The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-05-16
History Records How In Earlier Days
the French and Spaniards Obtained
Naval Superiority ---Wll the Close Of
the Present Great War Find History
Repeating Itself?

Is England losins its supremacy
on the sea-
Is the phrase, "Brittania rules the
waves to become obsolete after the
present European war;?
Many military experts are inclin-
ed to the belief that England IS
losing her hold on the seas and that
when the great conflict ends she viii
have been surpassed in naval
strength by some other nation. On
one hand, say the experts, the Ger
mans are carrying on successful
warfare with submarines and on the
other Japan, practically at peace.
is increasing its already large navy
by additions of many new battleshps
each year.
The United States, while conserv-
alive in the matter of increased
armament. also is yearly adding new
batt1eships to its great fleets. Re-
Gently the Pennsylvania" the larg-
est and best equipped frst-class bat
tleship in the world. was launched,
giving increased strength to our
sea patrol.
Beside the loss of battlesiips Eng
land is losing great number OF
merchantmen in the present German
sea blockade For example, one Gay
three merchant ships flying the flag
OF England were sunk of The Sciily
Islands, the present hunting grounds
of the German submarines The
Crown of Castle. the FIaminian and
the City of Cambridge were the vic
tins IN one day OF submarine be-
lIeFed TO be the elusive Q IS The
F1aminian was carrying general
cargo TO South America She had
successfully navigated the Irish sea
and passed through St. Georges
channel when attacked of the Sciily
Islands When the torpedo struck
she settled SO quickly that her sail
ors barely had time 60 take TO the
small boats After being in The
small boats many hours they were
picked up by the Danish steamer
..Finlandie-
sEBaAR1sE
ATTACKS.
The same day the City of Cam
bridge crcpt into port with her sides
battered and her supersrrrcture
practically DESTROYED. st.ins evi-
dence OF The effectiveness OF the sub
marine attack. The City of Cam
bridge, vessel of 4.S44 tons. hating
from Glasgow. attempted to run
from the submarine when it was
sighted. but was oyertaken about
forty miles from Bishop and Clerks
island of the Pembroke shore
THAT we were not sunk was al
most q. miracle said Captain Fry
when he and his crew reached shore
The submarine tried 10 sink US for
an hour after the first torpedo
struck. but we escaped when dark
hot Hro
out-un the submarine the ship
cr,1ised about IN circle. keeping in
the wash of the smaller vessel
which kept up continual Ere The
first shell shattered three plates
and. penetrated the hull. wrecklnE
three cabins. Later several other
shells struck US. but failed to sink
us. Darkness came and We were.
able to escape
CUTTING
,EM down.
The loss of this and other British
ships is telling on the strength OF
the British maritime forces. Thus
is being destroyed the great naval
force that Great Britain has main
9amed since 1855 In that year Hen
VI. laid the foundation OF the
:si1 navy by building the first
e-.-+sa:p, the Great Harry HIS
suS1sssor. Henry VIII. formed
seg1tar standing feet the property OF
the State. the largest ship of which
was called the Henry Grace de
Dfeu.- This vessel. the largest ever
built up to that time. carried elgnfy
guns. partly on two regular flush
gun decks and partly on aodluonai
platforms both forward and astern
She was provided with four masts,
her tonnage Is stated var1ousiy from
1000 to 1.500-
The whole or the British feet at
the death of King Henry VIII. con-
sisted Of about eighty sailing men.
of-war with an aggregate tonnage OF
1000 and manned by 5000 sailors
and marines The large ships OF the
time were clumsy contriEances. deep
wasted. that is to say. provided with
fowerinS forecastles and poops
which rendered them top heavy
In 16T! the whole English navy
consisted OF 129 vessels In 1414
there were 19S vessels, in 1927 there
were 1s3, In 1744 there we're 12s-
Afterward as the number OF vessels
increased their size became iaEser
and the heavineSs OF their armor
Irss augmented as the tonnage in
creased The first English ship an
sweriug to the fr1gate type was built
by Sir Robert Dudley at the end OF
rhe sixteenth century, but 1t was NOT
mil eighty years later that this
class OF ships FIRST used by the
so,Ifben European nations was gem
eraIIy adopted IN the British navy
British ships generally were over.
srnoed so that their lower ports.
we're three feet from the waters
edge and could not be opened in
rough sea and the sailing capacities
or he vesseIs also were greatly ims