking fleets, but this was at very
close range. AT long range, shells and
the flying splinters of wooden vessels
were the principal agents of wholesale
destruction. But now the huge shells
will begin to come on board from the
high power guns when the contend1ng
vessels are nearly three miles apart.
The largest guns, twelve and thirteen
inch caliber can be loaded and fired al
most once every three minutes. AT a
little less than two miles distance the
five and six-inch rapid-fire guns Will
begin to pour in their projectiles, ana
these weapons can be loaded and fired
at the rate of from seven to hfteen
shots per minute. Then come the six
FOUNDERS. throwing shot per minute;
the machine one-pounders (Maxim NOR
denfeldO, 200 shots per minute, and
SO on up to the GatlingS, fed au-
tomatically by electric motors, and
projecting bullets at the rate or
1900 per minute A man might
brave a storm of grape and bull
lets with a chance of escape. but the
under the quick fire hail of the Japan
csc ships the slaughter on the Chinese
ships was so frightful that the Chinese,
with all their stolid contempt for death,
could hardly be kept at their posts. So
fierce was the storm of steel around
the attacked vessels that the sea was
literally lashed into foam by it.
OF course, there is no place on board
q warship in action which is ever rea-
sonably safe. The marines stationed
In the military tops are likely to be
quickly swept out by Quick-fire hail,
and the coal-pasSerS down in the bunk
ers or the engineers in the tangle Of
steam machinery are in as imminent
danger of death through injury to the
boilers and the scalding of escaping
steam.
THE CAPTAINS PERIL.
OF all on board the man who stands
in the greatest peril is the Captain. In
the battleships and cruisers his posi-
ton is in a cylindrical box of steel
placed just under the bridge, we'll for
ward, which is called the coming tow
er. The armor of it is thick enough or
dinarily to resist the penetration of
heavy projectiles. 1t contains the
speaking tubes and electrical wires
whereby he communicates with the
guns, engine and helm. and sometimes
apparatus whereby he is enabled to fire
the guns himself after they are laid
upon the enemy. His field Of vision is
limited to what he can see through a
little horizontal slit on about the level
of his eye. In point Of frightful re-
sponsibilty no situation in the world can
compare with that which is occupied
by the man who stands in that tower
and directs the movements Of his ship.
After the conflict once begins the din
about him will be something Internal.
Upon him the fire of the enemy Will be
concentrated, and upon the exterior of
that steel drum in which he is shut up
there will be a continuous hail of iron
and steel Shells will burst everywhere
around it. and to that babel will be
added the roar of the force blast under
the engines. the tremendous reports
OF the heavy guns. and the din of the
quick fire and machine guns in chorus.
In such circumstances this, aided
by such knowledge as he can get by
looking out through the little peephcle
in front of him as we'll as the smoke
will let him. the Captain must control
the tremendous forces under his COM
mana. ana MS decisions are matters OF
seconds.
Nobody now believes that a Captain
who finds his vision through the Sits
of the tower cut off by smoke will stay
thus shut up. 1t is extremely doubtful
If it will be physically possible for him
to remain there after the shells begin
to hammer its sides and burst against
It: and in any event. the intense anx-
iety to see and know clearly what the
enemy is doing will inevitably lead him
to take his chances in the open. Con-
ming tower or on coming tower. his
duty is to place himself at whatever
point he can manage his ship to the best
advantage and this he will certainly
do Lord Charles Beresford. with grim
humor has suggested that the Cap
tain's safest place is not in but behind
his coming tower. because then he has
two thicknesses of steel between him
self and the enemy don't you see?" but
while conning-tower armor may resist
penetration. 1t is by no means certain
that the whole structure will not be