The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-02
soxE F4sr roRpEDo BoAra
TIE Achievement. OF Other Nations - This
Fort, OF Naval Coustruetiou.

i
| WASHINGTON. Jan. 1.-The ground taken
| by Secretary Herbert for the building Of
torpedo boats is very likely to cause some to
he authorized By Congress at the present ses-
sion. This seems the more probable. since.
even should no additional appropriations be
made for the purpose. few words directing
| the use OF certain existing funds would make
! these latter availabls. One such fund is the
| 100000 set apart for submarine boat
| and experiments therowlth while q second
| Is the SijO.OOO which the Secretary OF the
Navy is authorized TO expcnd for another gun.
! boat like the Nesuvius. Commodore Sampson.
the chief Of ordnance. docs not consider that
the submarine boat system IL sufficiently de-
| yeloped to make an experiment with IL now
| advisable. and he has reached q similar con-
| cluson In regard to the pneumatic battery OF
! the Nesuvius. which he regards as not avail
nble at present for naval purposes. These two
| funds alone would secure half dozen torpedo
boats like the Gushing. and i've OF a superior
class. 1t is possible that. in addition, Con-
gress may order other torpedo boats.
1t is further believed that the torpedo cruiser.
which was authorized some years ago by Con.
gress. at a limit for hull and machinery OF
S3jO.OOO, aud or which no bids were received.
can now be built. with tow notifications
within that limit.
Our present torpedo notllla consists OF three
boats. ono is tho wooden craft Stietto. OF RI
tons displacement. 800 horse power. and 1872
knots. A second is the Cushing. steel boat OF
40 tons. / .72O horse power. and ~. knots OF
which tho contract price was SS2.T50 The
third is the Ericsson, still building. OF 40
tons, ! 800 horse power. and - 4 knots with
somewhat greater speed possible. and costing
S1l3,50O This is certainly q very poor total
for our navy.
IL we look at what other nations nre accom-
pishng in this direction we shall ind some
interesting results. Russia has ordered four
and Transund to be laid down at ST. Peters
burg. OF toregn-hult kussian craft the
knots in u trial or Cherbourg. Schichau, the
renowned ElDinG builder. has also lately CON
dspacsment ' Of 10 Ss and I'd g1STantscd sea
speed OF 2b's knots. The Adler one OF these.
n 4 knots for one hour in the open sea
France has seagoing torpedo boat Chew
aiier which attained speed OF ~ knots in
Gtalume Tor 1893 she included one torpedo
vessel. SIX or seven ilrst-cass. and nine sec
phn, Aauion. Tdnare, Cerb%re. They are, OF
pIacement Of about is5 tons. and are expected
TO- exceed the contract speed OF go knots.
recent date the others having been postponed
Tor the PRESENT The nine OF tho second class
gives an idea OF the Q tent OF torpedo boat con-
struction in France. The submarine boat Is the
budget Tor iS!,4. Which has been passed. con-
tains one iirst-clnss. nine second. class. and
nine third. class tQrredo boats: FIVE OF the
and % knots speed. The other four will dis
place 23 tons and have speed OF 2Q5 knots.
which are to be carried on the deck OF the new
torpedo depot ship Foudle. will be about 81
irstcia:s s torpsdo boat Which win PROBABLY be
built by VI. Normand, Is to DO a repetition Of
1920 horse power and the astonishing speed
q 80 knots. The lrst.eIass boat, boats ,m,iorsaire
dacieux. Agile, Iancier. and SarazIn have
been prepared for service.
Germany has given Schichau OF Elbing an
order for eight new torpedo boats. to replace
eight OF the Schntzen class which have been
removed from the active list The new boats
sea speed OF ~ Knots. They are to be armed
with two revolving cannon end, have hay three
include the aLeda. Alarm. Jaseur. Renard,
for ls93.U4 included thirty ilrst.cass torpedo
boats. famous class OF twenty torpedo-6o boat
Sun. particularly the Hayock and the Daring
Others are the Hornet Decoy, Ferret Lynx.
Boxer, charger. Ardent, Janus. -surly. Porcu.
pine Lightning; Wizard. The Daring has a
Graarh Of WITH Of
These fine vessels are to have a speed OF y
knots. The fine perioEmsnce Of the Havoek:
already heen noted. The Daring is Thorney-
croft boat. In tho new programme now under
discussion torpedo boats have place.
Italy has now com pletinG or completed two
torpedo vessels. tho CalataGmi and CapreTa.
and three more are provided for, as are also
several torpedo boats. IL is said that these in
clude Schichau craft OF the 2Oh-knot type, like
those already mentioned.
Spain has 2O-knot torpedo vessels. including |
the Martin Alonzo Pinzon OF $40 tons and the |
Filipinas OF 900 already launched. and three |
others Of $50 tons ordered OF Villa y Cha.
Turkey has decided to raise the number OF |
her torpedo boats TO thirty. and has obtained |
from KEEL 25O-ton torpedo craft. modelle on |
the German division boats Sweden's pro- |
Gramme Includes ak torpedo vessels and fifty |
torpedo boats but II has had to he postponed. |
Portugal has ordered four schichau boats, and |
Mexico has Ave torpedo boats building In |
England. Holland has strong force OF tor; |
redo boats in the programme which her naval |
experts have drawn up. Denmark has lately |
added the torpedo boat Nordkaperen. Aus |
tria's torpedo vessel Satellit OF $40 tons, is |
credited with sea speed Of - knots Brazil, |
as We know. has a supply OF torpedo boats, and |
Is after more. Argentina has added 5OO-ton |
torpedo vessel. the Aurora to her fleet.
These illustrations, drawn from tho current |
annual pu olication Oi the Naval Intelligence |
ONCE and representing single years infOr- |
nation give idea OF the extent to which |
torpedo vessel and torpedo boat construction |
Ia carried and siren CITIZEN tho argument which |