The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-03-03

or 10 escape pursuit -tppeTl- upon siH'
ana masts that can carry sail and hold
way amid heavy scas. Henc" the irigate.
not the Lighter sIoop. was indicated for
the momentous duties upon which depended
the intelligence and N" communications
81 the feet. Such leading considerations
ore needed 30 be stated and to be kept in
mind. for they AFFECT the warfare ~ the
last decade Of the century quite as really
as they did that Of the first. and n paper
would indeed be incomplete which con
fined itself to indicating points Of differ
once. Of progress. so-callcd, and failed
10 recognize those essentia and pcrma-
nent conditions which time will never re-
move. frigates and sloops have di~ap-
peared in name md form. in motive power
and in armament. Their essential func-
tons remain and will remain while war
lasts.
DUTIES or THE RIGArE.
The truth " this statement will he avi-
dent from n brief mention ~ the duties
~frigates actually used 10 perform. Whlo
attending tL" fleet. not merely n part
NJ II. the frigates were thrown out far in
advance and on each side. as cavalry on
land cOurs the country toward or through
which the army advances. The distance
TO which they would be thus detached
would sometimes amount To- 100 or 2oo
miles, aud the absence to days, reforming
being assured by the ass gnnent Of a rem
de1vo'Is or by an adequate know ledge
oi the Admirsl's $. intended movements It
all - . -. $500
frlgates might meet equal or superior
forces. 10 resist or to escape from which
both strength and speed were needed.
An extreme and particular case of such
service was the watching Of an enemy
port by one or more frigates, when they
had 10 Keep close 10 the entrance, although
a fleet might ho within. Again. ~frigaio~
were placed in certain ccrtrdl positions.
rendezvous known only 10 the superior
officers. where they C-uiSod steadily. hay
lns information as To- the wharCahouts
Of tho feet or Instructions for EXPECTED
vessels. They were there centres of IN
tell gence. round which the movements
II the whole body rovolvcd.
When the feet was actually in touch with
a hostile feet. in pursuit or when expect
inC battle, the frlgatcs were placed between
their own force and the enemy: nearer
however. to the latter. rs the essential puint
was to keep knowledge Of his Whereabouts
and probable intentions. S.yh a position
was at times extremely opposed. Tho
frig1tes had 10 avoid equa'iy capture and
being driven and shaken on, thcy must
keep close. yet not be caught. When en-
Gngement crSucd they passed through 10
the olsidc Of their owl fleet. wher. they
were dispersed at intervals abrcas, the
main line, Ike the nlc closcrs of a military
lin" ashore. Here they fulfilled one special
purpose. besides others. As tho fleet
fought with hroadsidcs only, It's ships were
ranged on" ahead Of the other. Conse-
quCntly signals made on the masts 81 the
Admiral could not be seen always by those
ahead or astorn of him, but the frigatrs
in the other line made the same signals.
repeated. - IA II was said, where they could
be read moro certainly. But frigatcs dsd
slso nor" hazardous work. They went -
cririled ships Of tho line and tOwed them
into other positions into or out of Ere, and
at times TIA" Admiral summoned a frigate
alongside 10 carry a message 10 some part
Of the battle. Il noticed" SAYS Narryatt
In one Of his novels. the look Of pride on
the face Of our officers when II app.ared
that the loss on board our frIgate was
greater than that Of some Of the slips in
the line"
For such offices it is evident there were
wanted a strength and a weight which the
--..,. Ii. -, 49,. .
make poor work Of towing n heavy shin,
and could not carry a. surely the sail
needed 10 maintain a position. Attn" same
time II should h" observed tina excess -
size above the requirements stated should
he exceptional. In the opinion Of the
writer the A-gun frIgato in her day pos
sesset a fghtinC force and a weight Of body
in excess Of that required by the ordinary
functions Of her nominal class. For eN-
ce,tional REASONS q few Of the typo were
permissible in a large navy. On the other
hand i, may bn inferred. from the long
experience Of the British Navy and the
resultant practice. that ships 81 twenty
eight, twcnty-four and twenty guns, though
often styled fric1te~. were not found salts
factory as such. In tho distribution 81
tonnage between size and numbers. u mean
must be found; ard L mYsf he added that
n lust mean Ia a very different thing from
n compromise. These considerations also
apply 10 prcscnt-day problems
FapLy sHI rs OF THE y
In the fleet shin. or the ship ~ the line.
a. the opening century styled the class ~
-
battle,hip. our predecessors had reached a
mean conclusion. The line-of-battle ship.
or the ship Of the line. "a more usually
cu'led, differed from the friga'e Cencrically.
In tina IL had two or NOR. covered dcCks.
There were one or two cases OF ships with
four decks. hut. IA a rule. three were the
extreme. and ships Of the line were roughly
] cln.sed "a two or three-deckcrs. Under
IL. i..I- An-Ia,kpi- carried III tl'lI