La Junta tribune., 1898-05-07
the MAN IN the rospsoo soar.
Most rieklish Place Of Al In Naval
Warfare.

There is no kind Of naval vessel
that could be conscientiously recon-
mended in time of war as sani-
tarium, but OF all the craft, big or
little, that constitute a modern
fleet, there is none so undesirable
to the searcher after safe and easy
berth as a torpedo boat.
The man on the torpedo boat has
three. sixteenths of an inch OF steel
between him and the sea that is
hungrily watching its chance to
swallow him. The boat could be
cut in two with can-opener. Not
only would its walls give way like
tissue paper before the fire of great
guns, rapid-fire guns and machine
guns, but they would not resist a
bullet from hand rifle, or even
from sood-sized revolver.
On an ordinary vessel there is
some chance of getting behind
something that might conceivably
turn projectile. The crew of a
torpedo boat is practically in the
open air. Any shot that strikes
the craft will search it from end to
end like an X-ray.
1t is always considered import
an, in warfare to bring the men in
to action in good physical condi-
ton, we'll ted, comfortable and
with pient, OF sleep. Service on a
torpedo boat is destructive to all
these requirements. The terrific
vibration OF the paper shelled hull,
piung'ng through tn. water at The
speed OF an express train, unscttlrs
the strongest stomach. 1t is i'm
possible Ia eat or sleep with com-
tort-in tact, in the BRUSH naval
maneuvers the favorite menu iu,
been confined to egg nog
The service, even in peac'tu
exercises, is so ardunus that the
crews hav.. TO be changed at inter
walls OF a few days
But IN war all the eXaction- oi
the work ar.indcfinitrlv multiplied.
When the boat is about 10 attatk l.
an enemy the nerves of every man
On board are keyed up tens A.
harp strings, The ewes II ia,
lookou,s peer fi-rccly through II e
blackness in which. with all light,
out, the batileship lies ready %
pour destruction on ANYTHING fha,
lapproaches. Silently the torpe,l"rs
are hoisted from below, ihe war
heads fitted in place and the lanncl.
ing tubes made ready. Oui,i
groups stand bv the rapid fire gun
Suddenly search light fash,'>
on the horizon. 1t sweeps the sea
from side to side. and at last
touches the torpedo boat and re-
mains fastened upon it while every
man is outlined in merciless sharp
ness. The pent up steam crowds
into the cylinders under the last OF
the forced draught and the boat
plunges along the path of light on
its race of death. There are two
miles to cover before it will come
within striking distance, and al
ready the splashes of pattering
shots in the water tells that the
enemy's secondary battery is find
ing the range. Talk of despera
ton in the charge of the Light
Brigade-there were hundreds Of
survivors of that charge, but here
is a dash from which nobody ex-
poets to return alive, and in which
the only hope of the men who
make it is that they may hold ont
long enough to bring their enemy
down with them.
The hail of projectiles from the
battleship's machine guns is doing
its work. The torpedo boat is
riddled; the water is pouring
through dozen leaks; dead and
dying men are lying all about the
decks; the speed is falling off. But
still the shots have missed the tor
pedoes, the premature explosion of
one of which would leave not a
relic Of the craft or its crew; still
there are men enough, standing
grimly by the tubes, to do their
work, and still the boat staggers
on toward its prey. At last the
moment has come. Eight hundred
yards. The helm goes hard over,
the boat swings around, and from
two of her tubes 90 speedinp the