The Conservative. 23 *
porato too , tor Spanish courage , too ,
shown its gamencss ns it hiul done before -
fore on a thousand stricken fields. The
tremendous ratio of losses among ofH-
cors and enlisted men alike in the Seven
ty-first Now York and the rough riders
surpassed oven .that of the regulars.
Perhaps the reason is that the latter
troops , with their experience of the
west and Indian fighting , knew better
how to take advantage of the ground ,
But with all alike there shone the spirit
of dashing , dauntless intrepidity. Mil
itary critics abroad praise enthusiastic
ally the gallantry and elan of our fol
lows , while they take exception to the
plan of battle which permitted the at
tack to be made with an insufficient
siege train and a badly arranged co
operation of our fleet. Aftersight , how
ever , is always shrewder than foresight.
It is easy now for the military critic to
pick flaws in the tactics or the strategy
of Napoleon's most splendid operations.
The genius of the battle chess game is
merely he who makes the fewer mis
takes.
Kaiser Wilholm is so determined to
have a finger in everything that ho
won't even let the dead alone in their
coffins" . The citizens of Dussoldort had
raised a largo sum to eiect a statue of
the great poet , Heine It was enough
that Heine was the poet of the revolu
tion , so the young emperor put his veto
on it. It is a pity that there could not
bo a second Heine with such a subject
for satire. It would give William a
chance for immortality.
Dr. Chauncey Depew is not the presi
dent of a system of railroads for noth
ing Ho knows how to keep the steam
whistles tooting and how "to get
there. " Hie last role is that of political
missionary to benighted Franco. Ho
would be a successor to Henry Ward
Beechor , who did so much by his tour
as a lecturer in England in 1808 to turn
the current of English opinion in our
favor
The French and German technical or
gans growl not a little over the success
of American manufactures , especially
of railway supplies , in China and the
far east. Our foreign friends fancied that
their treaties and concessions gave them
the right of way , but Colchtial eyes are
wide open for excellence and cheapness.
If one or more of Oervera's shattered
ships can bo raised and effectually reno
vated for our own navy , it will bo some
small help in paying the expenses of the
war If oven a steel shell is reasonably
bound , American ingenuity will do the
re.st
re.stTho
The Red Cross society is as zealous
in saving life as our soldiers and sailors
are in destroying it. Many wealthy and
fashionable women are showing their
war enthusiasm by entering its ranks as
mirfina.
Destruction of Cerveni's Fleet.
No more striking proof of the supreme
importance of coaling stations when
naval war is conducted at a distance
from the homo base can bo cited than
the fate which dogged the finest of the
Spanish fleets from the time of its de
parture from the Capo Verde islands
to its final annihilation under Admiral
Sampson's guns off Santiago. This su
perb squadron of four armored cruisers
with attendant dontroycrs was for its
size unsurpassed by any similar group
of warships in the world. But it was
driven straight to its death by lack of
coal. Had it not been for this it never
would have been "bottled up" in San
tiago harbor. Had Cervera not been
misinformed as to the conveniences of
recoaliug there it is doubtful if ho
would have sailed into that trap.
It is quite true that the protection of
the harbor would have seriously em
barrassed an American naval attack had
not the imminent capture of Santiago
by Shafter's land investment driven the
Spanish admiral to a choice of evils.
There was a bare chance of cutting his
way through the American fleet , at
least with one or two of his ships. But
the terrific odds and the deadly service
of the American guns sealed the fate of
Cervera and his fine cruisers. All this
would have bnen probably avoided had
there been coaling facilities within easy
reach. In any event , the radius of
operation for the Spanish fleet would
have been much greater and its threat
of damage to us far more serious. Nobly
as Sampson's fleet , under Commodore
Schley in temporary command , vindi
cated American naval prowess on that
fateful 3d of July , lot us not grudge
some tribute of admiration to Spanish
gallantry. Like Montijo at Manila , Oer-
vura and his captains fought their ships
as long as a gun could bo fired and final
ly beached them in flames. Ho only
yielded to the inevitable. Spain , like
China , sometimes rewards its unsuccess
ful commanders with death , and sullen
threats of this kind have been heard
from time to time during the present
war. It is to bo hoped that Cervora ,
when ho is released from American cap
tivity , will be accepted by his people at
his genuine worth , oven as Admiral
Sampson and Commodore Schley will
be recognized by their people , as true
heroes of the sea. Lieutenant "Waiu-
wright , who was also one of the heroes
of the battle , not only illustrated Amer
ican chivalry , but paid a just tribute in
congratulating Admiral Corvora when
ho surrendered on his splendid and dash
ing , though futile , attempt.
England is in a furor of excitement
over her new naval estimate. The Amer
ican spectacle has made her effervesce.
The now shipbuilding scheme involves
the use of every government and private
yard 1898-9 will bo a year of unprec
edented activity in strengthening naval
Marino Disaster. <
The catastrophe of La Bourgogno , the
French liner , added another to the
awful roll of sea tragedies. Even in this
age of perfected ocean travel , when hu
man skill and prudence provide so in
geniously against the forces which con
spire against man's safety on the tum
bling main , the unexpected is forever
happening. "With eyes and ears intent
on the affairs of war , anxious only in
forecasting the miseries and triumphs
of battlefields , this horror from an uu-
thought of quarter struck with a moro
atunniug shock. All the bloodshed of a
desperate battle would not touch the
sensibilities so closely. The feature of
this tragedy which aggravates all the
others is the conviction that it was not '
necessary , at least to the full extent of
the actual facts. The habit of ocean
liners in pushing their way at high
speed has now illustrated afresh how
custom will blunt the sense of danger ,
even when the responsibility of many *
human lives hangs in the balance.
That the French ship was proceeding
at a speed of some 18 knots in a dense
fog , which made all ordinary safeguards
useless , suffices to brand the disaster as
in part the result of recklessness. That
so many other ships have been equally
reckless with safety does not palliate
the unlucky exception. In any case
speed in a fog is little short of a crime.
Another startling reflection grows from
the evidences of lack of discipline among
officers and crew. Captain Deloncle perished - .
ished gallantly , it is true , and went
down with his ship , but oven in the
short ton minutes which elapsed between t
the collision and the foundering reso
lute officers with a crow well in hand
could have prevented the sickening horrors
rors which ensued in the mad scramble
for boats and saved many more lives.
One con scarcely fancy such a carnival
of crazy fear run amuok on a first class
English or American steamship. Under
similar conditions the familiar example
of Anglo-Saxon discipline has been that
of captain and officers , backed by crow ,
suppressing the disorder of fear by force
of urms if need be. It is the confidence
bogottoii by such experience which has
made tut ) English and American lines
the models of the passenger service of
the world. Of course no accident exact
ly repeats the conditions of any other.
But there seems to have been nothing
in the La Bourgogno affair which could
not have been greatly alleviated in horror
ror by executive courage and discipline.
It is a great pity that the disciples of
the family vendetta , who still fill life
with continuous tragedy in the moun
tains of West Virginia and eastern Ken
tucky , could not bo gathered in a com
pany for the forefront of military oper
ations in Cuba. Their sharpshootiug
there wcnid servo humanity , and the
Spanish Mausers would also stand a
chance of scoring on the side of philan
thropy.
