New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-10

THE vALTE or TORPEDOCRAFT.
From a technical point of view the most
striking incident in the annlhilation OF the
fleet with which Ccrvcra. in hopeless valor,
strovc TO break his bonds al Santiago de cuba
was the swift destruction Of the torpcdo-boat
destroycrs Furor and Pluton. This phase OF
that memorable action taken in connection
with the repulsc and dsablemcn Of their con
sort the Terror. of San Juan de Porto Rico.
adds novel and instructive page TO naval his
tory. All of these vessels were comparatively
new. having been built AT Clydebank in 1870
o. and they possessed 10 the fun. in speed
armament and manTuvring power those
qualities whose poeniatics in warfare on the
sea have been the subject Of 80 much study
and speculation. uncertainty and apprehension.
Indeed. in his recent essay. THE Future Of the
Torpedo" Nicc-Admiral Colomb. X. y, than
whom there j. no higher authority on naval
tactics and strategy. gives II a his opinion
that the days Of the battlc-ship are numbered;
that il has reached the final stage In Its evolu-
ton: and that torpcdo-boat dcstroyerS, fighting
in sufficient numbers. are IL masters.
In the existing war our experience. limited.
but still most impressive VIII not serve TO con
firm this view. AT Porto Rico the Terror ad-
vanced 10 attack the 81. Paul, converted
merchantmen. having. Il * true. the speed of
an ocean greyhound. but hampcrcd by the lack
OF manTuyring power inherent in her type.
At n distance Of three miles the dcstroycrS
plates were pierced. She never came within
torpedo range OF her foe. and after n hr"i
action retired to the friendly shelter Of the
port. with. 1t IS said, three men Killed, two OF
whom were her engineers, eleven wounded
and her machinery disabled. AT Santiago the
dashlng work Of the Gloucester WAS swificr
and surer still. Although armed with nothing
heavier than 3 and Founders she faced
at once both the Pluton and the Furor. and.
running like the wind fairly Smolhcrcd them
with her fire. one Of her assailants soon be
came a helpless. drifting mass of flame TO be-
sunk by the explosion OF her own magazine,
while the other unable To withstand the hall nf
shot. was bcachcd and wrecked. The perform
ancc OF these three dcstroycrs gives only scant
vcricatiOn 10 the predictions as To the value
Of their type 1t IS true that all Tough, In open
daylight not under cover Of the night; but ii
Is also true that all attacked ships which were
merely auxiliary cruisers, and that at Santiago
the assault was made In the cnshrouding smoke
Of notion II would appear that naval experts
may well rccasr some Of the estimates which
have been based on the possible work OF these
seemingly Ovcrratcd craft.
Their chief weapon Is. Of course. tho auto
mobile torpedo As 10 this armand there IL no
proicctilc more deadly when II strikes home
II may he said that ii has never yet scored in
action against ships in notion 1t IL true that
the Whitehead torpedo has To its credit some
notable work In naval warfare: hut glance
at the brief record Of this will show that the
circumstances and environment were wholly
in its favor. A complete list OF its victories
gives only the following. the attacks In all
cases being on ships nj anchor: On january
%. 1878. the Russians sank Turkish war
vessel living of Batum: the night was foggy.
The Gillian battle-ship Blanco Encaada was
sunk In Caldcra Bay. April % 1891, just before
dawn. on cloudy night. on April IL. 1893.
the Brazilian flagship Aquldaban was sunk mt
Santa Catharina. Brazil: the night was very
dark At Wci-Hai-Wci. on February .. 1So'. the
Chinese battlc-shp Ting Yuen was successfully
torpcdocl: the night was very dark and the
tpmpcraiure was 10 degrees below zero. For
more than generation naval experts have
speculaicd as 10 the torpedo. ana Tor years
past naval architects have prepared for attack
with and defence from The automobile type
The scant record of success which tho latter
presents however would scarcely seem to
Justify this considering the enormous financial
expenditure involved.
TorDcdo-craft would appear 10 be only less
Trustworthy than the automobile torpedo itself
The destroycrs while capable of transocoanlc
passage, are yet Of such great engine power
with regard 10 their displacemcns. as to re-
oulrc frequent recoaling nj sea: ana as YET
they carry no armor to resist even light gun
fire. The torDcdo-boa itself is the frallest or
floating things. III for work only in sheltered
horbors or on the smoOthest of seas. Both u
and the des,roycrs are throughout most dell
cafe mcchansms efficient only when groomed
like n racchorsc- when attuned TO concert
Mitch The service Of officers and men on these
Hight hulls tossing like corks on the sea. Is me
most cxhaustlng in body and mind which sea
men meet Our monitors ms they lie In the
tropc heat have been called furnaces FOR their
crews This mav be true: bit exharstlng rs
the duty is their men find Il possible 10 remain
on them, while the hospital NJ Key West has
many natients from our lit." torpedo-boats-
the relative percentage Of sick with the latter
being very large
The Last naval bill contained al appropria'