The Portland daily press., 1890-01-24
A PIGMY WHICH CAN DESTROY GIANTS.
Torpedo Boat Cushing Launched
by the Herreshoffs Yesterday.
Named In Honor Of One Of AmerI-
cas- Naval Heroes.
Believed To Be the Swlftest Of Her
Kind Afloat.

BRISTOL, r. l., January 23.-Torpedo boat
No. l of the United States Navy wa:
launched from the yach. building yards Of
the Herreshoffs at 9.45 this morning. The
launching was entirely successful.
At the time the Cushing slipped off the
stocks and into the waters of Mt. Hope
bay, she had smoke putting from her two
conical-shaped smokestacks, and little jet
of steam shot up into the air from her steam
pipe The dock trial Of her engines which
followed was entirely successful.
Commander William B. Gushing. U. S. N.
who blew up the rebel ram Albemarle al
Plymouth, N. G., in 1864, will have his name
carried down to history on this the first Yam
kee torpedo boat, for it Is named the Cush-
ing in honor of the brave defender OF the
stars and stripes. The prime purpose Of the
mobile torpedces. that is those carrying
their own propelling force, while travelling
at high rate Of speed. The Gushing will
also carry such other torpedo tubes and
rapid firing guns, capable OF discharging 20
shots per minute, as shall be determined af-
ter her speed Is tested. Commander Con-
verse, U. S. N, has had charge Of the plans
and construction and the Cushing is re-
markable vessel. Her length Is 1873 feet
beam. Is; depth from deck to keel at the
highest point, 10 feet; draft, feet inches,
loaded.
The contract upon which the Cushing was
built requires a speed of % knots per hour.
A bonus Of $500 will be paid the HERES.
hOff Manufacturing Company for every quar-
ter OF knat above % knots per hour devel-
oped and $1,000 every quarter OF knot
above "a knots per hous The HerreshOffs
are of the opinion that after few trials the
Gushing will make above "a knots per hour,
and they would not be surprised If she COW
cred over 26 knots per hour. and that when
loaded.
A prediction is also made that she will
eclipse the time made by the royal Spanish
torpedo boat Ariete. which has speed of 26
knots per hour.
The Gushing is clearly shown to be very
powerful craft. Her displacement will be
1O3 tons; maximum horse power, 1900; ratio
Of horse power to displacement, 16 to l.
Her coal capacity Is 30 tons, coal en-
durance at economical speed, 5000 knots.
The craft is built of steel plates of maxi
mum thickness OF 0ne-quarter inch, which Is
the practice indicated In European construc-
tion Of these boats. Every plate in the hull,
ana all exposed work is galvanized. In its
construction 125,000 rivets were used. The
keel is of fiat plate, the ram stem is steel
forging, extending from the spar deck to
eight feet along the keel from the spur of
the ram, and the stern port is another steel
forging The plating Is let into the steel
foreings, and viewed from the front the boat
appears to be as sharp as a seine
tar and as smooth as polished wood.
The hull is divided into IL compartments,
separated by water tight bulkheads, the 0p-
enings being secured against any pressure
by rubber and wedge-like devices OF the most
modern invention. The compartments are
occupied. beginning at the bow: /, collision
2 steam winch; steam reel for anchor chains,
and magazine for explosive charges for tor
pedoes; 8. breech or rear end of torpedo
tubes, with arrangements for firing and re-
loading, and quarters for the crew with con-
veniently fitted berths, which tilt up out Of the
way, lockers for each of the IL men who will
occupy 1t, mess table, ETC.. galleys, lava
tories. etc. for the crew; 3, forward boiler
room; g, engine room; Z, after boiler room,
8. engineers and helmsmen's quart g.
officers quarters; 10, pantry, store rooms,
etc. II, steering gear, paints, etc.
The boilers are the Thornycroft wa tel
tube boilers, and they are the first of that
pattern made in the United States. The
boilers weigh eight ms each, will each de-
velop S00-horse power, are intended for a
maximum pressure of 250 pounds of steam
to the square inch. and will be tested with
500 pounds hydroscatic pressure
The frer0Oms are arranged on the closed
stokehold principle, for they will be closed
nearly alright and an efficient fan blower
will force air down from an opening in the
deck at a pressurs equal to that of about
four inches of water. The coal will be fed
into the boilers through suitable circular
openings In the deck, and will be reached
from the stokeholds through vertical sliding
trap doors.