The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-15
DAMAGE TO WARsHIPs..
Opinion on Port Arthur Fight by @ Captain Hobson.

Opinion on Port Arthur Fight by tM Captain Hobson.
 | New York, Feb. 12.-Capt. Richmond Pearson Hobson, reviewing the war situa-
 tion in the far East, said today: | '"The damage of the Russian warships
 by torpedo attack is probably more se- l rlous than reported The Czarevitch from the official report, was bilged in the | steering engine and after compartments, This doubtless flooded sections 14, 15 l and 16. This vessel is of French con-
 struction, and her form in this region is | fine, so that the amount of water that
 dashed in at first was probably mt very
 large, and the vessel was easily beached From my observation of water-tight
 bulkheads, think the flooding generally
 extended to the compartments forward or the damaged ones. or as far as the boiler room. From my experience with | wrecking do not believe conditions such
 as this could be repaired outside of a dry dock. and even with good facilities
 for repairs I estimate that the ship can
 not be In service again inside of three months g
 "Ihe Retvlzan was struck abreast of the engino room. a,ai the blow probably destroyed the outer and inner bottom and | dlslocated the other wing bulkhead, and probably sprung the inner ying bulkhead | unless the coal protection muffed the
 blow. This region is vital part of tie
 ship. and the fact that she was able to
 be beached woule indiSate that the Finner
 wing bulkhead was not destroyed. & "It is probable, however, that gradu- | ally the boiler and engine room compaIt- | ments were flooded. unless the pumps
 were eficently worked. which seems un- | likely.
 Repairs to this ship would also re quire docking, which with good faclli-
 ties. would take two months at least "The Pallada was struck also amid
 ships, and L can not but help believing
 that she sank at once. or If beached filled
 fore and aft shortly afterward. Only | eficent wrecking appliances could raise | this vessel within several weeks, and
 then 1t would require probably four months or longer to complete her repairs with dry dock facilities at hand If the
 beach where these vessels are lying is at all exposed to the sea or to the fire of | ships outside the wrecking work will be | made difficult. If .. a gale should come there would be danger of further injur- | ies 4.t
 We may then conclude that these three vessels are lost as far as the first | campaign is concerned. The Czarevi.ch
 and Retvizan were among the best bat
 tleships afioat. and their loss turns the OL lO LHe Blue OL | Japan.
 From the standpoint of Japan this is
 most fortunate. probably guaranteeing
 the control of the sea. which Is vital to
 Japan. The moral effect will be pro- foundly felt. not only upon the attitude | of the world. but upon the esprit of the personnel of the two navies.
 Upon the whole. the chances are that
 in a general naval engagement between
 the assembled fleets the Japanese would | be victorious. .f ?
 Tt is therefore likely that the Russian
 fleet will remain under the protection Of
 the forts and await endorsements form
 the Baltic fleet.
 "1he importance of the torpedo and of torpedo vessels is fully confirmed by the Port Arthur engagement, but their i'm portance Is liable now to be overestinia- ted. Certainly the attack was wholly un-
 expected, and under tne usual conditions | of precaution such success would be practically impossible. Furthermore, the fact that the vessels were able to be l beached with the small loss of life sho Ws that the effects of the torpedo explosion | have been materially reduced by the re- | cent methods of construction of large vessels"