New-York tribune., 1890-05-04
A NEW NAVAL WONDER.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SWIFT TORPEDO
BOAT CUSHING-WORK AT THE YARD.

Preparations are being made for the opening OF
the new Simpson dry dock at the Navy Yard on Fri
uay' IN which thc monitor Puritan Is to be docheu
Inc great piece Of work IS almost finished as heariS
all OF the sca-wall which blocked the mouth OF inc
uoc" mas been torn away, and big d edcns machine
Is at work there. The immense floating derrcN
capable Of lifting weight Of seventy five tons,
useful part OF the yard machinery, has been used to
pun some OF the piles from their bed in the Wallabout
Fay.
crowd Of visitors were gathered on the Cob Dock
in the Navy Yard yesterday. looking at and admirinS
the new torpedo boa Cushing, while some oi
the yard officers thoroughly inspected the new war
craft, and Others took their friends her narrow
deck. looking in the coming towers and down the
small matches. The hatchcs arc only about two feet
across at the top and te iron ladders are al
most perpendicular and it is evident that the veS'ei
was not built for fat men. man whose breadth oi
beam was considerably out Of proportion 10 his heGh'
walked down tho board which served as a gang PLANK
and boarded the vessel As he walking down
the deck Of the officers called ont from the shore
warning him not 10 attempt 70 descend to the caoih,
he might get stuck in the atchway and the VesSc'
he unable to get away The part Of the vessel above
water is rounded, and the deck is made Level pN
Of wooden mats.
The Gushing arrived from Newport on Friday an"
her dimensions were published in The Tribune yeS"'
day. she is the first of the proposed American meet
Of torpedo boats. and is as complete and efficient a.
any torpedo boat built for a similar dl'4
that Of discharginc automobile torpcd.c' WINE
travelling at high rate OF speed. she has afeaN
made a speed OF - knots and is calculated tuii sh'
will vet make speed ot ~ knots. ard perhaps c'nr'e
the time made by the Spanish torpedo boat Ari't''
which has record of o6 knots hour. ta'h Il
her two rapid firing guns IS capable Of benz d.
charged twenty times minute. Her coal caphlN
IS thirtynve tons, capable o driving her 400 KNOTS d
a maximum speed. and 5000 knots at an cc'noml'H
speed she Is built Of sc, plat"s Of maximum thl'N
ness Of IA Of an inch. and her ram stern Is st''
forging extending from the spur Of the ram. ana ih"
stern post Is another steel forging. The h"H j.
divided into eleven compartments separated By water
tight lullhcad, the openings being secured asains
any pressure bv rubber and wcdcc like devices % t'
most modern invention. To get from one compartment
to another one must climb the ladder 70 the dr'N an"
70 down the next hachway. These compartments '''
occupied a. follows. in the order named he-lnhrt
from the bow-or back Of the first or COL sion hnA"
head: Frst-stcam winch steam reel for anchor
chaltf and magazines FOR explosive charges of tor
pcdocs: sccond-brccch rear end ot torp'd' t"''@
with aucemcnts for hrinS and roa1!nf ana quarter
for the crew, conveniently Ett"d boat Wh'N ut w
out Of the way. lockers for each Of The t"cN' h'''
comprising the crew. mess table. etc. tMT ei'.'''
lavatorics etc for the cr,w fourth fo-war' boiler
room. fifth engine room. sN'h-af'er boiler room
scvcn:h-eue.uccrs and st"cr-m'n's quarter. c!e'h
officers Quarters: ninth pantry. -t'rcr I-n.. - --
tenth-s,oornS gear. Oh paints. "i'. faoh ''"I'N
ment is fitted with a steam spaon so tat ~ .
ot leak In any part ~ the ship The s.pi'n' Won"
,c started 10 pump ont For sNty one f"i oi t'
mdshlp length. the hull is practically dpn' J" ore.
The boat is driven by twin Screws. and tn c'ne 'i
the vc.scl' Is directed from the conuue toHer' on
dcck These tower circular and a." buli "i S''i
plates. and there are fvc hn.ser' window In ei'A
There ar, nfty two deck h-l,- and twenty V'rtIA''i
which l.ht and air The O. mpa-iWeni'. the Pu' '.''
for the officers are finished IN nu't"rna' wool 'n
order IN prevent moisture aii :" absorb t'c SUI "
tie cabin IS ce.l"d with cork.
