The herald., 1897-09-25
TORPEDO BOAT
Assembly at Brooklyn
for Repairs
MUCH WORK MUST BE DONE
BEFORE THE VESSELS ARE FIT
FOR SEA
MUCH WORK MUST BE DONE
A Six Months Cruise May Demon
strate the Value of the Little
Destroyers


NEW YORK, Sept. 24.-The Times
says: From present appearances, the
torpedo boat flotilla, which is to cruise
in the inland waters CT the United States,
will not be ready to leave on the data
that had been set. The little boats are
now assembling at the navy yard in
Brooklyn for repairs prior to their de-
parture. The boats now there are the
Porter, Ericsson and Foote. The Porter
arrived from the proving rounds at Sag
Harbor few days ago. She is moored
to the Cob dock. where repairs and alter
ations are being made in some of the
minor machinery. The large torpedo
tube which was fitted on the deck of the
vessel aft for the purpose of testing the
torpedo has been removed and the old
one put in place. The Porter will be
ready to leave the navy yard on Sep
tember goth.
1t is not known how soon the Ericc.
son can be made ready for service. The
boat Is in bad condition and needs con-
siderable repairs. Her machinery is
badly shaken up and several parts will
have to be removed and replaced with
new ones.
The vessel has never been satisfact-
ory. On nearly every cruise some parts
of the machinery have been crippled and
she has been obliged to return to the
navy yards for repairs This was not
ably so on her last cruise. She is now
at the navy yard incapacitated for serv-
ice. Her engines and her propeller
shafts are disabled. One Of the latter
is twisted and 1t is believed to be cracked
One of the propellors is so broken that
1t Will be necessary to remove and re-
place 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. 1t is
not known what it was 1t twisted the
shaft and broke the propeller blades
The vessel will be dockedas soon as one
Of the dry docks now available can be
prepared to float her.
The fotilla 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 Fcote, which arrived at the navy
yard few days ago from Norfolk, Va,
is looked upon as failure. On her trial
trip she barely made the speed required
by the builders contract. Since then
she has never equaled 1T. On the trip
from Norfolk to this port, she made an
average Of only 12 knots. The contract
called for speed of 25 knots.
Lieutenant Commander w. w. KIM
ball will, in all probability, when the
torpedo boats are ready for their cruise
take the Porter, which is the fastest and
best, as his flagship. They are expected
to be ready about October 1st. They will
go along the coast to the Gulf of Mex
leo and then up the Mississippi river
as far as st. Louis. 1t is expected that
the cruise will last about six months.
THE YANTIC FOR THE LAKES
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24.-The Navy
Department 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
in South America.
NOIIl1lldHudHl I1OWdTQ, OIL Ine Boston
navy yard, has been instructed to have
the Yantic ready for sea by October
18th. The vessel will proceed by way
Of the ST. Lawrence river, Lake Ontario
and the Welland Canal. At Erie, Pa,
the Yantic will be turned over to the
Chicago Naval Militia officers. She will
proceed then ce to Chicago and there
be housed over winter. In the spring
she will be made ready for steam cruises
on the lakes The sum of $40, 900 has
been expended on the Yantic for repairs.
THE PACIFIC SQUADRON
MARE ISLAND NAVY YARD. Sept.
24.-The positions of the vessels Of the
Pacific squadron are as follows: Phila-
delphia and Bennington at Honolulu;
Monterey, Monadnock ard Marion at
Mare Island; Oregon at San Francisco: ::
Alert on the way to Guatemala; Adams
on cruise with apprentices, due at
Honolulu in December; Olympia Ma
chias, Boston and Petrol at Che-Foo
The gunboat Marcia has taken or
stores and is loading powder.
The Pensacola and Admiral Farra-
quits old flagship, the Hartford, could
be placed in commission on short orders.
The Ranger, now lying in the stream,
would also be available.
The Charleston is dismantled and re-
quires extensive repairs, which, if rAe
work is not rushed, will take year to
complete.