New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-27
TORPEDO BOATS IND THEIR ENEMIES.
WHAT THE NATION NEEDS IN THE WAY OF
sPEED-THE HERREsHOFFs AND
THEIR CONTRACT.

Speed, strength and lghtness are problems which
it Is expected the Herreshons will solve in the two
torpedo boats which they TO build, and 1t VIII
take some fine work to beat the record made by
foreign builders OF these speedy craft The bid
put in by the firm called for the construction OF
two of the boats from their own designs at a cost
Of $4,000 each. which 5000 below the actual
amount set a limit by the Government wnen the
Navy Department called for the bids. The nominal
limit was sl75 OO0 but as the Government reserved
$50 for armament the actual limit OF oids was
correspondingy reduced That there were SO Few
bidders was perhaps due the idea that there was
little or no profit in building such small boats,
even at the extreme limit Of the Governments hg-
ures and this may be ascrbed partly TO the trouble
the Dubuque Iron Works people have had Win the
Ericsson. The fact that the Bristol hrm Do
called for the use Of private plans was. without
doubt an element in determining how low the ng-
IRE could be placed at which the boats could be
delivered 10 the Government and leave proht. and
"a the bids from the other firms were pased on
the plans provided by the Navy Department there
was good reason why they would be so nuch
nearer the limit by the department. The DIFF
ference between bids from the Pacific coast Is
remarkable feature OF the for the contract
and that a Seattle firm should go nearly $500 be-
low the price asked by the Union Iron Works, OF
San Francisco was somewhat Of a surprise to the
people Of the city near the Golden Gate.
That the Bristol people know what they are
comparisons which will be drawn between the
boats they VIII build and others which nave al
ready made their mark on the speed charts may DE
OF interest OF existing American torpedo Doats
the Cushing is perhaps the best-kno"n example
She &c Of 1ls tons displacement and a speed
OF 22lh knots hour, and was built by me herres
hors three years ago for contract price OF $'Z'0o
The Ericsson of 12O tons and q knots, was ouilt
IN DUBUQUE for sllS 800. and IS still awaiting trial
trip IN which her engines will hold together. TAX
ing these two boats samples 1t would seem thal
an allowance II $500 for boats OF $50 tons ana
a speed minimum OF &c knots was well WITHIN the
limit Of reasonable cost. and would not allow an
extravagant margin Of profit. especially TO a com
paratlvely new firm IN the field
II Is not so many years since the condltiohs OF
the present contract would have frightened away
any shiubullder and special concessions wouid
have been demanded, sufficient 10 make the ngures
come I'D 20 an amount considerably higher a
proposal was once introduced into the Senate 10
order a dozen boats OF at least % knots, at an
average cost Of 100000 each. but II was not car
red Nowadays however the limit of rs Knots
is no obstacle in the way Of foreign pulIuers' al
though the vessels lave generally been larger thah
those provided for by the present contract var
row started the high-speed boats their record
making trips with the Hornet Of about 20 tons
displacement which averaged 27.6 knots, and was
beaten by the Havoc Of about the same dspace-
ment which exceeded q knots. The Thorneycroft
boat Daring made a big jump forward when she
placed &c 26s knots an hour TO her credit for
single knot The Ardent. another Thorneycroft
boat was not far behind the Daring. with 29lS
knots while the Ferret beat the Havoc, but fell
slightly under the Ardents record.
The three torpedo-boat destroyers built by the
Thomsons at Clydebank. and tested early this year
also showed speed far above that demanded OF the
new boats under contract. The Rocket and the
Shark. in six runs on the measured mile at skel-
morle. made means Of III and 25 knots. respect
ms made mean of Is knots. with 405 revou-
lions of her propeller minute These vessels So are
ment possesses in the way Of torpedo-boats as they
carry a tweve-pOunder rapid-fre gun over the con-
side sheltered behind the forecastle. The Janus
another torpedo-boat chaser, was built by the
fuiaiied the contract Is 200 feet long, and
about $50 tons displacement she Is more neds.Iy
armed than the Thomson boats, carrying one
wsr four sxpounders on the broadside and one
t& on the platform aft There are also
two revolving torpedo tubes arranged to fire on
Great things were expected by the Russian Gov
eminent from the new torpedo-boat destroyer Inc
stnkeboles open she made 2o5 knots; with what IS
ca.ed natural draught which under Britsn oinciai
tra.s a haif-inch air pressure enough 10 Keep w
abrams moving she made PSI knots ana IN her az
est ofG h sP ,sa pressnre was only 100 pounds
While her boilers are built Tor ~ pouhas pressure
HSchchau OF Ebng. has turned out several boats
for various European governments when nave ex-
coded the recent American STANDARD. the pioneer
Of the Schichau boats being the Adler which ma i
o. Knots as an average OF six runs, and Normand.
~ French builder is credited with the CheVaAer
which made 1872 knots. ,
,rbe he fleet OF torpedO-boat des,royers planned
,,r nv the British Government, and now under CON
structlon Is make al least 20 KNOTS; ana many
81 them VIII far exceed that hglre The Boxer. a
Thornevcroft boat j. credited with speed OF 2s3
Knots a. a speed on SIX runs over inc
IIeaSured mile three miles being with the tide and
three against IT, this result being an t1e more re-
markabe from the fact tina; she was down TO her
load draught nil. =. 49,. 81. a.
These Instances are suincieent ~ sno" mat II
h h a speed OF over % knots should be main
tanned on iong run' "a az" isss than mile OF not
FAR from 80 knots hour How iar me Heres
g. a question which naval men are ASKING: and the
anSwtr Is awaited with good deal OF interest
- ,,.y u.yp MS RATTIE-AYF