Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-08-19
MARINE MATTERS.
Shipping and Ship Building Items OF
Local and General Interest.

The naval policy of the United States,
more particularly as it concerns the war
vessels planned or in course of con
Struction, continues to be q matter of
special interest to foreign powers Com
mcnting upon American naval ship
building, the United Service Gazette, Of
London, says:
The authors Of the new program
show that they appreciate the import
ance Of seaSoing vessels, and. indeed,
when it is remembered that the greatest
exponent OF the orthodox school is an
American they could not fail to re-
member IT'S teaching. The two naval
wars that have been fought since The
Influence Of Sea Power appeared have
been startling combinations of its theo-
~. Although the monitor first appeared
on the American coast, and the great
extent Of seabcaru covered With ports
ana towns must always be Il weak
point, they have not hcsitated to put
the means of offence in the first place
IT must be remembered, however that
the attack Of the American coast from
Z base across the Atlantic is u Very diff
!erent operation from such an attack
by one European power on another
where the seas are narrow. But vessels
carrying on war directly against the
resources OF an enemy Ivy attacking Il
coast can be brought to action more
easily than those pursuing the same
aim by attacking commerce afioat. The
llrSt object is fixed. While the latter is
IN motion, although generally Within
certain limits. Nor have the Americans
reproduced the type of commerce de-
sttoSer they were the first to turn their
attention to. But they are at the same.
time building quite Il tlotilla Of DESTROY
efs ana torpedo craft. 1t would aDpear
however, that they do not attach much
Importance to submarine navigation. as
the PlunSer, which was launched in
tsusust, 1875. remains in much the same
condition. They have been experiment.
ing With such craft since the beginning
OF me century, When they very nearly
new UP the Eagle, British Ga in Ne "
ork harbor. Another such vessel VAS
manned during the civil war, and at
Lacheu the dousatonic in Charlestown
nafDor. 10th vessels We're DESTROYED and
II seems that the submarine attacked
without diving, being submerged to the
i1atch coaminS, but leaving the cover
open FOR air. There were few compli-
GATED arrangements inside then The
explosion threw up a wave which
sWamped the vessel and drowned th,
crew, VINO thus shared the fate of three
ether crews who had had her in charra
t.ach crew consisted of nine m.n-a
plot and eight others who moved
ctdFks on the screw shaft-but only Two
out OF the thlrty-siS men who made up
the Tour crews seem to have survived, >
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY AFLOAT
It is said in connection with the am
ilouncement that Marconi the inventor
81 wireless tclegraphy, will shortly yisi,
inns country, that he will in all Droba-
olllty be asked to confer with officials
or me United States lighthouse board
with reference TO the use OF the nvcn-
ton IN marine work generally. Experi
lnents With wireless telegraphy have
peeE carried or for some time past at
Inc united States lighthouse depot al
,ilompklnsVille, Staten Island, by Will
nam r. Clarke, New York electrician
under the direction Of Col. David p
leap, the engineer officer, in charge of
me thlrd lighthouse district. These en-
reriments have been made with a view
10 determining the availability of wire
less Geography for purposes Of co1nrlu-
illcatlon between lighthouses, light
snlps, merchant vessels and lighthouse
Statiohs. Ihe interest Of the light
aouse board in the present efforts will
De readily appreciated when it is UNDER
stood that the board has sought for
years for some method OF establishing
communication between the shore and
moving SHIPS. Some years ago a tele
prone system was tried, but it proved
lilp:actlc;lble. In England and France
very satisfactory progress has been
mace IN experiments With the Marconi
system for communication between
ships and the shore