The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1905-10-14

-. duce but few changes il
SvO$< naval construction. So tru
is this that the results ma,
NC ,aheh as triumphant vindicatior
ol the theories upon which the navie:
or the world have been built up.
when the full technical story Of the
struggle comes to be written. and the
Iacts regarding the behavior of the wal
material have been collected, and the
lessons deducted therefrom, naval con
structors will no doubt see where they
can improve on existing designs; but II
is safe to say that the improvements
Will consist in notifications Of 4 minor
character. Already the fact Is rccoS-
nized that the present distribution OF
the total displacement Of a navy among
battleships, armorcd cruisers, protect
!, ed cruisers, or scouts and torpedo boats
Is about the best that can be made, and
that each type Of vessel is admirably
adapted to the particular work which it
has to do
This result has the twOfold effect OF
strengthening the confidence Of the
naval architect in his work and OF
giving fiat rebuke to the thousand
and-one naval cranks who decry the
big battleship and cruiser and tell us
that the torpedo boat aud the sub
marine are destined to revolutioniZe
naval construction and sweep our big
ships from the high seas. AS matter
Of fact, naval construction is process,
not of spasmodic revolution, but Of
steady and constant evolution. BY the
strict law Of the survival of the fittest
has the bnttleship grown to its present
huge proportions and taken its place
rs the secure foundation upon which
the whole structure Of the navy is
built up.
In the matter Of details, however,
there will he changes. The fleet action
of August 10 was carried on, from the
opening of the battle shortly after
noon until ; O'Clock, at a range which
was never less than six miles. In the
second phase Of the engagement the
battle raopened ut range of four
miles, and the distance between the
ships was not reduced to two miles
(Which was hitherto supposed to he
the probable battle range until about
IN hour before the close of the fight.
Now, at distances Of from four to nine
miles, at which last-named range, ac-
cordiEg to Captain Won Essen, the bat
tie opened, only 1O-inch and 12-inch
guns can be used to any effect. More
over, the greater the range the greater
the advantage to the expert gunners;
and hence 1t will be found that in the
future the tendency will be to discard
IN our battleships, and to less extent |
perhaps in our cruisers, any guns be-
low calibre Of say 9.25 inches. Al |
ready, indeed, England is building two |
battleships which carry 90 guns in
place Of G-inch guns in the secondary
battery.
Armor IL Of good quality, has proved
wonderfully efficient, and rs far as we
can learn the cases of penetration of
armor are very few. Probably we
shall see in the future a disposition to
reduce the thickness OF the armor and
utilize the weight thus saved by in
creasin. the armament. Or. II that
be not done, the armor will be extended
over wider surface. 1t would be odd
IL we should come back to the type of
the French Dupuy de LONE, built some
fifteen years ago, which was complete.
" clothed with armor over the whole
Of tlIe topsides and we'll down below
the water line. AS a method of pro-
lection to the guns and crews, turrets
are preferable to classmates. They
have the objection that they are liable
% become jammed by shell fragments.
1ut this could he overcome by giving
heavier projection IN the wake of the
A serions problem that may we'll oc-
upy The attention Of our naval con-
is the protection of the up ,
axes and smokestacks. A high explo-
I've shell, bursting within n smoke.
tack, tears it asunder, giving it the
pptarance OF burst steam pipe.
hen this happens It Is impossible to :
aintain steam in the boilers; speed :
tcut down, and the ship is at the
ercy Of her opponent. It is not un- a
kelly that the practice which some Il /.
lyfes have followed of armoring the =,
lse OF the smokestacks will be widely -
flowed. ana that the protection will Il
carried up TO greater height.
lis will be costly on displacement and '"
III have serious effect on stability. y.
It it will probably be done. d,
rhe torDedo boat has neither gained 81
T lost in reputation by the war. at mf
lst IN the estimate of naval EXPERTS. ~
has done neither more nor less than w
py cSnacted it to. Up 10 the battle iio
The Sea of Japan not n single bat TIC
shin had been sunk by torpedo Sc
at in action: and we shall have to I'LL
ait the arrival of authentic details WI
be SEQ that such thing happened Of
koro' Straits. SCI
Tic STORING gear is another vital W.
mt w'',ch the searching fire of the iit
oanr 4 has reached at times with pa
astrcns effect. Several steerin: sta SUI
MS must be installed. In This con
stlon we are reminded cf portable we
ctrie steering wheel, which was de- "el
ibed to the editor by Lord Crawford .n'
VI s,sA Az.