The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-07-30 00:00:00

Details of the 43 torpedo craft forming part of the
fleet reviewed by her Majesty on Saturday will b.) of
interest.

Under this general designation are included torpedo
vessels, torpedo cruisers, torpedo gunboats, gun and
torpedo vessels, torpedo catchers, and torpedo boats.
Nearly every description of craft is represented, and,
save for the withdrawal of the Vesuvius at the last
moment, the progress of torpedo warfare might have
been traced in their different builds from its first in-
ception to its recent development.
The Rattlesnake is one of the new torpedo gun-
boats, and forms with the Grasshopper, Spider, and
Sandily a distinct order of vessels of 450 tons. She
is 200 feet between perpendiculars, with a beam of
23 feet and a depth of bold of 13 feet. She is built
entirely of steel, and is fitted with a half-poop and
forecastle, and a conning tower with a conning bridge
erected over it.
,Besides a torpedo tube through the
stem and another through the stern in a fore and aft
line, and one on each broadside capable of training
through 90 deg., she mounts a 4 inch central pivot
breechloader forward, capable of penetrating Bin. of
armour, and six three-pounder quick-firing guns.
She possesses the enormous speed of 19 knots. These
torpedo catchers or gunboats are both faster and
more formidable than anything of the gunboat class
yet designed, and are expected to prove a great check
to the operations of torpedo-boats in war.
The Curlew and its sister the Landrail are dis-
tinguished as gun and torpedo vessels. They are
larger than the Grasshoppers, being of 785 tons; and
though they are entirely dependent upon steam power
they cannot go beyond 15 knots. They carry one Gin.
gun and three sin. guns besides an auxiliary arma-
ment.

The Fearless and Mohawk, torpedo cruisers, are re-
e+uplications of the Scout, and are intended to keep
the sea in all weathers. They are 220 ft. long and
34ift. broad, with a tonnage of 1430. The vessels are
built with two complete decks and the machinery is
protected by overhead steel plating. They have also
a poop and forecastle; at the forward corners of the
former and the after corners of the latter are mounted
four sin. guns upon sponsons, with an uninterrupted
rarge fore and aft. There are 11 torpedo tubes
on board, one being arranged to fire below the water
through the bow. The speed a the Fearless is 16
knots.

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The Archer is a type of eight torpedo cruisers
which only differ from the Fearless in size and arma-
ment. They have a displacement of 1630 tons and
'fury six 6in, guns in addition to their Whiteheads
and machine and quick-firing guns. Their additional
size gives them increased seaworthiness.
Of the flotillas of torpedo boats two claim special
attention. No. 81 was originally called the Swift. She
is the largest craft in the service, and was built by
Mr. J. S. White, of East Cowes, for the purpose of
demonstrating the applicability of his " turn-about "
system (in which the "deadwood" is removed for
the purpose of securing facility in turning) to larger
vessels than steam pinnaces and launches, and
with a view to her acceptance by the Admiralty
on her fulfilling all the conditions guaranteed.
She is 150 ft. long and 17ft. 61n. broad; her depth is
Oft. Gin., and her load displacement about 125 tons.
H.,r lines resemble those of similar vessels in use, but
t.he is fitted with a turtle back and a spur ram and
has a conning tower amidships from which she is
steered and fought. A special feature in her design
is the division of the boiler room by a longitudinal
water-tight bulkhead, the connexions being arranged
so that either boiler can be worked independently in
case of accident. At the steam trial with 25 tons of
weight on board her engines developed 1387 horses
and she realised a speed of 2079. knots. Besides her
Whiteheads she carries five 6-pounder guns. No. 80
is the next largest in the service, and was constructed
by Messrs. Yarrow. of Poplar. In length she is 135 ft.,
and in beam 14ft., while her displacement is just
over 105 tons. The hull is of exceptional strength
and is more heavily plated than is usual with tor.
pedo boats. Steam is generated in one powerful
boiler of an improved pattern. It is made of steel
with copper fireboxes, and is provided with an
arrangement of ashpans, by means of which, should
the stokehold be damaged by collision or otherwise
and filled with water, the steaming capabilities of the
boat do not instantly cease. This is an important
feature. The forward part of the vessel is fitted
with a torpedo gun for direct fire ahead, and there is
an additional conning tower aft with the usual Admi-
ralty gear for side fire with a couple of torpedo guns.
On trial in the Thames the engines indicated 1660-
horse power and a mean speed of 23 knots were
obtained with 15 tone of ballast on board.

_
The remainder of the torpedo flotilla, 36 in number,
consist of first-class boats 125? t. long, and with beams
varying from 12ft. 6in. to 14ft. They are composed
of Yarrows, Thornycrofts, and Whites, the names of
the builders. The two former are slightly broader in
the beam and carry bow tubes in addition to the four
rotating tubes mounted on the conning towers. The
Thornycrofts were also originally constructed with a
snout tube, but this has been removed to secure
superior seaworthiness. These craft are also dis-
tinguished by a peculiar flat stern and special steering
arrangements. The rudders are curved to a radius a
little larger than that of the propeller, and are
placed on each side of it, the result being that
when the rudders are put over the whole of the
stream from the propeller is diverted sideways,
and as there is no deadwood to resist side motion, the
vessel is turned with great facility wheTher ahead or
astern. In all the boats the impulse to the torpedo
is given by the explosion of small charges of gun-
powder. Although the whole of the flotilla are de-
signed to carry two quick-firing guns and a couple of
two-barrel Nordenfelts in addition to their normal
torpedo armament, in some the tubes have been tem-
porarily removed and the boats are used as torpedo
boat destroyers.
The torpedo vessels have been built with great
rapidity to meet an urgent want, and the variety of
types for different purposes and the number of indi-
vidual boats which the Admiralty have been able to
place in commission is one of the most gratifying cir-
cumstances connected with the review.