The automobile torpcd1cs are 10 lie discharged ir""
tho cuslunc by an explosive chart'. giving them
snced - forty feet per scrond while the V''-cl N
Going ~ the ra'" Il thirty ,"vrn f"'i peg '''''''
The bow torpcfo uu",. which are ''ii''" -''i ''--
and haze an internal diameter - fourteen nc1c>. n
r,,coa uoao- the wha!c,ack IN a parallel line. f
rininr. Al an angle Of about three d'gcc'. t""a"
the bor,oc while the hrccch IN the Third c"mpa"
ment. Is lu.t above the head Of a man stnd'hi '"
the floor Two torpcdocs arc to Dc kept in TIE ""c'
while two others neaT by on the f"or 81 INC ''"
partment
THE BALTIMORE 70 GO To HNYT..
Those who have nccn looking forward To- visiting
the rcv cruiser Baltimore at the N'ty h'rd m1''
te,cr their hopes for few weeks at '"-''
and perhaps for icN months 'A' /
/, not to come here or rather .he d, no' 10 come
here until after she has made oiul,o {" the We
Indies. The secretary % TIC Na'} Aa. ordered h.
tp be IN baltimore lot later than Ms 10. $3.50" th. /
VIII rcnan there four dow only. % a"T thr I"lti
morcans an opportunity ,i,t tic -h.p iar'd alter
thc Monumental cry and ." svc hcf oi'rr' i' |
cepton and q dinner. she D. ia"n 10 - =" ht''.'' /
vatcrs to become %. fa-,hp q Eear Admiral ban !
croft GhcraMi. commaGdant "i the |"Fii .''-"''' /
squadron Ncp lorLcr, and Lrooflyute.. however. .
r4ay congratulate thcm.c.N'. ou ih" f.'' i'fi u' F
Cncago. when las at thr ward IS, ua'f monty. +" .
an almoet exact counterpart - the baltimore 'i' +
,wo vessel. are Of the ,1me general dimensions. rt +
and appearance.
Admiral Gherardi. who WAS recently IN Wa'hnr.
ton. rc!oucd hi, present nar.hp. t''
=, lie pu, 10 ,~a on Monday .
with his squadron. bound for Hayu. ly way o' tA'
&ew Providence Channel The lr.t 9o.t IS 70 hc Cap
Iayticl. vhric IL 4, rt"ndcd 10" lalt more WI /
join The quadron. Thence the shp> are 90 vi-it tn
other Hay'an port. and AL for home a'"ri 'i'
middle of June. Ipon their fcura 90 Sew York. 81 b.
expected that the Koarsarc. VIII receive f." r?nif
and then 20 ~ Europe.
The Enterprise. tng in The yard. 4 hariaf '"m.
repairs made to her hy thc yard me-. lc'ieri'
parts II hcr deck were bong repaired. Her officer
stln live board. but her crow have been tran
ferr4d TO the receiving nip vermont. During th" lat
week the Iartlc. which ha, been IA southern "acr'
special duty. 10 the yard. and is lyns aion-
side the cob Dock -hr VIII probably be- surveyed IL
a few days TIE We II Is in excellent condition. hut
the boilers are In - btd state possbi. iiA'
VIII be- put in bcor. TIE snip again leaves
he yard Ia 20 another ortli.c.
DOCK TRIAL OF TIE E-sLX.
The elrncs II thc E,,eA Vcro run yesterday 70 com
plctc her dock lrial The dock trial !, made 10 t"-i
the engines and 10 work down the bearing; and re- IS
any defects. Most Of her stores have been rc'ciVcd
and her !, hoard. bgt Il VIII probably take '
least weeks make her fidb fOr t'I, a.
there countless details Of stores aud little lob, t.
be done IN htung out vessel She O. I" BE- c'ed '"'
week
The monitor Nantucket Is nearly ready 10 com" oul
o the dry dock. where she has been having her bottom
scrapcd and painted. go
The w0rh The MiantonOmlh goes on rapidly
The tops Of the tnrr"ts to be Ut until the
guns have been put In place In the urrct>. and M
lc-, he pins arrive before long tl"v occasion some
DELAY. The second intermediate cylinder FOX The cn
Pincs Of the cruisers cast IN The ward foundry
Ia, Wrok and another viii be rcldy in = few day.