New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-14
Nation to shlrk 1t. there may be less expecta-
ton that any European concert will have any
thing to do with the business.
EFFECTS or TOURNAMENTS.

Detailed reports Of the effects OF Admiral
Dewey's bombardment upon the Cavite forts
and Of Admiral Simpsons NJ San Juan are
not yet at hand They are awaited by this
country with entire confidence Yet the effects
Of commandments upon forts and cities are
largely matters Of speculation. Some former
bomba rdments may. however. be prohtably re-
called. not necessarily as indicating what the
result Of these is likely 10 be, but as furnishing
interesting data for comparison or, it may he,
for contrast
The most noteworthy bombardment OF forti-
fed town by a fleet in recent years was mat OF
Alexandria, The forts were poorly constructed
and the guns were wretchedly manned. The
attacking fleet was the most powerful In the
world, manned by picked gunners. There were
six huge battlc-shps and six smaller but stlil
formidable craft That is TO say. the forts were
proportionately weaker 6nd the feet was pro
portionately stronger than at Havana. the
fleet bombarded Alexandria all day. until its
magazines were empty and II had to retire for
more supplies. 1t threw into the forts and city
IS shells from S1-ton guns, 3Ol from 25-ton
guns. 1852 from 1S-ton guns. 224 from l2-toh
guns and 800 from various smaller guns. Inc
forts were all senced and looked TO he masses
Of ruins But when examination was made IL
was found that little real damage had been done
10y the feet. Only ten OF the forty-four guns IN
the forts had been dismounted by shells from
the ships The rest had broken down because
the gunners did not know how TO handle them.
The loss Of men on the Egyptian side was about
five hundred and on the side Of the fleet five
killed and twcnty-cght wounded The fleet
won, but It did so not because OF It's own enec-
tiveness but because OF the ineficiency OF the
men IN the forts.
Surprising not only the forts but the city OF
Havana TO be bombarded by our feet, what
then? Paris was In 1871 nearly ten times as big
rs Havana is to-day. The Germans threw
10000 shells into II, not from ships but from
big guns on land And they killed only 107 per
cons and wounded 200 more or. say. one person
struck TO every $50 shells fired. Not particu-
larly deadly operation. that At Belfort the
Germans threw 100000 shells and killed only
sixty men, At Strasburg the slaughter was
much greater 100000 shells killing LOO per
sons, but the conditions there were exceptional.
With guns and men OF equal efficiency. the
advantage would always be on the side Of forts
against ships. The guns IN the former are on
stable platforms and behind impenetrable
breastworks. The strongest armor a ship can
carry may be pierced. But walls OF earth and
concrete can be made TO resist any cannon shot
within the limits OF human invention The only
hope Of ships in attacking such forts lies In hit
ting the guns themselves. And gun even or
IS inches calibre presents small target to he
hit from a gun floating and therefore I'M
stable platform. Nevertheless. ms We have said
this country may await with confidence the out
come sf any bomba -dment Of n Spanish port,
be A~lse Of the known contrasts In equipment.
& .ency and all other essential elements be
=, cen Spanish forts and American ships and
the men within them.