Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-10-12
HIcE AND SEEK AT SEA,
Torpedo Boat Practice with the Great
White CrIifsera

/ White Cruisers.
Mr.. Ernest Ingersoll describes 'sThe
, Tricks of Torpedo Boats" in St. Mich
olas. After telling what the boats are
like and what they can accomplish,
Mr.. Ingersoll says: But to insure all
these fine results, both officers and men
| must be taught how to manage and
maneuver theIu to best advantage, as
| well as how to discharge the torpedoes
they carry. Constant drilling is neces-
| sary; and lately one of these boats in
| our navy, the Gushing $50 suitably
named after the young hero of the civil
war who destroyed the rebel ram "Al-
bemarle" by means of rude torpedo
hoat-one of the first actually used)
has been attached to the naval station
at Newport, Rhode Island, in order to
carry on this practice. One set of Off
GERS and men after another is instruct
ed in handling her, and In the making
| and firing of her torpedoes; and they
have plenty of fun along with the
| schooling.
The headquarters Of this work is Goat
Island, which separates Newport har.
Dor from the outer waters of Nara
gansett Bay.
There is a serchlight which cam
mands the harbor entrances and a wide
circle of the bay. One or more war
ships are always there. Those search
lights also can be swung in any direc-
ton. Yet the Gushing arrived one night
and first announced herself by sudden
ly blowing her whistle within pistol
shot of the inner wharf of the island
and it was not a dark night, either. A
few afternoons later she went down
the bay, and challenged every eye to be
alert to see her return in the evening.
1t was bright moonlight-a time in
which no such boat would attempt n
serious attack--yet Lieutenant Fletch-
er, the Cushing's commander, crept
within a third of a mile of the shore
| before he was detected. 1t would have
pleased you to see her that night, as
she came plainly into view-a long, low
streak gliding silently and swiftly
athwart the mootlit sea, rolling a sill
very furrow back from her plow-like
bow, and seeming more like some great
fish with its back fins out of water than
any sort of steamship.
But 1t is on dark and stormy nights
that the practice becomes exciting.
Groups of officers stand upon the ram
part of Fort Wolcott, or upon the bridge
of each monitor or cruiser, and strain
eyes and ears to obtain some inkling
Of the torpedo-boat's presence, the long
white beam of the electric searchlight
sweeping right and left, up and down,
and every man gazing along the path it
llluminates for some glimpse of the lit
tie enemy. A swing of the beam south
ward brings out the grim walls and
numerous cannon of Fort Adams, and
shows every yacht and fishing boat at
anchor inside of Brenton's Point. The
main channel, the Dumplings, the far
away shore Of Conanicut Island, Rose
Island and its ruined old Notifications,
the upper bay dotted with lazy sloops
and schooners slipping down with the
tide, are revealed one after another, as
the powerful rays are turned slowly
westward and northward until at last
they are shining again in the Naval
War College and Training School, and
on the clustered shipping and wharves
Of the picturesque old town.