Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-05-20
Is tn" BattIeshIp Doomedp

The discussion started by senator
Hale Of Maine shortly prior TO the ad-
iournment Of congress relative TO strlk-
ing out the appropriation for the build
ing OF additional battleships. although
II failed OF its immediate purpose, is
yet indicative of growing sentiment
that the efficiency of these great float
ing forts in the actual test of war has
ing of the Petropavlovsk and the in
jury wrought by torpedo and mine on
other Russian war vessels doubtless
had much to do in crystallizlng public
opinion. But it will be recalled that
naval experts have predicted for many
years that with the introduction of the
submarine and the inevitable develop
ment in the line of torpedo warfare the
comparatively clumsy battleship would
be at the mercy of these lighter craft.
The comment of the press on the sub
ject is all pretty much In the same di-
rection, the trend being adverse TO the
battleship. Says the Washington Post:
At this distance, and with the facts at
our disposal we are bound to conclude
that the battleship. save as an escort for
or the victim Of the torpedo boat cuts a
very small figure in naval warfare as de-
veloped by the japanese 1t is vast
and cumbrous structure, costing millions
of dollars, filled with delicate machinery
easily disarranged and subject at all
times to disaster from within. The loss
of one of these means the loss of hun
dreds of lives and millions of property.
1t means also stupendous calamity with
all the inevitable consequences of horror
and Generalization. If 1t means anything
more than this, only the gifted few are
in the secret.
We are told that Admiral Makaroff re-
garded the battleship as a mere helpless
death trap. If SO, he illustrated that
theory in his own lamentable and heroic
death.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer, however,
regards the results in the far east as
inconclusive, so far as the practical
value of the battleship is concerned,
and thinks there are not yet sufficient
facts on which to base a decision 1t
says:
These vessels have never been given in
war that crucial test without which 1t
would be folly to condemn them. The
Spanish American war was so one sided
that 1t proved nothing, and the same prom
ises to be true of the war now in progress,
so far as battleships are concerned. This
type of craft has never yet been subjected
to the trial for which 1t was designed
to stand in the first line of a naval en-
gagement in the open sea and bear the
brunt Of the battle.
The Boston Globe believes that there
Is need of a radical revolution in the
plan of constructing war vessels. In
this connection it cites the invention of
a Boston shipbuilder,. which, it says.
has received the hearty approval of
naval experts. The scheme of the in
ventor Is thus described:
He has developed a double hulled ship
with compartments so arranged and con-
structed that it supplies a mathematical
certainty against sinking. Between the
outer and inner shells of his vessel is a
series of longitudinal compartments to be
filled and emptied with water by the
ships pumps for ballast: above this Sec
ton on either side, and rising to the full
height of the vessels sides, is a series of
chambers filed with small air tight tanks,
their capacity being figured in excess of
the known displacement of the ship and
cargo. Thus a cubic foot of air has a
perfect supporting capacity for a certain
weight. If the supply of air in these
tanks is Is per cent above that required
by the formula, nothing short of a frag-
mentary destruction could sink vessel.
Any probable collision, the penetration of
a shot or the explosion of a torpedo
would injure only a small proportion of
the air tanks. and the rest would easily
and safely perform their work A vessel
thus equipped would be practically non
sinkable.
The New York Times sums up the
matter as it relates to the American
appropriations in this fashion:
/ The discussion in the United States SEN
| ate started by Senator Hale in his COM
ments on the conference report on the
| naval appropriations bill was extremely
significant. 1t warranted the conclusion
| that If the matter of the appropriation
for new battleships had not been agreed
to by both houses and thus placed beyond
| the jurisdiction of the conference COM
| mittee its recommendation would be to
strike out the provision for battleships
AS it is, the members of the committee
seemed to derive some comfort from the
fact that the Authority conferred upon the
president in this matter is permissive and
| not mandatory and that it was hoped
he would avail himself of the discretion
vested in him to postpone for year the
authorization of the building of craft OF
| this character, thus awaiting the results
of the war now in progress in the east. ir
which it is believed the value Of the bat
tleship will be put to the supreme test.
There is a question, however, wheth
er the RussO-Japanese war can furnish
the test desired, for the simple reason
that the supply of Russian battleships
will run out too soon.