The record-union., 1898-03-19
TORPEDO BOAT DEsTRoYERs
They Are a Necessary Adjunct to
Naval Fleet.

WASHINGTON, March 1S.-No Off
cial notice of the stoppage of the Span
ish torpedo boat fiotilla at the Canary
Islands and their turning back from
that point has reached our Government
as yet. SO that any assumption on the
movements of that flotilla have infiu-
enced the Navy Department to with
draw the fleet at Key West is said to be
without basis of fact.
The Navy Department by no means
has suspended it's efforts to obtain pos
session of desirable warships abroad,
and in no direction is there visible any
relaxation of the steadily pursued pur-
pose of the Nevy and War Departments
to provide for the defense of the coun-
try against possible hostile attacks.
The formation of the new squadron at
Hampton Roads is the latest mani
festation of activity in this direction,
being the outcome of the deliberations
of the Strategy Board, which has been
sitting almost daily at the War Depart
ment for some time past.
Another conclusion of the board
which it is desired to put in force as
soon as possible is that the navy must
be reinforced by a number of torpedo
boat destroyers. These are vessels OF
about 300 tons displacement, and able
to keep the sea almost as well as
cruiser. With the enormous speed OF
thirty knots per hour, and an offensive
armament of quick firing guns equal
TO the average gunboat, it is said the
power of such craft is certainly very
great, and that perhaps they may
prove to be the ideal naval craft.
One distinguished naval officer, an
expert in ordnance matters, expressed
the opinion to-day that two such tor
pedo- boat destroyers might annihilate
the biggest battleship in the world, IL
they stood ready to run the risk OF be-
ing sunk themselves. All that would
be necessary for them to do, he SAID.
would be to have the battleship in sight
during the daylight hours, which they
could do easily. due to their superior
speed. and when darkness had come,
attack the battleship from opposite dl-
rections simultaneously at full speed
with torpedoes.
Such considerations as these have in
fluenced the policy of the board to re-
commend the procurement of as many
of these boats as possible and as soon
as possible So far the Department
has been unable to buy any abroad, and
while four torpedo boats of the larger
class of 30 knots speed, almost equal
to the Destroyer type are building in
this country, they. cannot be COM
pleted for many months to come.
A representative of one of the largest
English torpedo-boat firms in Wash
ington now criticised our Government
to-day as having been too narrow
minded in not allotting money for such
boats
Senator Hawley of Connecticut called
at the Nevy and War Departments
with Thomas f. Rowland, whom he in
troduced to the officials as the builder
OF the first monitor on the Ericsson
plan. He recalled the fact that the
vessel was an experimental one, and
he had to overcome the opposition of
naval officials. owing to the radical de-
parture from established ideos.
The War Department to-day made
another allotment for the engineering
branch of the service. This consisted
of 81, 791 900, and was charged against
the special appropriation of 100000,
GOO last week 1t was stated at the
department that the money would be
expended in the carrying out of plans
for the fortification OF the coast al
ready perfected and announced in the
last annual report of the Chief OF En-
gineeers. No new Notifications will
be established from this appropriation.
Steps have been taken by the engin-
eer's Office for the expenditure of So
0e0.Un originally allotted out of the
$40. .oc0.0o0 national defense fund for
the continuation of the Improvement of
various works of fortifications Prac-
tically all of it will be devoted ID the
Atlantic and the Gulf coasts While
the expenditure win be under the sa-
pervision of the engineer officials az