The evening times., 1896-08-17
TORPEDO CRUIsERsNE[DED
Navy Deficient in This Class
Of Vessels.
PNEUMATIC TUBE A FAILURE
THIS Is One OF the Reasons why
rncIe sam Has No Fast Boats
Throwing Aerial Explosiyes-Naval
Contractors Refused to Bid on These
Vessels.

seis our navy is now fairly well repre-
seDtcd, even torpedo boat destroyers be-
ing provided for at the last scssion OF Con-
gress, and while in the ram katahdin We
have practically added enc type to naval
construction, we are still totally den-
Gent in the torpedo cruisers and gunboats
known TO other nayies.
the reason or this lack is doubtless two
fold. Early in the rebuilding CT the ileet
provision was made for building the equiv
aient of u torpedo cruiser in the yes,iyius.
a vessel OF s2s tons. and having spccdat
that time unexampled in our navy. though,
since greatly suspaSed But she was fit
ted with a special apparatus of pneumatic
tubes for throwing shells filled with gun
cotton or other higlrcxplosiyes.
Ha this pneumatic gun succeeded for
paval purposes, We might today have a
class OF vessels OF high speed throwing
aerial Instead OF submarine torpcdoes;
and the displacement of lie vesuvius secm-
ed To class her with the Trlpoh type OF
Italy's torpedo cruisers, $50 tons. the
sharpsiiootcr of England, 735, ana the
lljcn OF Russia, 627. Indeed. Congress
went so far as 10 authorize a second We.
suvius. provided the first one should be
approved.
PNEUMATIC TUBE A FAILURE.
Ittrrned out, however, that the pneumat-
nc tebe device was not approved by the
naval authorities Several official recom.
mendaiions have been made that the pneu-
matte guns should be removed, and that she
should be turned into an ordinary torpedo
cruiser; but this, also, has not yet been
done, and She isstill classed as a pneumatic
gun vessel on the official list During the
many years while the vesuvius and her
guns were under construction, and while
triais were going ON before the conclusion
was reached, the attention concentrated
upon her naturally drew off interest from
the ordiDsry form OF torpedo cruisers for
our navy.
However, In $50 an act was passed pro-
vidins fora regular torpedo cruiser, md out
OF that act came second drawback The
cost OF the vessel was limited TO $780,
900. For that sum a vessel of about 100
tons was TO be constructed, which was to
+ make II trial speed of twent y-three knots an
hour. For each quarter knot in excess she
| was 10 receive a premium OF SO 900, and
FOR each quarter Knot above twenty-four
knots double that premium, while for each
| quarter knot below twenty-three She was
TO pay a penalty OF 81 o 900. and to he re-
| jectc'i If she fell below twenty-five knots
A S designed by Chief Constructor Wilson,
| she was TO be 259 feet long on the load
| line, witha beam of % IL feet, and a mean
draught OF feet
| Her machinery was limited in weight to
$50 tons. which was considered a 10 W limit
4 for fnnflt lpr
double bottom under the machinery, and
the magazines, and fullleDgth protective
deck, half an inch thick ON the flat and
ihree-fourtis OF an inch on the slopes. Her
structure was 10 he such as TO give her a
great degree or freedom from vibration,
| even with the engines at full speed.
NO BIDDERS APPEARED.
A noteworthy feature was her rudder,
about eighty square feet in area, worked by
direct-acting, oscillating, hydraulic cylin-
ders, and designed 10 enable her to turn in
about her own length, as quickness of ma
Deuyer isinportant IN such acrart. She had
| good lines, aud in order TO make her drier
| and more comfortable, under her high
| speed, her decks were TO be flush fore and
aft, and she was to have good accommoda-
tons. She was TO cunt three 4-inch guns,
four 6-poundcrs, four 1-pounders and two
Gatlings.
But what actually happened was that the
/ act or Congress, having become law on
June 80, 1890, and the call for bids on this
torpedo cruiser having been made out on
October ls following, at the time appointed
for opening those bids, February ] 1, 1891
none had been offered This, therefore, was
the seconddra wback III the wa y of our build
ing torpedo curisers. Had even one bid
within the limit been made, or had the
limit been very little higher, perhaps we
might have had a number of such vessels
| by th is time; but the failure of that pioneer
Craft was discouraging.
Nevertheless, the Navy DEPARTMENT. has al
wayscoyeted it. Secretary Herbert, In one
| OF his earlier reports, noted than Eng land
WAS DIT that time building 1880 tons or
such vessels; Italy, 1890, sand France,
2,s94; and he thought that we ought to
have at least one. Afterward he called up
| on Chief Constructor Hchborn to consider
whether anything could be done to pro-
cure the torpedo cruiser authorized In
1880 which is still carried Oh the offic ial
| lists OF the navy. These officers during the
present year made report pointing out
three ways IN which the torpedo boat
might be built. One was by reducing
the speed required to 22 knots; a second,
by reducing thedisplacenIent from $50 to
$50 tones; a third. by getting from Con-
gress anincrease of $4,000 for the limit.
NAY MAKEANoTHER ATTEMPT.
l The first of these plans does not seem de-
sirable, IN these days of very fast tor
pedo boats. As to the reduction in dis.
placement. it would give US craft more
like the Bonibc class of France, which ia
OF about 320 tons, or like the Destructor
Of Spain, OF 35s tons at light draueht.
The third method, that of asking Con :
gress for 7$50.0o0 more, and holding to
the original speed and displacement is in
some respects the most desirable But the
report or the two bureau chiefs made one
further statement. namely, that prices or
building wirshipsha fallen somuch since
1880 that perhaps the torpedo cruiser, Il
advertised for again, would receive bids
within the authorized limit OF $3.50 900
There can bc no question about this re
duction In price, as shown alike by battle
ships and & unboats, and IL Is a great re.
duction.
In addition, guaranteed speed of TWEEN
ty-three knots, which seemed formidable
then to some builders, would probably be
less SO now. 1t has, therefore. been sug
gested that it might be well to call for bids
once more. and then, IL there were no re
sponses, there would be an additional rca
son for asking Congress ut the next session
to adopt one Of the three alterations Of The
iexistng acts suggested by the bureau chiefs
Secretary Tracy, in Recommending tb<