Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1899-01-06
A POSITION.
The Captain Of = Modern warshlD
Must he . brave and
HeRuy Man.

the battleships and cruisers his position
is in u cylindrical box OF stee., paced
lust under the bridge, well forward.
which Is called the coming tower. The
urmor Of ii is thick enough ordinarily
TO resist the penetration of heavy pro-
i~sc,;!es. It contains the speaking tubes
and electrical wires whereby he com.
municates with the guns, engines and
helm. and sometimes apparatus where
by he IS enabled to fire the guns HIM
self after ihsy are laid upon the ,mrmy.
His fed of vision is limited 10 Mi'ai he
Gan see through n little horizontal silt
on about the level of his eye. In rU!n:
Of friShlful responsibility no situation
IN the word San compare with that
which is occupied by he mon who
stands in that tower aud directs the
movement Of his ship. After the "Cnilic.
once LCcius the din abou; him WI: be
something internal. Upon IA tae fir:
Of the enemy will be concentrated aud
uD0a the exterior of that stee. drum in
which he is shut up there WI he n
continuous hail Of iron and stcr.. Shells
will burs, C,erywhtr re around il. and TO
that babel viii be added the roar Of the
iCrce last under the cuginrs, the tre-
mcndouS reports OF the heavy guns. and
the d'n OF the quick-tire ard machine
guns in chorus. In such CIR. amstances
az iris. aided by such knowledge rs he
can gri by looking out through Tie little
peep Eo:l in front OF him aS wei. as the
snI..c wi. .et him. the captain mus:
contra! the tremendous forces under
his rGE: manh. and his decisions are mat
;erS e cCouds.
Nobody now believes that q captain
who finds his vision through the Sits OF
the tower cut off by smoke, vii stay
ihus shut up. II is extremely doubtful
II /; WI be physically possible for him
10 remain there after the shells com
mcucr TO hammer its sides aud burst
against it. and, in any event. the intens-
auNiriy ia see and know clearly what
tie rreTy is doing vii: inevitably lead
Lin Ia take his hunces in the open.
COEL.:g tower or no cOnno.nS tower,
his duty is 10 place himself nj whatever
point he can manage Lis ships TO the
hest advantage, and this he vii. GER
rl!niy TO. Lord Charles Bcrcsforu, with
grim humGr. has suggested that the
CAPTAINS safest pace is not in but be-
IN no NpAsH'AS No"ClE Il AICl
hc has two rhicknesses OF steel between
himse.f and the enemy. don't yom sre?"
but While coming tower armor may re-
IS; penetration. il is by no means GER
tain that the Whole structure vii. not
De SWEPT away by the first heavy pro-
i~cr;ilc which squarely hits il.
~ for The admiral, there is nowadays
no Raging for him to ascend, and he
word bv promptly blown out of il il
there were. In fact, after a fleet en-
%agGmeni has begun. there is no pace
for him at NIL. lie has no business ia
the coming tower, no business al the
guns. lie cannot very consistently 20
below. and he cannot stay on deck. /:
has been proposed TO build q .ec7rate
armored tower for him, or 10 I.Xe aim
of the flag ship, and put him oil n sIna!,,,
swift vcsse., so that he could choose his
position and conveniently give his ord
crs 10y signals. The difficulty with this
wou.d be that the enemy would concen-
irntc his fire or that tower or ship with
the certainty Of sinking the latter, and
rendering the former uninhabitablc. |
The problem, therefore. is still I'M
solved.
Against the efTec; OF Il torpedo il i, |
gets 10 The hull. there is no safeguard.
The heaviest bdit!cship is just as vu.-
herable as t'ic lighiesi guTboai. The
best that can be hoped : iha; the de-
vii. be limited to a few com
parimcnis. so hat those remaining in
tact viii be sufficient 10 keen the shin
niiC0i. But this only puts of the evil
hnIF AG tho pnu.nI l |
logged, her speed fails of and her
mancuvoring capacity is reduced, SO
thai the enemy may ;hcn pick hi. posi-
tion Of advantage and shaitCr her with
MS guns or administer n coup d, grace
with another torpedo.
Altogether the prospects Of ones COM
inE ont e u naval engagement unburt
are Tar from bright. Even thS wounded
Stand n poorer chance than was TIE case
IN ihc Oh wooden ships. How the sur
econs are to set NJ them with the vessel
ui'id"u ii.;o u hCneycomb Of comport-
mcnts VIII no direct intcrconncction
where ;hCy can be conveyed dircc,.v
from the gums without ;ravers,np doors
and passa~cs intricate ard manyis d;G,. !
u To understand. Those who hammer
""'''"'' W lNe Dattie Sh!D oil. 1
rcci.y over the torpedo or handling
rooms may perhaps be lowered at once
TO surgeons there placed; but what /,
TO become OF the rest in more distant
positions Is not clear.
a.! OF this goes TO show the great nd
vantage Of the almost perfect discipline
nnu drill now prevailing in the navy.
Indeed, II never has been go comple,eix
recognized rs il is al the present dov
INA Tue best protection for a warsJip's
crew Is their own fighting capacity. No
armor is SO cficie nj MS celcriiy OF action
and good gunncry. That shin vii, win.
ana incidentally save the grcntcr mum.
bcr OF lives Of lis men. which first p,npi7
an effective ~projccti:c in n vital part OF
the enemy. The sea fight viii no, he
gained by the ship which w.ths,nnds
the most pounding, but by the shin
which pounds hardest and quickest md
70 destroys or impairs her antagonists
pounding capacity. 4, is tina, swif, nj.
TACK AMI superior Workmanship which
above NIL else characterize the crrws M
The wnrships of the United S,n,rs. and
IL is In just this that the Spaniards nre
most dcfcicn'.-N. Y. Independent.
rant anything TINT grows undcr.
ground on the dark OF the moon.
a sovereign remedy for chills Is 70
~ - "a ~ W