New-York tribune., 1890-01-05
CRUISING TORPEDO BOATS.
TIE CUSHING NEARLY READY FOR SERVICE.
HER PROBABLE PEED-DESCRIPTIoN OF HEX
BUILDER. GATLING'S PLANS FOR VESSEL

HER PROBABLE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF HER
BUILD-DR GATLING's PLANS FOR VESSEL
or THE SAME CLASS.
The new torpedo boat Cushing the marvellous
production of that marvellous bhnd ShlpDullder'
IIerreshoh, is to be ready for inc uoNerhme"v
service In few days. but she must nave her oncdl
trial. which will be in a few weeks before she cd"
be accepted. Until few weeks ago 1hiS Doau was
known as Torpedo Boat No. ~ but secretary Tracy
decided to name her after Lieutenant William u.
Cushing the gallant officer who established his repu-
tation for bravery ability and sound judgment BY as
tlngmishcd services the BackWatef' III inc souhuS
Of North Carolina, at New River Ihlel' up lhe Capc
Fear and Little rivers, the Nanechohu' by leaolhs
his men from the Monticello at the assault on fort
Fisher and more than ALL by destroying the Cohieuer
ate ram Albcmare by a torpedo at Plymouth, ~ G.
Lieutenant Cushing died in 1-74, ana now secretary
Tracy honors hi, name by calling the torpedo boat
after him.
Although known on the official records as Torpedo
Boat No + the Cushing is not the first torpedo boat
built by the Government. There IS The Intrepid a
torpedo ram which IS having alterations maze III her
hull at the Navy Yard Then there Is the Alarm IA
mraI Portcrs design for a torpedo boat, which IS IN
fair condition at the Navy Yard. The Gushing, how
eyer is expected 10 make nearly dOnbe the speed that
the Alarm was ever capable Of making and more than
double the speed Of the Intrepid She Is expected TO
compete successfully with the noted torpedo boats Of
England and even with the famous spanish torpedo
boat Arietc which is said To have made maximum
speed Of twenty six knots AN hour although the con
tract with the llcrrc,hOns calls for speed oi only
twenty three knots an hour for the Cushing
BIG HORSE POWER OF THE NEW BOAT
That the Cushing Will be an extraordinary craft is
shown by her great horse power. The CITY of Iarl'
the present queen Of the ocean, ha, displacement
OF 10 600 tons with horse power Of 10000 ratio
Of 1G to l. The displacement of the Cushing loaded
/, ninety nine tons while her maximum horse power '
! 500 a ratio Of Ii to I.
When the Government asked for proposals the
Hcrrc-hon5 submitted their design and board oi
naval expert, promptly decided IN their favor. The
,ontr,ct was executed ON March ], less and the boat
wa, to have been finished June J. loo". The price
to be paid wa, s74,7JO II i- required that the vessel
shall make a speed Of twenty t"o knots an hour ana
for every quarter Of knot speed IN excess oi twenty
three kuot- a premium OF fl.5OO VIII bee allowed
49,, for ,,,.ry ouartcr Of "a knot above twenty four
t,t. -, 600 ,rrmlum. 10 Vt, DO hopc- Of Settlhg
ii mat exc Of -pccd that th" application OF the
ucrrc-hoN- O." -nO-ut"dc ',,,l,.,i fi, i,rir,in
i> used lt tLc inventor 90 hI' I"""~S Al'' '''P'"o
The Cushing is 10 feet long, fourteen ana One Nu m
feet beam, eight feet drpth oI h"u' L.' Vi I''.y
fl.fr. and ole half feet of water. rom lh' 9"N
for about twenty feet 'it ,hc "a' & a ".''y'', & .~
having rise OF five feet iiunl inc ""'v' i,' T,,
,,lir, %. ll I mounted the tHo torpedo thh". i'lI
muzllc, projecting urousn '' ide ''' 1bas. vtu be
loaded from the brcech under th, d'rM"u '"''ti r
t.u.er which l- at the break ul lH' "ii' "'' DO.
r.,-.,liur or torpedo g t'reio'W' "a o. ui"'I
the whacha,k. Ihc quarters I"i "in'tT5 ar H',.'i
tn accommodation, for three onN, ana W'tr WI"
tc a crow of only ten mon. The vessel VIII hiNo
a., DO, .,.o,,. c.ph of which WllI Doe four Iect i""
~, t Do. diameter one lnt'rr-tlu- fact in ''uh''
t., yiti tine vessel l, tAit under iuN -pc'd -h' vi"
,'.l, about thirty eight feet % -"'1ud, "hl' ''e
need of tu. auto mobile togped"'- " Dee i"iN I''l
',Cord When under way Oh" boat VIII -h"" above
,,ot.r ouly a small part of the whaeuack. the i""
INN, f.,y.r, and TWO ,tuohc pipe. Her ribs, frame
and plating. 900 iA't 'tcb N'"7 "'"'' ''' ''''''
built Of galvanized steel ~ ..,..
DR. f. j. Gatlns. the inventor oi the '1"'uNE
s,u ha- boon some time engaged ll per-
,,l,r'- f,r A torpedo boat which WAf De- us'' ",
i.,'.r and his plan has been sent Z" On" NANN l"-
,trert She is 10 br iJo feet l1rs. eighteen icci l'''
-, tor. dt placements feet dratsAtt" nave h"l'
no,,,r nf BOO aud lr capable "i maIhS 7pren "l
i,yeuty GNc knots she l~ SAID I" hc "i l''r US
,l,rcr,cflt II greater length. and q" posse, better
f., fh.,n the ~,h'chau boats built for the Italian
Government. Iu addition q" th' pneumatic guns 70,
ho used for thc torpedo pr"lc'il'- i' 'I..''I VIII
carry -evern rapid firing ''ti,ns "'' H'',"'l-' S'.'
, far torpedo .ud 'Vp tNf afuIfr guns HN armament
,I',h would make her Formidable lH '."-r hrluiI.
England l- luliditE uIut TORPID cruisers h'' ll'
-f..,rf.i ipat.r If.s trr tu he tNif 'f-A vessels -'
,e.t long with d. placement ~ t3' tons 'i" '''
a. .t.ariI.c twenty buot~ au hour Ihrt VIII 'riF
.ri..l artr .iir. u addition to t1fp't'',. atd h'
me French arf spanish Governments h'f" t"rI"l'
cruiser. averaging about 100 ton, d-plt' rm"ht WIZ
.rIlrIf.'etd speed, OF g.. ONT f"..'' i'II h"''
lr iu.r lf only r.''i.f. however.
tr,t onr Of th- French torpedo boat. ih'
ttu.t,Ir.. N,hi when returning t" lou''
,o.r 10 day'. exercise. turned bottom up. drowning
about one thlrd a. thc officer and 'r'".