The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-26
THE TORPEDO BOAT ALARM.

FEARS ENTERTAINED FOR HER sAFETY--HER
DEPARTURE FROM THIS PORT ON THURSDAY
Grave fears entertained this city and in naval
circles ut Washington for tho safety OF tho United
States torpedo boat Alarm which loft this port on
Thursday last Tor Washington In charge OF two officers
and crew OF about twenty-five mon. Dispatches
passed bo,woen the Navy Department and tho gov
eminent officers along the coast, but at this writing
NO intelligence OF her Whereabouts has been 70.
ceived at tho navy yard In this city At tho Navy
Department.
NAVY YARD.
Captain Simpson, executive officer OF tho BROOKLYN
Navy Yard, being last evening Informed OF tho
supposed loss OF tho craft stated that he had feared
that sue would be unable to outrido the storm that
such loss Of life tho Huron. From him It was
learned that tho Alarm, having, while route from
Newport TO Washington, broken tho piston rod OF
tho pump. put into this port on last
Thursday week for repairs. These repairs wore
competed In duo time, and Thursday
last she left tho Navy Yard for Washington
where It Is contemplated 10 remove the Fowler wheel
and substitute the screw. Sho com mand OF
Lieutenant Frederick II. Paine and had u crew OF
machinsts and sailors numbering about twenty .1vc
men. The only commissioned officer board besides
the Lieutenant was Engineer George W. Magss, uuder
whose superintendent tho proposed changes are 70
q
native Of this state, appointed to tho Annapolis
Naval Academy this State 1868 and graduated
.p 1857 For time he has been detached Tor the
special duty Of conducting the experiments ., Now.
port under the direction OF Admiral Porter
DESCRIPTION ALARM.
The Alarm belonged TO the vessels connected with
the torpedo station at Newport where very interest
ing expert ments have been made from time to time
She was built at the brooklyn Navy Yard from de-
signs by Admiral Porter about four years ago. aud was
launched from there November IL, 1873. in The
presence Of Admrais Porter and Boggs, Chief Naval
Constructor Hanscom and other officers Captain
Jones, Of The English Navy, being among
the spectators She entirely OF iron with double
decks and wa,cr tight compartments Her
length ITO feet, % feet beam and Is deep Her
drauRht IS foot forward feet ait, and her ton
mage Is $50. The upper deck Is steel plated over
which Is wooden deck. Her power consists OF pair
OF compound engines, onnccted with a patent pro-
peler which steers the craft rs we'll. She has four
boilers The armament consisted Of ono 13-iLch gun
In the bow. rhe bow cxtonds out about thirty feet
below the water mark, from which further projects a
torpedo SPAR which 10 worked by ingcn uous mech
anism Two torpedo spars extend from either side.
Sho is fitted with watertght buikhcads extending
across the b uli so as TO prevent her sinking.
HgR TRIAL TRIP.
was made in Newport Bay on tho 12th OF October
last, alter important changes In her machinery had
boon made during the summer. on this latter occa
sion the Alarm was run on measured course with q
progressive number OF revolutions OF her Fowler
wheel This was to determine the horse power de-
veloped for each number OF revolutions and the con-
scquenl spceI which ordinary screw propeller
would give her as compared with her steering wheel
At sixty revolutions she made knots, and by
her ratio Of advance per revolution would make bo-
tween eleven and twelve Knots. This test Was con-
sdercd by naval officers decided success
HOPES HER SAFETY.
Experts familiar with tho construction and sailing
qualities OF the Alarm calculate tn sho should have
arrived at Norfolk little before midnight on Friday
giving her speed OF oeht miles per hour on
the from this port. rhey agrcc that with her
water.tisht compartments It Is not likely that she
would so down Ia tho gale, aud the theory Is ad-
vnnced that Lieutenant Paine, with a previous
knowledge OF tho approaching storm, has taken
eisicrIy course TO avoid the stcrm centre" aud will
In all Likelihood rido out tho galo ana mako a safo
haven.