Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-06

and as the vessels grope for the enemy in
the snow or fog they are often attacked
themselves by his light craft, or they may
be discovered and subjected to a concen-
trated fire from his large ships before sight
ing them. In any case, the chances are
yery largely in favor of being fired upon De-
fore a launching can be erected;
Even under the most favorable clrcun-
stances. with clear vision, smooth sea, COM
Portable Temperature well-rested and 1ed
men, engines we'll grOomed with clean Ires
and boilers, torpedoes adjusted only Few
minutes previous to discharge, II is not Ger
tain by any means that hit will be mace.
"The torpedo is like an infant; 1t must be
fed, humored petted and coddled: ne
chances are it will make good run II nam
died Just right, but it requires very ex,
pert knowledge of It's characteristics ana
diseases to foresee and allow for all the
things that can and do happen to them.
Now take the same weapon under the
guns of a fleet in the midst OF a fog OF
snowstorm, the light vessel pitching ano
rolling heavily in a seaway, the pollers
dirty from long steaming. the officers and
men tired and strained with long Watches.
Cropping biindly for the enemy, the captain
sights looming mass and steals nearer
till an outline of hull and masts are Sgen
turns his vessel, still pitching and rolling,
to fire as he passes, when with roar tne
ships guns open upon him and his Vessei Is
under a tremendous fire of small CAMPER
the torpedos have not changed under the
not easy, and If now the adjustments OF
the torpedo have not changed under the
constant vibrations to which they have
been subjected while steaming for hours IN
the night seeking the enemy, or II In colo
weather the mouth of the torpedo TUBE
has not been coated with a rim of Ice,
good run may be made, but not neces-
sariy successful, for just as the hrlne
lever or trigger was pulled heavy roll
runs off too far to the right or left, or a
check or other valve may have stuck, or a
grain of sand or bit of dirt in valve
caused the diving rudder to jam hard up or
down and the torpedo goes down or runs
skipping off through the waves, losing
force and direction.
Belief of Many.
80 much for the torpedo. AS for the
torpedo vessel-as already pointed Quit
must be very lightly constructed to attain
the requisite speed for service. Under the
war conditions of blockade duty in all sorts
of weather or scouting and cruising, with
boilers and engines requiring the very bes,
of care to insure efficient service, and WITH
rest-giving sleep. often unattalnable while
at sea, it is not wonderful That vessels aho
crews break down. This led to the oplnlor
held by very many, that destroyers and So
called sea-going torpedo boats were incapa'
BILE of accompanying squadrons or neets
at sea or OF performing Otner tldu Woi X IL
connection with torpedoes, for which pur'
pose boats, engines, boilers, crews and tor,
pedoes must be kept groomed up ike the
finest race horses. The opinion still pre-
walls with many whose opinion is worthy OF
high consideration.
I'm this present war, however, the Jap
anese destroye1s and torpedo boats have
performed invaluable services as auX1harles
to the fleet in the blockade of Port Ar
thur, and their use as pickets, scouts, fol
mine laying, counter-mining, rald1ng coast
signal stations, maintaining commun1ca-
lions between portions or units of the Meet
by wireless telegraphy and otherwise has
been justified by the peculiar circumstances
of the warfare in and about Port Arthur
and the Liaotung coast of Manchurla
That these vessels have been able to carry
on such work in such force and with sucf
energy for over ten months of all sorts OF
weather is little short of wonderful anC
speaks volumes for the training and ef'
fciency of their personnel. 1t is an oper
question whether it forms a precedent as
to the proper usefulness of such vessels, as
pointed out above, at least when Vesseis
OF other types are or should be available
for similar services outside of pure tor
pedo work"