The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-05
WILL CUBA GET HER?
hURRlED CONSTRUCTION OF A SUB
MARINE TORPEDO BOAT.

Holland Vessel Destroyer Being Rushed
Together ut the Nixon shipyard-It II
Not Known What Flag She VIII Fly.
Tho United States Is Not Building Her.
Few persons know exactly what the
destination will be Of the Holland sub
marine torpedo boat which Louis Nixon
Is rushing together at his shipyard In
Elizabethport, N. j. Few persons also
know what flag the craft will fly. The
United States government has not au-
thorized the construction of the vessel.
No other nation has authorized its con-
struction. No one builds such vessel
for yachting purposes. Still. the craft is
being built in hurry. The frames were
bent on early this week, and 1t is prob
able that the boat will be finished by
Feb. Of next year.
Mr.. Nixon says he does not know
where the vessel is to go nor what flag
she is to fly. The officials Of the Holland
Submarine Boat company in this city
declare that they have nothing to say
about the vessel except that she will be
sent to Washington to be exhibited to
members of congress and to the naval
authorities. 1t is broadly intimated that
the vessel is built in the belief that she
can be sold easily at the present time to
some foreign government, if not to that
Of the United States. 1t is also intimat-
ed that the Cuban junta and the agents
Of Spain have their eyes on the boat
the junta in the hope of using the craft
to destroy the ships that chase flibusters,
the Spanish agents in the hope of secur-
ing craft to sink United States war
vessels in case of war between the two
nations 1t is also intimated that the
United States may find it to its own
advantage to purchase the vessel.
This country two or three years ago
authorized the construction Of Holland
submarine boat. Delay after delay has
marked the progress of the work. 1t is
being built in a Baltimore yard, and
neither the government nor the Holland
company has been successful in hurrying
on the work. Congress has made an ap-
preparation for two more Of the boats,
provided the one now building in Balti-
more is success. 1t is entirely improb-
able that this boat will be finished in
time to show to the members of congress
during the coming short session.
1t is because of the delay in finishing
the original boat and also because of the
fact that there would probably be mar
ket for a new craft that orders were
given to Mr.. Nixon to build a smaller
vessel of the submarine type. He has
agreed to do so in something less than
go days.
The boat at the Nixon yard will be 80
feet long and 10 feet wide, with depth
of from to 10 feet. This is about half
the size of the vessel SO long delayed at
Baltimore. It will be something of an
improvement on the Baltimore boat in
that it will carry two guns for throwing
dynamite by powder charge. One Of
the guns points over the bow and the
other over the stern. The torpedo tube
for use in submerged work will be in
the bow Of the vessel. The vessel will
be propelled by one screw. using oil for
fuel when the boat is above water and
electricity as a motive force when sub
merged. She will have speed of 10
miles an hour Gu the surface and miles
an hour when submerged. The diving
apparatus and the mechanism used in
coming to the surface are practically the
same in both coats.
A man has just sailed for Europe who
is said to be authorized to call Spain 8
attention to the desirability Of buying
this vessel. Spain may purchase her to
prevent her from falling into the hands
of the Cubans. If the Cuban junta
should secure her, the entire navy Of
this country could not prevent her from
stealing out of the harbor. All the boat
would have TO do would be 10 disappear
and go to sea when she pleased. In the
same way it would be easy to enter Ha-
vana harbor and destroy any Spanish
warships there. 1t is declared that if
this country does not interfere in Cuba
and is still determined to prevent fill
clustering expeditions from going there
q submarine vessel such as this which
is being built for no apparent purpose
in Elizabethport would make sure that
no filibustering expeditions should be
captured after they finally did escape
from this country.-New York Sun.