Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-01

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--NIL~S ships, he will begin to
@ receive bids for three
new vessels, to be
known as torpedo boat destroyers." They
Will comprise a distinctive class in our fleet.
AS indicated by the name, they will be
powerful hawks whose work will be to
prey upon hostile torpedo boats. Foreign
powers are increasing their navies with tor
pedo boats at such rapid rate that our
meager dotilla would afford but weak pro-
lection against even the most insignificant
of our possible European enemies unless
equipped with some means Of reducing the
strength Of It's fleet Of busy little war
wasps.
The new destroyers are to cost, in all, not
more than 100000. No premiums are to be
offered, and contractors will not receive a
| cent of money unless they keep up to speci-
fications. The main specification Is that the
speed of the Lew boats must not on trial,
fall short Of thirty knots an hour. Few
laymen comprehend how enormous such a
speed must be. The fast cruiser Minneapo-
lis. which now holds the record for vessels
of her class has sailed but a little over
twenty-three knots at the very greatest.
The new destroyerS will be seagoing
sells. At thirty knots continuous speed AMI
with sufficient coal they could reach Liver
pool from New York in less than four
be trifle less than thirty-five miles an
hour on ,and-about the speed of the aver
age accommodation train.
To Shoot Torpedoes ms Well.
In addition to their hawking functions the
destroyers will be equipped powerful
torpedo boats. Contractors are to be al
lowed to submit their own plans, which Will
be altered or approved by the Navy Depart
ment. This is for the reason that the new
boats will require unusual scientific study.
They are entirely untried weapons. The
chief problem which they will present TO
their makers is closely akin to that which
is bothering aerodynamiStS-how to get the
most power out of the smallest possible
space and how 10 build the vessels of
terial of the minimum of lightnesS and the
maximum of consistent strength. The
shape of the huls will count great deal
Each boat will have an odd ram with
which it will plough through as many tor
pedo boats as it can strike. These rams will
be sharp chisel-like edges continued along
the fronts of the bows A destroyer will
not lose its life after inserting its sting, as
will the ram Katahdn. Torpedo boats have
no armor at the sides, and it VIII be an easy
matter to cut them in halves when caught.
Such warfare will be very novel to sailors.
The crew of destroyer will by no means
have picnic during engagement.
They will have to constantly dodge their
craft around, in and out of hiding, in the
daytime, and must depend upon sneak work
mercy from the muzzle of a duick-fire gun.
One of these, even a one-pounder. could sink
her. Each torpedo boat is armed with sew
eral quick-firers. which may be match for
the destroyers slightly heavier armament.
Enormous Horse Power.
The destroyers. will be longer than any of
our torpedo boats proper. They will prob
ably measure from 200 to 2l5 feet in length
and from II to is feet in BEAM This would
a ha ha 9th Of h.
Columbia and Minneapolis but less than a
third Of their beam. With these approx
mate dimensions they would draw about
seven feet of water. They must be able to
go in hiding in Very shallow water, as UP
small streams, into small harbcrs or be-
hind small islands OF points of land The
horse power to drive them must be enor-
nous, perhaps as high as six thousand. To
attain this they will doubtless carry three
multi-tubular boilers, three smoke-stacks
and two NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. engines With
the exception of the forecastie and the two
coming towers-pilot houses-one fore and
the other aft, each destroyer will present
a very bare appearance above water line.
The decks will be of the turtle back design
curved and Sloping downward at the edges
From four to six rapid-fire guns will be dis
ributed on deck. In addition there will be
two torpedo tubes, one at either side Bow
torpedo tubes are now considered to be fail
ure:hby our naval engineers. They unavoid-
ably fill with the water which the bow blows
up before it,
Inasmuch as it must be a shrewd detec
tive, fleet dodger and a sly slugeer. all
combined, the destroyer must offer the
minimum of conspicuousness. Every part
visible above the water will be nainte5 .
dark olive green, as near the color of the
possible.
Clouds of black smoke issuing from tho
stacks would betray the presence of a de-
stroyer more than anything else by day
How to avoid this has become a great nroi
lem before engineers of torpedo vessels of
all kinds. In actual warfare, under the
present circumstances, a quick run would
nave 10 be made from a hiding place a
nasty blow made, and then an equally o,,icl,
retreat all under forced draught Exneri-
mentS have been made with hard coal which
makes very little smoke. With this how
ever, a quick fire cannot be kindled In this
new warfare everything will depend UNION
promptness. 1t will not be long. however
before liquid fuel will replace coal on sucb
light vessels as these.
To Work at Might,
In time of hostility the destroyer will do
its bravest and most valuable work under
cover of darkness. 1t will be practically
impossible to see her outside of a sea mile
at night. 1t would be difficult to hit her
at that distance even were she discovered
Suppose hostile battleship, at anchor.
were the objective point and that one of
cur deStroyerS were approaching bead on
to torpedo her. Suppose also that the
destroyer were discovered while crossing
the limit a mile away. The batt,eshio
would have to absolutely disable her with
IN lhs minutes after the discovery or take
the risk Of being sent to the bottom. The
destroyer would be within a quarter of a
mile OF the warrior within that time At
this distance the destroyer would launcb
her first torpedo. She would continue to
WHERE IGNORANCE IS BLISS, {,