Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1905-05-11

speed of Is knots an hour, although
oil course, they are just now much
slower because of foul bottoms. The
ether two battleships. Sissoi Veliky
and Navarin, mount between them
eight 12inch 35.caliber guns, capable
OF penetrating S1s inches of krupp
steel at 5000 and IL inches at 5000
yards. Their speed is two knots slower
than that of the other battleships.
The four japanese battleships Tor
five, as the case may bel mount be-
tween them either sixteen or twenty
12.inch guns of about the same pene-
trative power as the Russian pieces.
With the exception of the Mikasa, how.
ever, they are protected by Harveyized
armor, of considerably less resistance
than the Krupp steel on the latest Rus.
sian ships. In battleships the Russians
have undoubtedly a preponderance of
power.
at is to be borne in mind, however.
than Japan possesses eight or seven
Zone Is reported to have been LOST
very effective armored cruisers, any
one of which is more than a match
for the two old armored cruisers Max.
himoff and Dunskoi of the Russian
feet. They mount, between them,
tEirty.two guns of Sinch caliber and
they are protected by 6 to Z inches
of Krupp armor. II is scarcely likely.
however, that these ships will be placed
in the first line of battle, within range
! OF the 12.inch guns Of the Russian
, fleet: and with the possible exception
Of the Italian.built Kasuga and Ms
shin they will probably be held In re
I serve until 1t is seen how the fight be
. tween the battleships is going.
. SHOULD Togo be able to draw the
sting from the Russian battleships and
! seriously cripple them, his armoIe ed
cruisers would close IN TO assist in de-
J livering the coup de grace.
THE Russian feet Includes several
fine protected cruisers of between 5000
, and 5000 tons displacement. and few
torpedo .,osts If Rojestvensky should
, by any chance elude Admiral Togo anc
i effect junction with tho armoret
A cruisers at vladivistok his asst woulC
, be greatly strengthened and hia chanc
a es of success greatly enhanced: blu
n that Is a remote possibility.
O so much for the materiel Of tn
= fleet; and 1t must be- admitted tina,
Il judged on this basis, the second Pacii
IL tG a m
/. command of the sea, so serious as I
r. make It possible that victorious peac
Z. may be snatched from her grasp 4
4 the very moment of its attainment.
n "But, when we come to consider tn
"a other elements of efficiency, such q
n the condition of the ships, the fami
iarity of officers and crews with thei
I vessels, the skill of the gunners an
Y. the general morale of the whole flee
@. Il must be admitted that the advantag
n lies very greatly with Japan. The Jal
A anese are familiar with the sound an
"a shock Of battle. The Russians, VIII
~ doubtless have been doing much Ia
81 get practice during their six month
10 cruise, are accustomed merely to tn
TX discharge Of their own guns the
10 know nothing of the awful crash {
70 bursting shell, the rending of ste
,e plating; the sight of shattered liml
FIR and all the hideous carnage of
ia tween decks that is being swept by ii
enemy's fire.
no 1T is one thing to aim at tioatin
n target during the quiet routine Of
~ cruise and another to aim at a targ
., that is making the deck upon whiC
M one stands veritable shambles.
W ''Rojestvensky leads his feet to VIII
=, the world, perhaps unjustly, conside
to be at best but forlorn hope: wher
as the japanese steam into battle fus
II cd with all the confidence and self.po
III session born of an unbroSen successit
o! victories. Rarely did two conten
ing fleets fight with such st1pendo
consequences hanging upon the resu
Should Japan win she will reap h
fruits of series of victories that
without parallel in the history of t
world, and move at a bound to t
front rank as a world power.
SHOULD Rojestvensky, by crushil
the enemy, obtain command Of the Sc
and cut off Oyama and his armi
from Japan, ho will have wrested v
-.....s. --s---.ss..-.-.-....-.s..s-
WE HAVE lust RECEIVE