New-York tribune., 1901-12-02

THE PASSING or THE TORPEDO IOBE-
High authorities in the navy believe that the
day of the torpedo tube in vessels of the nrst
and second classes is over. No torpedo tubes were
recommended this year for the proposed snlps.
A large number of the members of the General
Naval Board and of the Board OF CONSTRUCTION
are opposed to arming more battleshlps Wl'h
these tubes.
Two reasons exist for this hostility to the
tube which few years ago was expected to
revolutioniZe sea warfare as radically as the
Monitor once did. There IS in battle ai I'LL
mense danger to the ship which carries tor
pedoes that she may be hoist with her own
netard." There is always the peril OF an enc
my,s shell having the luck to find the aWrul
explosive within the warship's own bows, where
4, is nor protected like her magazines. Captains
have 10 think of this danger from their own
torpedoes as we'll as of the danger from the enc
my's torpedoes when they steam into close quar-
ters The ViZcaya is supposed TO have thus SUI
fered from her own torpedo: for in her DO" was
a hole big enough for two men to Walk 1hrouSh'
with the plates bent outward. showing eA-
plosion from within.
The other reason for the proposed abandon
lnent Of the torpedo tube in the Dig sh1ps Is
that since the battle of Santiago 1t seems more
likely that future naval battles will be 1ought
at long range Exact craftsmanship there ue-
r,onstrated its power at distances many times
ont of reach of the proiectile from the an
taconist's torpedo tube. 1t would now be cheap
and unmilitary bravado for a ship with great
guns and with cool. expert men behind 'he
guns TO close in with an enemy so long as there
was sea room Clever manpuvrng for all the
advantage possible TO commander conhdent
of his craftsmanship Is not only no sign oi
cowardice but a positive duty. 1t is now only
his distrust of his crews accuracy OF alln OF MS
forlorn hope when his ship Is crippled that VIII
make a commander steam voluntarily INTO Tor
nedo range Even then his foe would not let
him if he could still control his own ship Kip
Iing's ballad of the Clampherdown's closing in
AS it was in the days of long ago.
And it still shall be
is brave poetry. but net possible warfare. save
in one accident Of thousand
Whether the small torpedo craft will also be
eventually abandoned is another question. 1t Is
less likely. Wholly different conditions prevail
in their case The real dangers. especially by
night to battleships from these sneakers are
illustrated in the month Of heartsickening
wakefulness of the American officers of Santl-
ago. The quick destruction Of the Spanish de-
stroyers on July affords no indication of what
American torpedo craft might not do to a for
eien fleet. For 1t is inconceivable that our
officers could have steamed out into fire with
the torpedoes not yet placed in their tubes
That was the atoriness Of the Spanards
When the survivors Of the officers of the Pluton
aud Terror were received on board the Glouces-
ter they confessed that they had intended TO
load just before getting within range, but the
frightful fire of the Americans had prevented
them Had their projectiles been IN place, they
were near enough to have delivered their fire
The fasco of the Pluton and the Terror was. ac-
cordingly no proof whatever of the inefhcacy
of their class if properly managed On the
other hand the moral effect OF the dread of
them upon the blockaders during those trying
nights of June is memory which the Ameri-
can officers will never forget.