The sun., 1898-12-11
THE MODERN SNIP OF WAR.
Observations and Conclusions of a Distiu.
guished Oficer of the Navy.

guished Oficer of the Navy.
Commodore Francis J. Hippinson IN he Independent
In a modern. battleshp the Captain is con-
demned to imprisonment during action In
steel coming tower ten inches thick and six
feet ten inches in diameter. compared with
which the prison Of the Man with the Iron
Mask was palace.
tried the coming tower in the Massachu-
setts during the FIRST bombardment OF Santi-
ato. but soon abandoned it for the bridge.
finding 1t difficult to grasp all the varying con-
ditions Of the action from the narrow peep.
holes often blanketed by thick smoke. Ono
did not feel really in touch with the action or
with his own ship in such a position. and the
movements OF the men were controlled BY an
unseen spirit. Or course. when in close
tion with another ship and a hailstorm Of
rapd-fre and machine guns IL falling upon
your vessel. it would he unwise not to seek its
to do as We did in the civil war and to take my
commanding officers thought the same way,
and at the bombaEdment OF San Juan Cant.
calmly smoking a cigar.
To-day the majority of men In q battleshp
mense boilers heating the atmosphere to
sitting temperature and where they can only
eD Without son
1t is related that during the destruction Of
Cervera's fleet, when there was lul In the
firing on board the Oregon. the chief engineer
came up from the hre room and said to Capt
gun so as to keep up the, splrits Of my men"
These devoted souls, far down in the depths Of
by the sound OF, the guns Of the battle raging
above them. and the heavier the FIRE the hard
fH In aner WITCH f IN
them. when the matches are opeDed after ac;:
max ed to see with what relief they breathe the
fresh air and how eagerly they run to have
gagged. Modern science with all its tremen-
dous resources and increase OF mower, has not
llght9ened the conditions under which men la
i doubt d blockade running can be success:
ssarehlights. and certainly nothing could haye
got IN or out Of Santiago except In a fog. This
tae the hS 81
by the MASSACHUSETTS, and Texas on the night
Of Of July , 4: This his v vessel was seen the moment
eeeded 2 Thousand Yards. It i, said she, in
as to prevent 3ampsons fleet from entering
but under the fire Of our guns she was pre-
two attempts to obstruct the channel at San
tago. one by ourselves with the Merrimac.
ede Gs oe wb b. hs se sea e @ s
eeeded the operations would have been much
would have been obliged to re-embark at Sibo-
ney under great disadvantages.
nt the ships OF the present day are much su-
peror IN iniell gence and morale to those Of
schools Of instruction for Sc eamen at the Wash.
inRton gun foundry. tho torpedo station at
tqbllshed. have given us petty oflleers OF fine
oharacter and ability. who have raised the
ga. andard Of intellIRence in the navy far above
Sailors get very much attached to their guns
and I.lv stteT ina go9d shot viii pat them affection
the forward turret Ben Butler" and John j.
f;aa Ns as representing the fighting quail
to bs bbsaP,tPI RFonFs statue q Victory given
setts was fastened:on the forward turret be.
i've 6s sot she and before
Of OIL maEns her sWyng TSbes
,Rs . asa ibs aoE Phi.
s,srikes terror into the heart Of an enemy: Dur:
shots fired showing for Sullivan 't twenty.ons G
=, Colonies without sufficient sea power to hold
them +, are sources of weakness and possible
to double our presens naval oTce with
should be T aS I III the bpf
would place the country in a position to h"li
9nT Rnrd1ew Rew possessIIGns against any attack
merly. Is in the end more expensive, and is
contrary to the practice OF all other nations.
II Is hand to-n!outh policy. and gives no
snrahce for the t1tures, and is liable to inrer;
the Treasury. Certainly the honor OF the
country ts al much involved In tire mante.
nance OF the navy as In the payment Of pen-
nual pension appropriation should be granted to
the annual appropriation for the naval build
Rramme the country would know exactly
what TO expect. and the shipbuiders what Is
required to expedite their work. and with the
experience they have already had they ought
70 be able to turn out a haftleship In two years
time. In the German building programme re-
Gently adopted. 70 be completed In 1904. that
country will have In that year nineteen batrle
ships TO our thirteen. not counting any addl-
tion WHICH may be made TO our navy by tho