Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-24
TIIE TORPEDO FLOTILLA
Win Start on Its Coast Cruise About the
Tenth Of October.
SOME OF THE BOATS ALMOST USELESS,


Now York, Sept. 2i.--The Times says:
From present appearances the torpedo
boat flotilla, which Is to cruise in the
inland waters of the United States
will be ready to leave on the date that
had been set. The little boats are now
assembling at the navy yard In Brook
Ign for repairs prior to their departure.
The boats now there are the Porter.
Ericsson and Foote. The Porter arrived
from the proving grounds at Sag Har-
Dor Il few days ago. She Is moored to
the Cob dock, where repairs and alter
atoms are being made in some of the
minor machinery. The large torpedo
tube which WIS fitted on the deck Of
the vessel after for the purpose of test
Ing the torpedo has been removed
and the old one put in place. The Por-
ter viii be ready to leave the navy
yard Sept 20.
THE ERICSSON NEEDS REPAIRS.
1t is not known how soon the Erics-
son can be made ready for service. The
boat Is in bad condition and needs
considerable repairing. Her machin-
cry is badly shaken up and several
parts will have to be removed and re-
placed with new ones.
The vessel has never been satisfac-
tory. on nearly every cruise some
parts OF the machinery have become
crippled and she has been Obliged to
return to the navy yard for repairs.
This was notably so on her last cruise.
She is now at The navy yard incapaci-
tated for service. Her engines and her
propeller shafts are disabled one of
the latter is twisted and is believed TO
he cracked. one of the propellers Is
SO broken that it will be necessary
to remove and replace it with new
one.
ON the way to the navy yard from
the training station at Newport the
vessel ran into something in the sound
II was not known what 1t was II
twisted the shaft and broke the pro-
poller blades. The vessel viii be locked
us soon as one of the dry docks now
available can be prepared to float her.
The ilotilla, as far as is known, Will
consist OF the following boats: The
Foote, Dupont, Ericsson, Porter Cush-
| ing and Stiletto. They will assemble
! in the lower bay before starting on
their cruise along the coast.
THE FOOTE a FAILURE.
| The Foote. which arrived at the navy
yard some few days ago from Norfolk,
! Is looked upon as Il failure. ON her
! trial trip she barely made the speed re-
| CURED by the builders contract. Since
| then she has never equalled II, ON
the trip from Norfolk to this port, She
| MADE an average or only IL KNOTS. Inc
! contract called for speed OF 20 knots,
Lieut.. Commander w. w. Kimball
| In all probability. when the torpedo
/ boats are ready for their cruise, will
make the Porter, which is the fastest
/ and best of them all, the flagship.
| They are expected to be ready to leave
about october 10th. They will go along
the coast to the Gulf of Mexico and
! then up the Mississippi river as far as
/ st. Louis. II is expected that the cruise
| will last about six months.
YANTIC TO GO TO THE LAKES.
| Washington, Sept. 2i.-The navy de-
! partment has ordered that the steam
corvette Yantic be turned over to the
| Chicago naval militia organization. The
! YantiC is now at the Boston navy yard
She had only recently returned from
| duty in the Rio dc La Platte, in South
| America. Commandant Harrison OF
the Boston navy yard has been instruc-
| ted to have the Yantic ready for sea
by October 10. The vessel will proceed
by way of the st. Lawrence river, Lake
| ontario and the Welland canal Al
Erie, Pa. the YantiC will be turned
over to the Chicago naval militia OFF,
GERS. She viii proceed then to Chi
cago and there be housed over for the
winter In the spring she will be
made ready for steam cruises on the
lakes. The sum of $4,000 has been ex.
pended on the Yantic in repairs.