Washington sentinel., 1898-11-26


our regular army to give New York Its
quota to the limited numbers as above.
In improving the first line OF defence
the Navy personnel would be an import
ant factor, but the material" by which
term | include all the different classes
OF vessels, would have to be changed
both IN guns and armor to attain the
object in view. Owing to the parsimony
of Congress, we have had to build ur
navy in proportion to the money appro-
priated. Considering the small sums
expended, it is wonderful how much has
been accomplished. In building the
new navy, vessels were constructed with
the object OF holding our own agsinst
inferior nations, who thought they could
insult US with impunity, and alter this
was accomplished then with generous
appropriations to have rendered our
navy a match to that of some OF the
great powers II must be remembered
that a modern vessel of war is fitted out
to be a match to fight single handed
with an enemy's vessel of equal or
inferior class. Now in line of defence
such as woull be Dece sary to prevent
New York from being burned by high
explosive shells from an attacking fleet,
ships lose their individuality and bee me
only onstituents in the general plan OF
action The ships in the line Of defense
should be divided in accordance with
the zone Of FIRE developed by the use Of
high and low explosives. The two ought
not to be united on any single vessel.
One requires a high, while the other
demands a low, tree board. Floating
batteries would have to be imDrovised
on the same system. to be controlled by
steam power. This can be easily done
b. using floating dry duc cks, with impro
vised armOr OF steel bilets, keyed and
clamped, as used in the recent German
system of land defence. All vessels in
the low explosive line of defence would
have to b. strengthened IN the same
manner to fight the line of battle ships
end cruisers of the enemy with head on
and high rdr ge OF FIRE, which they could
easil do at a distance, depending on the
floating batteries and the high explosive
line to prevent the enemy from closing.
Much criticism has been expended on
our Navy Department for not building
vessels of sufficient displacement to
contend on equal terms with the heaviest |
line OF battl ships of other modern |
navies. The answer is easy-want OF |
The wish was there, bur the |
means were wanting, and the small
amount of money had to be strained to
The utmost to accompl sh what has been |
done even at the risk OF structural |
weakness, IN order to have heavy |
In spite OF adverse criticism
Of the Department. and accusation Of
fraud levelled at the contractors, point
out any other government that has done
as we'll in constructing new navy on so
little money. as Congress has placed at |
their disposal
Much stress has been made on the
great number OF torpedo boats which
could be used IN IN attack on New York,
md great blame mas been cast on our
Navy Departmer for not building an
adequate number of such CT IT in order
10 protect our sea ports. With the in
,rease of caIibre in rapiu firing guns and
The use Of search lights at nlehts. their
power OF mischief has been very much |
curtailed except in heavy fngs, when |
q picket boats would have to |
be depended on, to prevent them APP |
Droachinp the line of def nee After all |
in operations of the magnitude as the |
def nee OF our great metropolis now |
under discussion, artillery must be our
main dependence and if New York was
allowed to draw the quo a, commensur-
ate to the military imp rtance of its
defence, from the stock OF guns on hand
here would be sufficient IN number to
-end II capture by the enemy either by
a 'coup de main" or prolonged attack,
exceedingly difficult, it not impossible.