Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-02

Is peculiarly applicable TO the torpedo
boat question. 1t is, however practi-
cable to observe that the offensive
value of torpedo boats at a long dis
lance from sallying port has never
yet been highly rated
There has never been hitherto any in
stance of the destruction or serious in
Jury of ship by the discharge of a
torpedo i'm the daytime. 1t is also stat
ed by expert authority that no moving
vessel has ever been hit by a mobile
torpedo. TWenty-one years ago the
Shah fred a torpedo at the Peruvian
ship Huascar at sea in the daylight,
but the torpedo missed its mark Four
wears ago in the battle off the Yalu,
Chinese torpedo boats fired five torpe-
does at two japanese ships. Three of
these torpedoes were discharged at fifty
yards range, but both ships were una-
jured. Unskifulness of the gunncrs
may largely account for this showing.
but the torpedoes were of the approved
Whitehead pattern, and presumably
nearly as formidable as those IN use
today.
The only ships that have been sunk
by torpedoes We're blown up at anchor
in the night time. Two torpedo gun
boats sunk the Blanco Eucalada, just
seven years ago in Caldera bay, by the
discharge of five torpedoes at the close
range of from 100 10 20 yards. One tor
pcdo gun boat and three torpedo boats
wrecked the Aquida ban at Santa
Catharina, Brazil, by the discharge of
four torpedocs at 100 yards range, in
April 1893 Three years ago the Chin
eSe ship Ting Yuen was sunk by Il
Hotilla of Japanese torpedo boats, dis
| charging several torpedoes at $50 yard:
range; and. on the following night. an
other Chinese ship was destroyed by
the attack of six torpedo boats
All these scores for the torpedo were
made in the apparent absence Of any
patrol-boat guard such as is uniform
~ employed in oar navy when ships
are al anchor in time of war. There is
no evidence in any case either Of any
considerable provision or employment
of scarchlghts. From two To four of
these lights are in use on every one Of
the larger vessels OF the fleet now
htpckading Havana. From the lack Of
podo- boats were not discovered until
| they had come within few hundred
yards, hut. even AT this disadvantage,
tho sinking Of the Ting Yuon was not
effected without heavy damage Ia the
| itotiila and the loss of two OF the at
| lacking boats.
| II a torpedo boat can contriVc to
! steal close IN, unohserTed, it Is, no
| doubt a very dangerous antagonist To
the heaviest hattleship. If such z
! boat can find n safe cover in port il
| might dart out. at night. among q
/ hl"ckading squadron. ana prove IL be
/ Vary Formidable But the utility Of the
| torpeio-boat in open-sea service in the
! daytim" is Vet To be proven. There is
| serious question also whether f.otilla
! Of tornedo-hoats can make a long sea
/ voyage without heavy damage-sueh a
| passage. for example. as the course 81
900 miles between the Cape Verde Is
| lands and Porto Rico. None OF these
! boats is a good sea boat, and their en-
| ploymcnt at sea even in practice. has
| not been satisfactory.
| In the Italian naval InanoeuYres in
| the Mediterranean thirty-one torpedo
| in a week only seventeen were reported
fit for duty; nearly half had been dis
| abled in ordinary cruising service The
special commission of the British board
| Of admiralty reported, some years ago.
that the employment of torpedo boa :
fer offensive service at sea, at any
| considerable distance from port. was
practically futile. Lieut. Staunton of
| our own navy made careful examina-
| ton Of the service record of torpedo
| boats at the direction Of our govern
ment. He states that even first-class
| torpedo-hoats rapidly wear out their
crews in sea-service. In bad weather
no cooking can he done and the men
cannot sleep. They are constantly
| drenched with sea-Water. and the work
| ing machinery is continually in need of
| repairs. Such boats are of great value
for sallics from a blockaded port. but
very i'll adapted for extended cruises a.
sea or for bockading work
| 1t is important to note further that
the speed Of the best Whitehead torpc-
do after discharge does not exceed
tWenty-eight knots an hour. There are
boats at sea which can equal or even
excel this speed. Michael Bald. and
| other fast riders can easily exceed it on
| a bicycle. \ torpedo discharged al the
| distance of half a mile from a ship
would not reach its mark i'll less than
| a minute II a fast cruiser like the Min
! neap0liS were Steaming ahead at full
speed torpedo aimed directly against
| her broadsidc at Il distance Of half q
! mile would pass fully a third of a mile
aStcrn. Even a sloW-mOVing vessel
! like the hattleship Massac huSetts could
| readily steam several hundred yards
| forward or back to evade q torpedo dis
charged al this range. As war vessels
at sea are always in notion the diff
Guilty of hitting such moving marks,
| with a torpedo may readily he per-
ceiVed. Moreover. the entire secondary
| battery of any of our WarshiDs has an
effective range of considerably over
half mile. Any approaching boat
would advance through a hail of shot
and shell which would almost certainly
wreck the assailant if an attack in the
| daytime were attempted
| Our naval commanders are alert and
| wary: DOSSible precautinn will ba