The sun., 1896-10-04
THE NEW TORPEDO BOATS.
The Great Advance Made by the Fastest
or Them-Good Promise of All.

OF Them-Good Promise of ALL
| The number. variety, novel characteristics
| and mnximum speed Of our latest group of tor.
| pedo boats. for which the contracts are now
In course of preparation, all combine to give
| them great interest. The three 3o-knot craft
may provide us, If report is correct with two
| "Americanized Forbans," thus putting us on
| level with the fastest boat of France, and
also boat patterned like tho Desperate, thus
far the acme in speed of British construc-
tion. The 22lf knot boats will yield an addi-
tion to the Gushing class, while the little 60
knot boats. of forty-six to sixty.five tons, will
introduce q novelty into our fleet
The work of examining, comparing. and de-
Gliding upon the many bids for these boats
must have involved no little labor, especially
with the latitude given TO bidders In plans and
proposals. Then, too. the peculiar action of
Congress made it desirable to get as many
boats as possible for the appropriation. The
House originally proposed five high speed
boats and ten smaller ones. making fifteen in
all. The Senate substituted three boats of
still higher speed, and then as many of less
speed. not exceeding ten, as could be built for
100000. this last being a heavy reduction
from the original sum voted by the House. As
the latter body concurred in both the Senate
amendments. it was evident that there were
not TO be fifteen boats. nor even thirteen. the
maximum allowed by the Senate, but the
awards have shown that we shall have eleven.
Under the restrictions the Navy Department
certainly planned we'll. the chief criticism
being ms to the practical use Of 2o-knot boats
in these days of high speed. But they will
fnd their sphere Of usefulness, and will have
ne ne advantage Of being easily transported.
class torpedo boats. and SO shall we.
;. The Bath Iron Works. builders of the ram
katahdin aud the 0unboats Machias and Cas-
fNI-n af NlA
boats. at seas, 900 each, 1t is understood.
boats $50 feet in length. 1875 in beam.
tons, and having $500 indicated horse power.
The The third a2cknot beat. according to the rec
and Chief Constructor Hichborn, TO whom the
matter OF awards vas intrusted. goes. as
Of Kentucky. builders OF the San % Franesco m4ras
Their boat is cost and is to be aio
draught, displacinG 27s tons, and ~ hayina ina
5000 indicated horse power.
firms are a guarantee Of success in the present
nndertaklng. n but the stride taken in these
that the CushinEs horse power is / - ,7ao; that of
N t9e three Ba,imoEe boats is to be 1000; that
and Sam spe TO tho
sPectively $500 and 5000 This is is bstwesn ts ss
three ~, and nd, four times the horse power Of the
or six times their displacement, and It is equal
or superior to the horse power Of the Detroit
the bid of the lIerreshofrs for ali three of the
3o,kno boats finds prominent advocates. so |
That 1t Is not yet quito clear how the awards
will go. The other firms have several recon-
mendations from tint Board. and tho Secretary |
must decide.
1t Is pleasant to record that an Oregon firm
WolH Iwicker, gets the two 22Ib knot boats
because this is nm addition to the sources OF |
Government. supply. These Portland builders |
furnish their own designs, and their boats
while having little more horse power than
the Gushing and the same speed as she has
VIII be little longer, broader. and deeper
dlsplacinR twelve tons more. or III tons. The |
CushinEs contract price was Ss2, $50, and |
that of the new boats will be $40, 900 each
OF the six little 90 knot craft the HerreshOffs |
are recommended for three, while tho Colum.
bla Iron Works, builders OF the Petrol, the
three torpedo boats. and the SUBJ
marine boat, get two. and the Hillman Com
pany OF Philadelphia, wholly new competi-
Tor, get one. The prices of the three firms are
respectively 1900. S4s. 900, AMI $40, 900
That of the Bristol firm is certainly low for A
boat 90 feet long. lnlp beam, and 3l6 mean
lraught. with $50 indicated horse power and
lisplacinG 46l9 tons. The other boats diner
from these mainly In being deeper and larger |
being.0f about % tons. with $50 horse power
All things considered, the bidding and the
awards have turned out we'll. There Is a |
mingling OF tried and Trustworthy
swimming into national reputation with sue |
iesSful bids. total Of eleven torpedo poata
8 also better result, numerically, than many |
lad dared hone, while the assurance Of possess.
hg O.knOt flyers is on the whole the most \
mark ell OF the results achieved.