New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-16
THE PASSING OF THE SHIPS.

II is a biz startling before one considers it
carefully, to learn that the British battleship
InheXible has been put out of commission ana
dismantled and is presently TO be broken up for
junk The date of her building is still well
within the remembrance of even young men.
She was an epoch marking ship, the most pow
erful in the world, and the first Of new class
which was expected to revOlutionize naval sci
ence. She was the first Of the citadel" ships,
in which the continuous armor belt was aban-
doned and all armOr was massed upon the cen
trail portion of the ship, leaving the ends unpro-
tected The Inhexible had the enormous thick
ness of twenty-four inches Of armor, while for
offence she was equipped with four 16inch
guns In weight of armOr and armament she
has never been surpassed. and probably not
equalled Certainly on the face of the figures
she was vastly superior to any of our present
day battleships In fact, however, she was
vastly inferior to them as will be realized from
the reminder that her armor was cast iron in
stead Of steel her huge guns were muZzle load
ers Of short range and low power. and her speed
only thirteen knots an hour. Twenty years ago.
at the Commandment Of Alexandria she was
the pride of the British navy. Now she is con-
demned as obsolete and sent 10 the junk yard.
The Goubet, too, has gone its way; sold for
showman's use. It was younger than the In
flexible but, like it, was epoch marking. II
was the pioneer of the submarine navy, and its
inventor. N. Goubet, was acclaimed as the
genius who had shown France how 70 wrest
the mastery of the seas from ''perhdious AL
bion." There are In all history few bits of
more bitter irony than the fate of this vessel.
For it has been condemned and sold at the very
time when France is building submarine YES
sells by the dozen, and under the administra-
ton of the Minister Of Marine who, as a Dep
uty was loudest in praise OF 1t at its first ap-
pearance But "other times, other manners"
is a French saying For "Other manners read
"other inventors" and we have the explana-
ton of the GOubets fate. Other men than NJ
Goubet have devised other types of submarine
vessels which are more pleasing TO the powers
that be; albeit must remember that the
Goubet on her trial trip twice dived successfully
under the keel of one of the largest cruisers 10
the French navy.
The fact is, naval warfare has become essen
TALLY and intensely scientiic-far more than
warfare by an army on Iand-and it is therefore
compelled to keep pace with science; and sci
ence never stands still. Progress is the perpet-
ual rule in all its processes and appliances
The chemist, the electrician the machinist the
engineer, is constantly making Inventions
and those who would win in any competition
whether in peace or war, must have the newest
and best devices at their command Twenty
years ago the Infexible was the newest and
best battleship. and the cable car was the new
est and best vehicle of transportation for city
streets. To-day they alike obsolete as their
/ triumphant successors of to-day may be in an
other twenty years. The same rule prevails in
our own navy. 1t is costly one no doubt, but
it is one that must be Obeyed. The same prin.
ciple that demands the maintenance of a navy
oil dc
navy shall be kept at the highest degree of
efficiency.