The San Francisco call., 1898-03-31

TOT the OeStruCt1On or these ultie tci-
 TOTS. The success of the larger speci-
 mems for that purpose has called into existence the class of vessels known as
 ''torpedo-boat destroyers' called simply destroyers. The speed of first-class destroyer is about 30 knots
 an hour. She is slightly protected, sometimes has as many as six torpedo tubes (the old style torpedo-boat had
 but one) and carries quite a consider able battery of rapid-fring guns. The coal carrying capacity of the destroyer 1 can never be great as at present con- 1 structed. These little vessels are very
 poor targets. They sit deeply in the
 water and their speed is so great that it is practically impossible to hit them, except by the grace of MT. Irving Scott's lucky shot.' How true this is will be seen from the fact that when steaming thirty knots an hour the de- stroyer is making over thousand yards minute. In action their prin- cipal mission is to destroy torpedo
 boats, to protect battle-s ships from them and incidentally to torpedo the larger ships of the enemy if possible.
 The difference between a battle ship and cruiser Is best shown by comparing type of each; but the uses for which each is intended are briefly these: The battle-ship is for fensive purposes only. She is intended for fighting alone and is consequently as heavily armed and armored as possible. The cruiser, as thesname implies, is in- tended for a variety of cruising pur- poses; to act as convoy to transports or commercial vessels. to patrol sea space to blockade ports, to destroy the enemy's commerce, and among other things, to do her share of the fighting when called into action. Cruisers are of two types, armored and unarmored. both of which are necessary to a com- plete navy. Recently, however, more unarmored cruisers have been built than those of the fully protected type. The speed attained by first-class mod ern cruisers Is equal to that of the fastest ocean greyhounds and supasses nearly all merchant vessels. They havs greater coal endurance than battle ships. and are in a word eminently fit ted for cruising. A coast defense yes sel Is little more than a floating bat tery, and except in great emergency they are intended to stay close to land. They are all heavily armed, and, like the battle-ship, we'll armored. In fact, they carry as large guns as their size will permit, usually in turrets.
 For comparison of a cruiser with battle-ship scarcely a better example could be chosen than the Olympia (she is frst-class unarmored cruiser) and the Oregon Ca first-class battle-ship Both these vessels were built here. They differ but six feet in length, yet the breadth Cor beam) of the battle ship is 69 feet and that of the cruiser but 53 feet. The displacement of the battle-ship is 102S8 tons. and the cruisers but 5S70-little more than half. The speed of the battle-ship is about 15 knots per hour, while the cruiser can make nearly 22. Tn the matter of armament the difference Is this: The battle-ship carries four thirteen-inch breech-loading rified guns, eight eight inch and four six-inch of the same type, with a complement of smaller arms. The cruisers heaviest ordnance however, is a battery of four eight-inch guns of the same type, supplemented by ten of five-inch bore. The equip ment of lighter guns compares well with the battleship. But, as will be seen by what appears above, the uses for which the vessels are intended widely diverge. It is moot question among naval experts whether the day for the heaviest type of battle-ships is not rapidly passing away. At any rate the increase in the number of torpedo boats and destroyers in the past few years has been very noticeable.