New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-10
FOREIGN NAVAL NOTES.

The torpedo destroyer is "A new kind OF warSh'p
that Is now attracting a good deal OF attehuo"
abroad and ut n trial run on the Thames n ie" u'yS
ago some satisfactory results were obtained WIN
one that has been built for tho Argentine roVcrh-
ment This vessel, called the Santa Fe, Is l"o ioet
in length and 10 feet inches in beam. Her boilers
are Of the Yarrow water-tube type, ana on thlS
first trial run she made 26.7 knots hSher '"'o
of speed would doubtless have been attained per
haps even thirty knots. except for the Iact 'ilh'
the vessel carries armor than Is usual; t t
armor and Of course this addition TO tne oGsS ca
carries sufficient coal in her bunkers to enable n1o
to steam 300 miles she Is armed VII" 'o' Pe''
tubes and Maxim Nordenfclt guns
The Santa Fe was built for the Argentine Gov
eminent by Mcssrs Yarrow Co. Poplar. and Is
the first Of four of that class ordered by the Ar
gcntine Republic The Yarrow Company pest"
the building OF these torpedo dcstroyefs WIN tne
Havock which was tried about three years ago
Now this boat was Of such deadly power and
made such great speed that any ordinary torpedo
boat would be- safer in some other place thah IN
her neighborhood and so. being extraordinary
torpedo boats this class soon came 10 be known az
torpedo desroyers. Other Governments noticed
the success of the Havock. and turned their at
tcntion TO the procuring of vessels Of that type
and now a large number have been ordered FOR the
British and other navies. on her trial trip the
Santa Fe carried a Of about fifty. and about
two hundred guests besides prominent among the
latter being Admiral Rowden Smith. Admiral Boys
and representatives OF the Governments Of France
Austria Russia and the United States. An anus
ing incident IL told of the trial. Near tlacton the
Santa Fe caught up with the Koh-i,Nor. which
few miles the two vessels kept near together the
warship going Mt only half speed. and the holiday
makers on the h-Nor began to think their
vessel wasn't bad after all But when the
signal given toe WarShip and the santa re
forged ahead at full speed the Koh-l-Nor party
was greatly amazed
1t is announced that the Brazilian Government
has decided 10 Increase its naval expenditure for
the fiscal year 10 the extent Of s35593 sterling
There is a dispute between the British Admiralty
and the contractors for the construction of a num-
Der of cruisers. including the Theseus and the
Grafton Thames Shipbuilding Company, the
Endymion and the ST. George earle. of HulD. and
the Gibraltcr Napier. of Glasgow. The contrac-
tors alege that they were required to carry out
alterations which should have been paid for, the
Admiralty contcnding that the work came within
| the terms Of the contracts Tho dispute will be
submitted to arbitration. but similar I'm the
future will be avoided by the appointment of an
experienced oihc"r TO oversee all Admiralty work
I'm the hands Of contractors.
The recent explosion board the Blake the
English cruiser which attracted so much atten-
ton at the naval parade in this harbor will be an
expensive affair. the latest estimate being that
$4,000 will he required 70 pay the damage I'm the
forward boiler room alone all three Of tho boilers
in that room having been found TO be defective.
boiler No. , having been partly wrecked by the
I explosion.
AT the Thorneycroft works Chiswick work has
been begun the repairs to tho torpedo boat de
stroycr Desperate. During recent trial. after the
boat had hes1 the measured mile six
times making speed of thirty knots an hour
there was an explosion. and investigation re-
Vcacd tho fact that crOsshcad in one of the star
board cylinders had broken. and the piston had
knocked the bottom out Of the cylinder.