Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-09-14

lanceS, SWORDS ana every sort or weapon
they could lay their hands on.
Same Mode of Attack.
In the fight between Pembroke and the
Spaniard Ruy Diaz De Roxas, near Ro-
chelle, although cannon We're used almost
for the first time on sea, the same mode of
attack prevailed. Pembroke was made
prisoner after four of the enemy's vessels
had been dashed to his vessels. In fact.
all the records of ancient naval warfare
seem to indicate that sea fighting was lit
tie more than land fighting. The cantend-
ing fleets would be dashed together and the
men would fight hand to hand until one of
the principals surrendered. The Spanish
armada, with its 100 vessels, was little
more than series Of Homeric duels. The
ships were clumsy and unwieldy, commu-
nication was effected by means of small
boats and most of the destruction was
wrought by freships. Guns cut little
figure, and most of the Spanish vessels, it
appears, were destroyed by violent storms,
in open sea. Even as late as 1892, when
Admiral Russell of England engaged the
French in a series of sea fights known as
the battle of La Hague, he positively for
babe his men to fire on the French until
his opponent, Touryille, had taken his dis
lance in battle array. One English ad-
miral in a battle with the French forbade
his men firing until the enemy had fired
the first shot, an incident which furnishes
4 precedent for President McKinley's re-
ported order to Captain Sampson.
1t was not until forty years ago that the
ironclad cut any figure In naval warfare
At the great battle of Trafalgar in 1905,
in which Nelson was killed, only hand
full of powder was used in discharge,
and the guns were all twelve and six
Founders. II is n remarkable fact that
England herself, the leader of the world
rs a sea fighter, weighed down by can
kerous stretch of peace, has not fired n
shot, metaphorically speaking. in four de-
cades. The bomhardment of Alexandria
in 1882 was not an exception, as England
was then simply firing Mt a target, having
no opposition whatever. Neither were the
efforts of the Chilians and Peruvians in
their late beligerency of any avail in af-
fording a ciew to the great problem of the
ironeadS. The attempts made by the
vessels OF China and Japan four years
ago We're anxiously awaited by the rest
of the world and, although they were on
Il more extended scale than any previously
made, they still failed to furnish an exhi-
btion of the real merits or dement's of
the iron monsters. Japan's smaller ships
got the better of Chinas heavier craft
with the same ease with which American
soldiers prevailed over Pekn's raw land
leves.
Originated in America.
1t was America, however, that intro
duced the ironcad to the world, and the
duels between the Monitor and the Merr-
mac We're pathtinders in the new and I'M
certain warfare which defes wooden
beaks and ships of fire. As result of
the Spanish war, the whole world has
been thrown on the defensive. Almost
Immediately after the United States vot-
ed Il naval appropriation of $4,000, 900
Russia set aside the same amount for the
construction of men-ofwar and England
ordered built eighteen battleships to her
annual budget of thirty-two cruisers. for
ty-one torpedo boat destroyers and eleven
other war vessels. Next to the English
come the French. with Il total of 600 YES
sells of war. and the United States has
quickly come. to the front as Il naval pow
err Her vessels are not as heavy as those
of her cousins. hut they excel in speed
and American seamen have always rank
ed with the best in the world.
TO recount the most famous naval bat
tlAs in history is like recounting the most