The Ravalli Republican., 1898-04-06
MODERN WARFARE.
Horrors on Water But Family Pictured
By The Past.

naval engagement IS INDUCED in by Il
a writer in the Chicago Record, who
calls attention to the fact that since
the most modern form Of bHttlcship
has been evolved there has been no
war to completely test their actual
efficiency.
1t will be worth while to notice
what has been done in the nearest
approach TO such fights that there
have been. In the war Of 1879 be-
tween Peru and Chile both nayies
were equipped with some vessels Of
types modern at that time, and many
such vessels are still in service in the
navies Of the world. The Huascar, a
Peruvian man Of war Of the old type
Of English turrct ships. was attacked
by the Chilean ironclatls Almirantc
Cochranc and Banco Encalada, new
cascnatcd vessels which Reed, their
constructor, said ought to sink the
II ltnscAr in five minutes. The action
took place off what was then the
Bolivian coast, October 3, 1879. The
Hlascar, under Rear Admiral Gral1,
had been raiding Chilean ports, and
doing much damage, SO that her dcs-
tr1lction was very much desired.
The battle was Il short one. One
Of the first shells fired by the Almi-
rantc COcllranc struck the coming
tower Of the Iluascar, exploded in it
and blew Admiral Grauc to bits.
The shock Of the impact Of tic same
Shell Killed hi; aid, who was at the
fighting wheel near by. but did not
wound him in any way. The turrcJ
was penetrated by "a shell, which cX
plodcd and killed every man who was
there. Finally, when the admiral
and the first three officers Of the
ship and twenty v-ciyht men had been
killed and forty eight wounded out
Of d total Of 200, the fourth officer.
then in command, decided to sink
the vessel to keep it from falling in
to the hands of the enemy. He went
below with men to do this duty but
was interrupted, while the hold was
filing with water. bv d Chilean Off
Ger. who had boarded the helpless
craft with Il small squad Of men. The
fight had lasted an hour and a half.
The upper works Of tho IluaS:ar
were in fragments, but her boilers
were uninjured. She was taken into
port, repaired, and within Il few
weeks was doing service at sea for
her captors.
The battle Of September :. 1894 =,
off the mouth Of the NuIu river, be-
tween tie fleets Of China and Japan.
is the nearest example we have to
Indicate the working Of such Il force.
Captain McGiIlrn, the Englshman
who commanded the best Chinese
baltIcship, the Chen iucn, tells q
dramatic story Of that day. lie was
wounded i've times in the action, but
the coWardjcc Of the Chinese officers
not the mcll--Was so appalling that
there was no hope for the success OF
their superior fleet. With bogus
ammunition, furnished by fraudulent
navy contractors, they were unabl,
to do effective work with their guns
though the few shots That did strike
the Japanese targets were fatal
Nearly 100 men were killed dI't
wounded by a single shell that cN
plodcd on one Of the Japanese boats
The target practice Of the Japanese
on the other hand. was fine. anF
there was affair test Of the execution
that may be expected from l'caN,
guns properly tired.
In future wars the partially pro
tcctcd cruisers will suffer most. Say
one writer: ''Iu that terrible blast O
fire the compartments forward VII
be blown away or riddlcd like sieHcs
Watcr-tight doors are useless WlicI
there are no watcr-ti4ht walls. IN
ships will be covered with debris
The upper works and the funnel
! will be gone.
| Now comes the time for the Use O
/ the big guns. which could be fire
t but once in the time OF approac
/ at close range, and which would !
: reserved. undoubtedly, till the fir
ii would be accurate. At Il distance {
il Of 500 or 600 yards the yolIcyS Wolll
G be exchanged. There has been !!
c experiment vet! Of the results Of vn
y lcvs fired from the deck OF n0der
i warships with / 200 or 500 poun
: shell and Il full charge Of SeNcr;
Il hundred pounds OF powder. Nh;
II its effect would be on the lHnglc
s mechanism is uncertain, but lhel
it are many who think that it WouI
q reduce lie half wrecked ship to hop
c less chaos. like the explosion CT
magazine.
In all fights with ironclAds Whic
may be taken as an index nl VIII
g may come, the mortality among CA
O tains and officers has been pAf}ic
~ ~ larlN great. Some vessels ran! al
SIS sink their opponents with al
k. board. Some miss and fire volIcNS
close quarters. There may be even
return to the old style Of boarding ;
g enemy if they come together. 1h'
III it will be the turn OF the torpc'
Is boats or Of the reserve. II there
III any. They will settle the lroubl
III and the iiIht will be over in ten mi
"a lltcs, with lriyillful los, OF Illc lrU
III the laundering Of vessels and the c
lc pIoSion of shells.
Of Russia Installed at port Arthur.
IS Prkn, March 3O.-TWo thOll~aI
er PlS~iau troops. including cHNall