The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-21
MODERN NAVAL WARFARE.
An Attempt to Tell of n Combat he
tween the PeIayO and the Indiana.

An Attempt to Tell of Combat he
tween the PeIayo and the Indiana.
Washington Letter.
1t is estimated by experts that, in fight
between the Indiana and Spains mighty
ship of war, the Pelayo--a very fair match,
with 500 men on each side-each vessel
would have about thirty killed and 100
wounded in the first twenty minutes. This,
of course, would be only the beginning. In
the naval engagement of the Yalu the Chi
nese battle ship Chen-Yuen lost $50 men out
of a total of 460, or about 76 per cent. Troops
on land may retreat or surrender, and as
rule they will do one or the other when
their losses reach 80 per cent. which is the
point of breaking strain,'' as military au-
thorties call it; but so long as ship floats
and has gun to fire she will keep on fight
ing. There is always a possibility that
well-aimed shot will disable an unframed
adversary.
An encounter between the PeIayo and the
Indiana will be such combat as has never
been seen on the water. 1t will transcend
in ferocity and fatality anything of the kind
recorded hitherto. The American battle
ship is able to throw every minute one 11O0-
pound SHE'LL three of $50 pounds each, two
of 100 pounds, fifteen of sixty pounds each
and twenty of four pounds. The 110O-pound
projectile, fired from one of the four 13-inch
guns, strikes with an energy of 25000-foot
tons, force enough to lift the Pelayo bodily
two and a half feet. If the commander
wishes he can so connect his batteries with
wires as to fire all the guns simultaneously,
striking the adversary with such a tre
mendous storm of projectles that no ship
could very well stand up against it. But
the Pelayo is as formidable vessel as the
The naval actions in this war will be
short, sharp and decisive There will be no
prolonged struggle, such that between
the Scraps and the Bonhomme Richard,
which were dashed together and fought for
four hours. plying ali the means of de-
struction known to the times. single mis-
sile from one of the Iowas great guns
weighs more than twice much as Il
whole broadside of projectiles fired from
the Bonhomme Richard, and is discharged
with an enormously greater velocity. The
explosive shells, too, work frightful havoc,
scattering death and destruction all around
and setting fire to every bit of woodwork
In ten minutes a cruiser like the Brooklyn
armed with eight eigbt-inch and twelve
five-inch guns, twelve out of the twenty
in play at a time can tire over four nun
dred shells, transforming the deck of an
adversary into a ShambleS, and literally
Kidding every part of the opposing ship
not protected by armor.
1t has been figured out that in all the
naval battles of the world since 1862 the
proportion of persons killed and wounded
in the first twenty minutes of the engage
ment averaged 80 per cent. This percent
age certainly will be more than doubled
in the sea fights of the approaching war.
In a ship carrying 450 men from $50 to 300
will be killed or disabled in the first quar-
ter of an hour. One shot, fired by a Chinese
ship at the Yalu battle, and striking a
japanese cruiser fairly. killed and wounded
102 men. In the confusion, carnage, fire
and terror there will be no time to minister
10 the wounded. For them, indeed there is
hardly any chance of escaping death. The
deck being swept by a continuous storm of
bursting projectiles. there will be no OPP
portunity TO carry them below. While the
combat is at long range and the casualties
few they can be laid behind the turrets,
but when the action is at close quarters no
attention can be paid to them.
1t should be explained that in an engage
Eient at close quarters the matches are
closed with so-called battle plates, and no
wounded can possibly be passed below.
Meanwhile all parts of the ship above the
armor belt which only extends four feet
above the surface Of the water. are being
riddled by gun fire. and the number of
casualties is necessarily enormous. In such
an action at least one of the vessels en-
gagged Is likely TO be sunk, and that means
death to all on board of her. Her own
beats have been knocked to spllnters early