| Show lnu S 1 It 4 111 TTIII1II I I tltltUI 4 A correspondent of the Newit nk some questions about the United States naval forces and fust regarding Com meiJore Hchlejs < flying squadron This according to a New York paper Is composed of the following vessels Texas Massachusetts Brooklyn Minneapolis Nerw Orleans Scorpion and Ft Paul The two first named are battleships the other are cruisers cruis-ers The New Orleans li I tho vessel bought from Brazil nt tho beginning of the war and the St Paul Is I one ot the American line steamers armed asa as-a commerce 1troyr It Is I of Importance to understand the difference between a battleship and l a cruiser The Litter Is t a vessel lightly light-ly I armed Comparatively but capable of making high speed Its business Is I to I defend Itself whenever capable of doing so and to gt Away when meetIng meet-Ing a too strong antagonist Tho Brooklyn and Minneapolis are supposed to run faster even than tho little torpedo tor-pedo boats A battleship on tho contrary con-trary Is I not constructed with regard to speed It Is I a floating fort heavily Armed And Its huln Is to give hot tie to the enemy whenever found Th cruisers tire either Armored or only protected Tim former tire com p ie tot I Y clothed in a dress or tel l vvhllit the latter have a protecting shield only where the socalled vitals ot the shfp arc exposed The special mission of Commodore Schlcys living squadron Is I of course known onlY to tho board of strategy hut It appears to have bn necessary to lizve n naval force stationed nt some convenient place like Hamilton Iload In case a Spanish fleet should suddenly turn up off one of our eastern sea Port With the locution ot the Spanish admirals ad-mirals forces other disposition could bo mnclo of the flying squadron whereby where-by more direct cooperation between Schley and Sampson would he secured The Idea Dow reonis to Ila I to colleen trato under Admlial Bumptious com minil the fastest and most powerful ships of the two squadrons In order to hunt up Admiral Cerv era and force him to a decisive battle The Powerful monitor Puritan Terror Atnphltrlt and ntonomah would be left I In the Florida ftrnlt lei look to Havana and frustrate any attempt to bring assist once to the Molknded clt > A torpedo boat Is I a small vessel built entirely of steel often not more thou 116 Inch In thickness ne In Order to get tile necessary high sliced I the minimum weight Is I of utmost Importance There are three classes of torpedo boats The first mo seagoing v cssels 1 carrying coal enough to go 1 WO knots nt full speed I the second are for horbor defense the thlid arc carried on board a ship These boat arc supposed to steal up on the encturs i ships unnotlucd as far as practical and discharge a torpedo against tin enemy nnd then tctreat The Whitehead White-head torpedo Is I the one In common use This Is I acjllmlcr from 12 to ID fet In length and from 20 to 15 Inched In diameter tnptfilnff to a point at cacl end On being discharged It travel from 5 to 15 feel below the surface It Is I divided In several compartments The Unit contains a charge of guncotton which Is fired when tho torpedo strike a ship The question of tho value of torpedo at boats to a squadron In battle Is not > t decided Some naval experts believe that the powerful searchlights and quick firing guns of modern battleships and cruisers render them practical uselcus since they nnnot nlroch an enemy unseen and a well directed shot Is I euro to penetrate their frail shell and Ink them The weak point In all contrivances con-trivances of this class has been the Inaccuracy In-accuracy of the aim Vcsiels In an ell gagement arc In constant motion goIng go-Ing often In opposite dlnctlonn and at different rates of siwed This Itesen l a6 I f1j rW f eonldmhl flip chances or hitting the ship filmed ot It taken ocW1 test to determine the value or the torpedo boat In naval warfare A torpedo boat destroyer In I a vessel 1 of superior size and strength of the name Ppoed of the torprdo tH It IN I armed with machine runs For vessels ves-sels at anchor a steel r u d rrn j nettix murr = lot tile ship arld suppendo A I have rod rreclll but II Is cumbersome cum-bersome and heavy and cannot te u red except when tile ships tire otationary The roldllr gun Is I depended on a the mot effective deptroyer of torpedo boats |
