New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-12
m pAMINNAVAL WARFARE.
u.y RE DONE BY HITTING BE.
LOW THE WATER-LINE.

,rtoN IN NAVAL NoNSi ~ NiiO'>-
\ o of naval construction and warfare
.,,racted the attention OF experts thirty
rN" more ago. and for a time was ex-
- =. nonular is the ram. The idea OF put
.hort stout spur out on the stem OF
S or below the water-line. to be thrust
enemy's ship, hal occurred TO designers
vessels az early as 1S,9. In that year
added to the British Navy the War
e@ ,innea and 20 the French Navy the
.,mrar,v armed. But the final actual
40 ram on which its future largely de-
l as occurred in l>oZ
Confederate ironclad Merriniac bore on
.u, s,ur which was used upon the Cum-
off, such deadly effect that the latter
,o,r in a fow minutes. -Four years later
It'd NJ LISA. in the Mediterranean,
Instructive engagement was fouSh'.
',.i-a, TegetthOff, the Austrian coih"'a'ue''
~. smaller feet than the Italians uhoer iei
hr, he wen a decisive victory. Inc result
-, no attributed in some degree no doup'' u
ro,ian leaders bad management ie' III.
| -, mode Of attack was with the ram Anu
arerov's best ships. including the Ike
,bicb had been the flagship OF fer-
lf4oNQ
''A'- ,,o heeinning of the fight, were sunk
SV W ,,rihution to the worlds knowledge
.oss;hilitjes Of the ram was made IN
~ hv the PeruNians. Their HuaS'ai s'o'0
..he hole in the Gillian Esmera'o" o'
,n,ue In consequence Of TINS lhJu'! "''
~..,ta although she had fought with anna
:, ,uck quickly went TO the bottom.
: 49, - ,n,,cb more recent illustrations OF the
.s,ruction which this weapon is c"paole u
ling are cited by William Ledyard Ca'hcar,
~ lime number of Casters Magazine
&C., of these was the tragic loss OF the
49,. ho,,le.shiu Victoria in time Of peace
ADMIRAL Trvon was putting the ships OF h'S
,rr,and the Mediterranean Squadron through
4, unusual mannuvre. the oruef bN'" "
,s,ved either a slip Of the tongue or an e''o,
4 calcu,ation. but il was implicitly opeSeu' anu
,,hin few minutes the Admiral sa" tie nus
runsrdown swung around so that she couio
-. avoid striking the flagship. The Victoria
bon, aaoat for ten minutes, but when she S'i"h
,se took down 32l officers and men includihs
the unhappy Tryon. This event occurred III
June 1893
less lamentable in degree. but not less sig
i6can, in character WAS the disaster that over
ook tbe German warship Grosscr kur'urs'' J"
s7s while proceeding westward aiohE .n'
cu,herp coast of England Accompanying this
,ss4l and little further onshore. was the
Kong wilhelm. an armor-belied frigate OF ''''"
,s disbursement. small merchant vessel
lifting TO sea crossed the bows OF the Germans
M compelled them TO turn their heads TEN
,rarly inshore The Kurfirst resumed her
,-mer course before the KONG Wilhelm dld'
"a before the navigatOrs of either vessel re-
Lied the danger the Wilhelm had run her ram
40 her consorts side The kurfurst carried
IL officers and eighty one men down with her.
H. other officers and men on board OF her
scaDed
Soon after the battle Of LISA the BRUSH
Idmiraty began TO develop class or vessels
,hleh were intended to fight principally with
heir rams The Rupert and the Hotspufwere low
ronGads. Of 200 and 1000 tons, and carrying
ne or two guns in turrct well forward linen
ame the Hero and the Conqueror. when were
Tiger and more heavily armed. These latter
sried Pinch guns and displaced ABOUT "'"'
ons The Polyphemus 0SSD was more eH-
lusiyey ram, for her battery was iish' one
BE was eauipped with torpedo tubes, however
he next set Of rams. built between 1886 ana
So and including the Furious, VindictVe'
Irrogant and Gladiator, were ships or J,'oV
ons displacement and had light armor ana
rotected decks Their largest guns are or inc
inch rapid fire type, and no torpedo tubes are
fovided The projection from the stem Is mas
i've the bow is strongly braccd, and the arrnor
sli Is wider out forward than elsewhere. Other
nportant notifications were MADE In inc ue-
ign Of these vessels. In order to facilitate RAPID
there are two rudders. one JUST
onward Of the screw and the other AFT. Inc
sadwood at the stern is cut away so as to favor
1ck turning
These and other war vessels OF the same gen
'al type, not only in the British Navy, but also