The sun., 1898-06-12

The sbattleship Indiana has twenty
rapid. fire guns mounted IN these armored
galleries. The decks being cleared for
action, their gunners will mount the
ladders with almost certain death star
ing them in the face-a glorious martyr
dom, but one disagreeable to antici-
pate.
They will have but one duty before
them-to kill as many Of the enemy as
they possibly can before the trembling
oil the great mass beneath them an
nounces their summons to another
world.
Torpedo boats are in greater danger OF
destruction than any craft on the sea,
and their crews will embark in open
battle almost certain OF death. During
night attacks there will BE- less danger
than in the day, but during all Of their
hostile movements their only hope Will
be the avoidance Of the rapid.frinR guns
Of the battleships selected as their prey,
and such a hope will be at all events
forlorn.
A tiny torpedo boat may wipe a $5,-
OOO, 600 warship off the sea and send 500
men to the bottom, but the likelihood
than anyone on board the former will
live to brag OF the destruction is very
scant. In day attacks flotillas Of tor
pedo boats will distribute themselves
and hide behind the great hulls OF the
giant warriors as the young chicks hover
beneath the wings OF the mother hen.
To make bold dart beneath the sun
would be done at a sacrifice, and every
...a - l>o,rJ ,,,o,,l1 nw,.ao< Ino%h THAR
most valuable work, of course, will be
done at night. With all lights out or
below deck, with noiseless machinery,
with smokeless fuel and with bodies
painted the color of the sea, they will
venture closer and closer to their gallant
prey, continuing to launch automobiles
until assured that at least one has taken
effect.
The giant searchlights OF the adver-
saries would discover one OF these little
sneaks mile away. Should she be dis
covered at this distance she would have
about a minute and half to do her
deadly work. Within that space OF time
she would be in sure reach Of rapid
tirer, and one-pounder could send her
to the bottom.
With the knowledge that she was
wounded and done for, she would
probably continue under rainstorm
Of projectiles, hoping to remain above
water until assured that her adversary
would follow her to destruction. 1t is
estimated that from 70 to so per cent
of the torpedo boats attacking cruisers
and battleships in the next great naval
war will go to the bottom.
The great ram katahdin has been COM
pared to bee, for it is said that she will
Immediately l,se her own life after in.
serting her sting. She has been the sub.
ject of more adverse comment, doubtless,
than has been hurled against any other
ship ir the navy, and many officers pro-
phesy that she will surely go down with
her prey. This is expected to occur as a
result of inability to back out after in
sering her ram, or of MASKING her own
bow. Furthermore, she could readily be
torpedoed by her adversary within dis
tance of 600 yards.
After one bold stroke her career would
probably be ended, and all on board
would go to the bottom. The full COM
plement, except the captain, would be
sheltered inside during an assault, and
there would be little chance of escape.
They would have less to do in fight
than any crew in our navy, yet they
would be faced with the most terrible
death which might be pictured in the
Imagination, imprisoned as they would
be beneath the surface of the water The
katahdin has practically no defence
whatever, only four. little 6-pounders OF
| nffa lx
against torpedoboats.
In actual battle the crew of the dyna-
mite cruiser Nesuvius would embark on
their hostile errand with many chances
to one against safe ret rn. She carries
an enormous supply of dynamite, and a
Spanish projectile correctly aimed would
explode this, leaving no trace OF the
vessel or its crew above water. She will
either hurl dreadful death at her enemies
or suffer more severe destruction herself
perhaps both.
Should rapid movement be made
against Havana she would precede our
fleet, exploding all of the mines and hos
tile craft in reach. Her repairs have
been made in Washington with this pur-
pose in view. Her three l5-inch guns as
now fixed will distribute explosive shells
a hundred feet apart, and the fuses will
be regulated so as to explode only
after TIE bottom Of the channel has been
reached.
Every hidden Spanish torpedo within
sc feet of each explosion will be de-
stroyed, and at each simultaneous dis
charge of the three guns she will clear a
safe channel 800 feet wide and 100 feet
long, over which our warships can safely
follow. This kind of blowing would cost
Uncle Sam about SOC, 900 mile
Meanwhile the Vesuvius would be pro-
tected, as far as possible against the guns
at Moro Castle and the other Cuban
shore. batteries by the accompanying
fleet. These three terrible guns of the
Vesuvius, furthermore, could drop 100
pound charge of gun cotton into fort
two and a half miles away, and cause
widespread destruction. 1t could also
drop 5O0-pound charge similarly from a
distance OF mile. Such work, how
ever, would haye to be undertaken under
great risk. Should the Vesuvius avoid
hostile projecties it would cause in one
stroke more sudden and wholesale
slaughter than any shin in the navy.