Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-05
NIGHTMARES OF THE PAST
Torpedo Boats and Destroyers Now Seem
Harmless.
They Can't Contend Against Search
lights, Rapid-Fire Guns and
Continued WatchfuIness.

Written for The Evening Star.
"She is Death and swift Destruction In a
case,
Not the Unseen, but the Awful, plain in
sight0
The Dread that must be halted when afar
She's a concentrated, fragile form OF
Might!
She's a daring, vicious thing,
With rending, deadly sting
And she asks no odds nor quarter in the
fight
1t hardly seems possible, in looking back
to the time when the lately destroyed fleet
of Admiral Cervera was still at the Cape
de Verde Islands, that so much apprehen-
sion Gould have existed regarding the tor
pedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers
that constituted such formidable factor
of his squadron. we have a few torpedo
BEATS" it was said, but we have not q
single destroyer, and these craft can have
everything their own way; the battle ships
cannot make more than half their speed
and they can overhaul and destroy every
torpedo boat we possess" The fact that
one of these vessels was in the path of the
Oregon, on her famous journey around the
American continent, was a source of I'M
rest aid apprehension. But the great bat
tie ship pursued the even tenor of her
way, exceeded all previous records, in her
rived at the seat of war without so much
as rivet out of place, to lend her very eff
fective aid in the destruction of the once
dreaded fleet, and the torpedo destroyers
of the enemy were absolutely helpless in
the face of the terrific rain of projectiles
from the rapid-fire guns, and in a very
short space of time were sent to the bot
tom of the sea. At Manila, in the battle
with the first Spanish feet the same result
was experienced, for after an ineffectua
attempt to torpedo the flagship Olympia
the torpedo boats were compelled to turn
and seek shelter and were sunk before
they could reach the shore.
Squadron Not Endangered.
There does not seem to have been any
attempt made to attack the vessels of the
blockading squadron-much to the wonder
ment of the officers themselves. On our
own side our beats proved very efficient
additions in the way of scouts and pickets
piuckily running in shore and drawing the
fire of the batteries; but the principal OBJ
JCct of their eXiStence-to destroy the fight
ing ships of the enemy-never had a chance
for demonstration. 1t is a very desperate
chance, indeed, that of attempting to get
near enough to discharge a torpedo agains-
the cruiser or battle ship, for, with unre-
hitting watchfulness, the all-pervading
searchlight and deadly rain from the rapid
fire and machine guns, it is a question Of
the briefest space of time before the de-
1t is true, there were some successful at
tempts in this direction in the war between
Chile and Peru; but the success seems to
have been due to lack of proper watch
fulness, and, at any rate, not much, if any,
account was taken Of it. The world wait
ed for the next great naval war, when the
effectiveness of modern ships, modern guns
and the torpedo boat were to be demon
strated.
Learned Our Own Lesson.
Looking back, it does seem strange that
we who waited SO many years, watching
(and profiting by) the experience and pro-
gress of the rest of the world in the ever
changing contest between the gun and the
armor, should have afforded the object
lesson so much desired.
Today, as the result of Manila and San
tiago, the torpedo boat is nightmare OF
the past and the torpedo-boat destroyer
has passed into "innocuous desuetude.' The
search light and the rapid-fre gun, and the
eternal vigilance of the watch have render
ed their efforts futile. 1t is certain and in
evitable destruction and the forlornest Of
forlorn hopes to attempt to get near enough
to discharge a torpedo against the mas
sve sides of the battle ship that affords
such splendid target-to
- gather for the rush, and catch
her breath!
And dodge the wakeful cruisers sweeping
eye
For once within that dread zone Of fire
facing storm of projectiles from all cal
ibers, the little craft is literally obliteratec
from the face Of the waters.
Never Had u Chance.
One Of the most active and efficient OF
our own vessels OF this character. com
manded by an officer whose supremest hap
piness seemed to consist in taking the risk
lest of chances, and whose one thought
seemed to be the desire, of demonstrating
the external explosion theory" on one OF
the Wanted Spanish cruisers, very recent
ly returned for much-needed repairs. Hell
commander remarked that they never haG
chanee I'VE prowled around all nigh
long, looking for something" he said, "bu
at Santiago they had booms and chains
across the channel the search lights were
sweeping the entrance constantly and moth
ing could get in or out unseen"
Some years ago, the writer remembers, 6
remark of Arab Pasha's, made just after
the bombardment Of Alexandria, caused
considerable comment, and testified to the
great value of the search light: 'Wha
chance have we got against people who
turn the night into dayY'
Night Turned to Day.
And 30, for months, great fleet of yes.
sells has been blockading an enemy's port
closing up at sunset to within a mile of the
entrance. and no attempt was made, ever
by the powerful and rapid destroyers, te
sink single one Of our ships, or, If made
they were speedily seen and driven back
for the night was turned into day." There
was no chance for mistake. for the strict
rule was followed of not throwing the light
on our own craft, and all else was regard
ed as hostile.
Other points as interesting-other lessons
learned-might be written about, but the
most interesting of all has been the pass
Ing Of
The dashing, flashing, tumbling shell OF
The floating boiler. crammed with fire and
steam"
c. NJ. MccARTENEY.