The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1917-01-25
MODERN WARSHIpS
Changes Half a Century Has
Made In Naval Methods.
A NEW TYPE OF SAILoRMAN.
The Old Time Yarn Spinning Tar Has
Been supplsnted by a Younger. Bet.
ter Educated and More Capable Man.
His Chances In Uncle Sans Navy.

Been Supplanted by a Younger, De,
ter Educated and More Capable Ma,
His Chances In Uncle Sans Navy.
A naval officer would have been con
sldered as a az subject for an Ihsnn
asylum who In 1869. the year Of M
entry into the service. had prophesiet
the creation In less than half cen
tury OF United States feet of grea
seagolng bnttleshlps OF more than 30.
900 tons displacement. each with sey
eral turrets. any one Of which coulC
throw against an enemy at one dis
! charge n greater weight Of metal. o
lncomparably greater destructive pow
or and range, than was possible from
the full brondslde OF one OF Nelson,
largest ships OF the line We may gnit
some idea OF the tremendous increase
In the power of fighting ships when We
realize that In n short time and with
out danger TO itself one modern dread
naught could destroy the combined
1eets that fought nt Trafalgar In 1905
In the widest stretch OF the lmngi
nation our prophet could not have fore
seen the addition to the feet OF tor
pedo boat destroyers OF n thousand
tons displacement. a speed OF thirty or
thirty.aye knots and torpedoes OF great
accuracy, high speed and an effective
range OF 10000 yards. A bag OF pow.
der on the end OF spar" was our con.
ception OF an offensive torpedo In
those days. Good work could bo done
even with that crude equipment. as
Gushing proved when be torpedoed the
Albemarlo.
think our prophet would surely
have had padded cell provided for
him had be attempted 10 describe the
modern submarines. which are capa.
ble OF keeping the sea for many days.
which have a radius OF action OF 1000
miles or more and which are able un.
der favorable conditions TO creep un.
seen upon the most powerful vessel
and nc one discharge destroy IT, He
would have found few indeed TO listen
10 him n he had asserted the posslbll.
lty that scouting or bomb throwing air
craft would act In conjunction with
tho fleets or foretold the influence OF
electricity and the wireless upon op
erations OF the fleet both In peace and
In war.
All those wonderful changes and nd.
vanccs In naval design. construction
and equipment have taken place with.
IN my period OF service. In sea power.
IA military efficiency. In comforts and
We have greatly gained.
but ] think that those OF us who start
ed our careers when the great naval
advance of the last generation was stlll
o come. who made their early cruises
n sailing ships or ships with auxiliary
team power only, look back with ten.
Ter memory upon the old and less me-
hanlcal environment.
The romance OF the sea conveyed by
'iarryat and others In their stories has
lot really gone; the conditions only
ave changed. The sea and It's effect
Ipon those who follow Il never change,
nd there Is as great a field In the navy
oday for the adventurous youngster
s ever. perhaps a greater. Certainly
q can have as many heart thrills on
oard a submarine or destroyer or ny-
ng craft as he could have had ON
oard brig or schooner cruising for
rates In the olden days.
The changes In the material OF !
le navy have produced corresponding
hanges In Its organization and per.
onneL You no longer see the gray'i
earded boatswain's mate. quartermas-
'r or quarter gunner about the decks I
our ships They were brave and 10y.
to the core, and their yarns OF eX-
erlences on all seas and in all wealth
Is, interspersed occasionally with a
tile good advice TO the young officer.
Ictfully given. whlled away many an
our OF quiet night watches in port.
The old type OF sailorman under
ood his duties as thoroughly and per
'rmed them as faithfully as any one
,uld desire. but machinery has ban.
he'd him. His place has been taken
7 the younger. better educated man.
no in a general way Is more capable.
NJ who does not as a rule follow the
"a for lifetime unless he wins early
Ii Is now a rare thing TO see In the
wer ratings an enlisted man who Is
ore than thirty years old. The great
ajority are much younger. The life
too strenuous and its conditions too
as measured by modern con-
tlons on shore, TO hold men TO It.
nd yet ! believe that no other occu-
ltion open to American youth offers
em so manly chances TO succeed and
acquire a provision for old age. II
In the power OF any young man
fair elementary education. industry
ID good moral character to enlist In
e navy, say, at the age of twenty
I'd TO retire at the age OF tifty with
life compensation OF from $50 TO 500
month. That class does not include
e considerable number OF those who
tain warrants or commissions. which
ing much greater emoluments.-Ad-
iral Charles ]. Badger in Youths