The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-04-22
YANKEE GIFTS TO FOREIGN
NAVTES.

Despite its love OF peace and its re-
luctance TO build ships of war, the Unit
ed States during the last century and
a quarter has done more TO revolution
ize the science OF naval warfare than
all the nations of Europe combined.
Such a statement may appear a little
extraordinary to such persons as are
not familiar with the history of the
development OF modern navies; but it
is one that may be easily verified.
There is not a snip of war afioat to-
day that does not trace the origin of
its motive power, a part of it's most
valuable ordnance, and the arrange
ment and perfection of it's arInor to
the fertile brains of American inven-
tors.
Before the close of the first decade
of the nineteenth century, Robert Full
ton, an American, had demonstrated
to the world that the warship of the
future would require a stronger mo-
tive power than wind or tide. English
navals experts, however, had little
faith in the seagoing qualities of YES
sells propelled by steam, and it was
not until the American built Savannah
crossed the Atlantic, in 1919, that they
began TO take the new departure Sc
riously.
By the time that all the vessels of
European navies were equipped with
brought forward a new production
which soon resulted in the send
ing of all existing fleets to dockyards
to be broken up. This was the screw
invented by Ericsson, which, having
been declined by the British Admiralty,
was accepted by the American Secre-
tary of the Navy and served as the
motive power OF the frigate Prince
ton.
Several experiments with armor plate
had been made a Birkenhead in 1916
and at the bombardment of Kinburn
in the Crimean War. but these were
for the most part unsatisfactory.
France had a slightly armored vessel
in La Gloire, constructed in 1859, and
England had one named the Warrior,
but both were generally considered to
be unseaworthy and of questionable
utility.
1t was not, however, until the Mer-
rimac had demonstrated her superior
ity over the wooden ships at Hampton
Roads that arn2or plates were admit
ted to be indispensable in the con-
struction of modern battleships.
The War of the Rebellion was pro-
ductive of many important contribu-
tons to the art of warfare, but among
them all there was none that eX-
ceeded in value the torpedo, the tor
pedo boat, the ram, the machine gun,
and the revolving turret. With the
single exception OF the turret all of
these are undeniably of American in
vention.
The original idea Of the turret as ap-
piled by Ericsson was afterward
claimed by Captain Coles of the En-
glish navy, who urged its adoption by
the admiralty two years before Erics-
son constructed his now famous Moni-
tor.
: This claim was denied by Ericsson.
however who said that he had beeen
experimenting with a revolving turret
for several years prior to the war,
and that Captain Coles had learned of
his discovery before it was known to
the public.
The idea of torpedo warfare was orig
fnally conceived by Captain David
Bushnell, of Connecticut, in 1777; but
the name was first applied to the in
vention by Robert Fulton, who was
associated with Bushnell in his ex-
periments.
Both of these inventors believed sub
marine boats necessary for the sue
cessful use of the torpedo, and Bush
nell devised a contrivance, propelled
by oars which would enable one man
to remain submerged for half an hour.
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