Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-12
READY FOR THE ToRPEDOEs.

READY FOR THE TORPEDOES.
The Corvette canada" Keeps Her Net
Out Night and Day.
From tie Nea0 York Sun.
Before the thick fog had chance to
rise yesterday morning Her Majesty's
steamship Canada, the crack corvette of
the West Indies squadron, lifted anchor,
came up past quarantine, and anchored
in the upper bay, halt way between Tom
kinsville, Staten Island, and the Inebri-
ate's Home at Fort Hamilton.
AS soon as the anchors were firmly
stuck in the mud a long beam was run
out over the bow, and tackle was creased
and made to work easily. The launch was
lowered and steam was got up in it. From
the end OF the beam chain was let down,
and fastened to the lower end of the chain
was horizontal bar, and from the bar,
dangling fifteen feet in front of the bow
hung colossal net. The meshes are at
least four inches, and they are woven of
very tough cord. The net is torpedo
catcher.
The Garnet rigs her net only at night
TALL. Fishermen along the Staten Island
shore when they saw her drop it at night
and haul it in in the morning thought she
IN the morning to see what she had caught.
The Canada is a natter and more
modern boat than the Garnet. Both of
them are bark rugged, but there the re-
semblance ends. The Garnet has twelve
old stvle muZZle-loading rife guns. Ten
OF them are br0adside guns Of 4-inch bore,
and only two are on piVOts. The Canada
has ten 6-inch Vavaseur steel rifle
guns, made by Armstrong, and 270 men to
3 ba - bo 40 fc y
and 2, 430-hOrse power, is built OF 1s-inch
steel and has iron bulwarks cased with
teak. A steel deck protects her machine
ry. Her draught is 10 feet inches. She
was commissioned at Portsmouth only
two years ago on May l. She was built
by the English Government and not by
contract. and is regarded with pride by
all her officers and men, who are certain
that she can whip anything of her size
afoat.
The guns are peculiarly arranged. Only
six are broadside, and so the Canada
never fires salutes, for International
etiquette doesn't allow ship with less
than ten brOadside guns to fire salutes.
But the Canada makes up for it by having
the two forward guns on Vavaseur
special mounting. There is big steel
armOred projection on each side of her, in
which six-inch rifed guns are pivoted,
within a semicircle. In the stern the Capt
aims room is fitted up between two more
guns. When the ship clears for ac-
ton the Captains room is taken apart
and packed away. There are twenty
marines besides the sailors, and ninety
Martini-Henry rifles and just as many
45-calibre Adams reYOlyers IN handy
racks. There are a lot Of two feet six
inch cutlasses, and some wickeG-lOoking
fv.fp f1.r.AF Inn d, t1Nr- ord
The ship also carries two NOrdenfeldt
magazne-guns, and her Prov ls adorned
with a seven-foOt ram. Her officers are:
Captain. Arthur c. Curtis; Leutenants,
William Ii. Chamberlain, Frederick 5. Pei
ham, Arthur ". Weymouth. James W.
POchin and clifford BOwden; Chaplain, the
Rev. John II. Berry; surgeon, Henry L. Cox.
There are seven midshipmen, who keep
things lively. The Canada has fine
cricket club, and they and the Garnet
expect to play when the weather allows.
The Canada men think they have the bet
ter team, but they cOncede that the Gar
net has the better theatrical troupe. The
talent on the Canada is diversified, and
besides a theatrical company it has a ne
gro minstrel troupe and several good
mimics and elOcutiOnists.
The Canada has a speed under steam of
/ 1872 knots, and if pressed can make AZ.
She is a clipper, and, under full sail and
a good breeze, can go the IA two or three
better, which is 30 per cent. faster than
the Garnet. The Canada has never been
in acton, but some Of the officers are
/ veterans, and Capt, Curtis served in the
/ China and Crimean wars.
''This tO&edo scare is causing us lot
of bother, "said a Lieutenant yesterday.
1--WE are going to have a boat and its
crew floating around all night, and the
| launch will be ready at any moment.
/ We are not afraid of anybody trying to
come alongside, but we're more afraid
Of some Irishmen trying to float tOrpe-
does against us with the ebb tide than
we are of the Strelok. 1t was a wonder
/ Capt. BoyntOn wasn't shot. He was COW
cred with the sentries' rifles all the time
he was in the water, and he was nearer
| death than he ever had been before. We
could knock spots out of the Garnet
| in five minutes. and we could do up the
/ strel0k IN a few minutes more"
Capt. Curtis and Capt Hand, Of the
/ Garnet came up from Staten Island al 3
| o'clock Yesterday afternoon and called at
| the ConsuPs office. Capt. Curtis said the
/ Canada would be coalng for two days,
/ and after that he did not know what she
would do. They have come here from
| jamaica and Bermuda. There is no cable
| at Bermuda now, but there is one ready
at Halifax, and il war is declared it will
| he laid at once.