New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-21
COMMAND OF THE SEA.

Ono AZ the strongest papers read at the Iheer
,,(r Of tho Society of Naval Architects and ma
rine Engineers In this city last week WAS con
.-sh,,+od Inv Commander William Hovgaard, OF
49, Dorish navy He first laid down the prln-
c,n,ns which should govern the construction oA
war vessels and then pointed out the cohciu
sions 70 be drawn from them. The dscusSio"
was notably clear and logical and, II IL CON
tanned few new suggestions, at least 1t elhoouleu
tho most modern ideas on this subject
A Fundamental feature of the argument was
n comnorison of the two most formdapie anu
familiar naval weapons, the gun ana the .oi
nedo Hits with the former are much lhoie iA'
oueut than with the latter Guns WORK az
much longer range than torpedoes. urthe'
more torpedoes and mines are to be lookeu Ao'
only in harburs tr en- coast. anu, "hile II iia9
be wise to intTust the defence OF inc coas' ~
smaller vessels than the battleshp the latter is
altogether the best craft for heavy lghtng at se'
To orns therefore. must be given the preference
a,d that tyne Of ship is needed which VIII al
ford tho steadiest platform for them. Ih1s point
being conceded, 1t follows that the Digger Tue
vessel the better. Greater power Is secuIeu ioi
tho Same investment Of capital by having a
angle large battIeship instead Of two small ones.
Size insilres stability, and hence improved ac-
curacy of aim and longer range
For the main battery no one now thinhs u
inch breechloaders one pair in turret forward
and the other pair similarly mounted aft. Inc
chief differences Of opinion now relate 10 the
larger guns of the secondary battery. by
lengthenng cannon relatively to the pore, ana
by placing q soft metal cap on the point vi lne
nroiecttle II has been possible TO increase lhe
efficiency of ordnance Of given calibre 20 or 81
Der cent in the last few years. NeVerlheiess'
Commander Hovgaard thinks that these gains
Syo Girnh
rife TO perform useful service Tougher srmor
must be penetrated today than was carried py
the best battleships ten or twelve years ago
The Danish expert therefore, regards the ~
inch gun built by Vickers, Maxim e. Co. for the
British navy the Ideal weapon for secondary
batteries, and deems 1t possible that cahDre
Of 10 inches will be adopted before many years
To get the maximum advantage out or sucn
guns he would mount them in pairs In side tur-
rets and place them ar least as high as the main
deck.
Commander Hovgaard assumes rather con-
servatiYe attitude in regard to speed. He would
have battleship capable of developing eighteen
knots. but thinks anything more would involve
too great A sacrifice of other things. In this type
OF vessel the only virtue OF extra speed would be
facility In maneuvring which is deemed less
important than gun power and armor. II she
is good fighter she should be privileged TO take
her own time, Moreover, cCai consumption III
creases extravagantly for every gain in speed,
and thus the distance which can be traversed
with a full supply Of fuel Is reduced. Steam
ing radius" in the Judgment of Commander
Hovgaard, should be kept constantly in mind in
designing battleships Partly for this reason,
but also because it might be desirable TO con-
tract the space devoted to bunkers, the combined
use of oil and coal is recommended.
No danger TO which warship is exposed has
been more strongly emphasized by experience in
the Orient during the last year than that which
is created by the use Of mines and torpedoes.
So long as a vessel is under way she is poor
target for the latter, and other precautions MAJ
be effective in protecting her from the former.
Still, the possibility of having an enormous hole
suddenly opened below the waterine is one
which neither the officer in charge of a battle
ship nor her builders safely ignore. Even Il
| she Is not sunk thereby within a few minutes,
she may take IN water enough to give her bad
| list TO side. In that condition she might not
| be able TO use her guns and would probably be-
come easy prey to the enemy. However If
! proper attention be given to her bulkheads both
when planning and sailing the ship. the mis-
| chief can be greatly minimized. The lesson
| taught at Port Arthur is not that vessels like
/ the CZarevitch are a bad investment, but that
! wiser provisions should be made for meeting
! the consequences Of attack by mines and tor
pedOes when they cannot be avoided altogether
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