The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-06-30
SIGSBEE WHIPS THE
TORPEDO-BOAT TERROR.
Kills Three of Her Men and Comes Near
Sinking Her--An Important Service
to the NAVY

tU the NAVY
WASHINGTON, June 2S.-The Navy
Department to-day posted the follow
ing bulletin:
Captain Sigsbee reports that on
Wednesday afternoon while off San
Juan, Porto Rico, he was attacked
by Spanish unprotected cruiser and
the Spanish torpedo-boat destroyer
Terror The Terror made dash
which was awaited by the st. Paul.
The st. Paul hit the Terror three
times, killing one officer and two men
and woundiug several others.
The Terror dropped back under
cover of the Notifications with diff
Guilty and was towed into the harbor
in a sinking condition, where she is
now being repaired. Later cruiser
and a gunboat started out. but re-
manned under protection of the forts.
In defeating the Terror Captain
Sigsbee has rendered a most import
ant service to our Navy, and, indeed,
to all navies. He has not only de-
prived SIMPSONS fleet of apprehen-
sion of any attack in the rear some
dark night by this vicious little boat,
but he has demonstrated that an
auxiliary cruiser is amply able to
take care of herself against torpedo
gunbOat, showing that the offensive
power Of this craft has been very
much overrated. The torpedo-gun-
boat was an untried quality in naval
warfare up to this time.
Swifter than a torpedo-boat, sea-
worthy, and possessed of the arma-
ment of which the torpedo-boat is
void, the torpedo-gunboat has been
terror in imagination to all naval
men. The presence of such a Span
ish gunboat, the Temerario. in the
River Platte, in the pathway of the
Oregon on her cruise around South
America, was for several weeks a
cause for great anxiety at the Navy
Department. Now Captain Sigsbee
has shown that with an unarmored
cruiser, armed with only 5-inch guns,
the torpedo-boats are not to be feared,
at least not in daylight.
The Terror is of English build. hav-
ing been turned out at Clyde Bank
in 1896. She is low-lying steel craft
with steel tunnels. is of $40 tons 900
feet long, % feet beam and ) feet &
inches draft. The boat is filled with
engines and boilers, her horsepower
being 5000, capable of driving her at
speed of % knots with Norman
boilers. While the ordinary torpedo
boat carries only a little 1-pounder
Observation-Disclosures armed with
formidable battery for a vessel of
OF her size, consisting of two 4-pound-
ers, two 6-pounders and two 1-pound-
ers, all quick-tiring, and having two
l4-lnch torpedo tubes on deck.
The other Spanish cruiser referred
W y! captain SlgsDee IN his report
as joining in the attack upon the St.
Paul is supposed here to be the AL
fonso AII.,an iron bark-rigged cruiser
built in 1887 of 5000 tons. While an
Old vessel she has pretty good battery.
made up of IA Hontoria guns of vari-
Gus calibres, five machine guns and
two torpedo tubes. As soon as Can
tain Sigsbee's report came to hand
the officials at the Navy Department
Immediately recalled the fact that
the Spaniards had last week sent out
a bulletin describing the fight of an
American cruiser before two Spanish
vessels off San Juan and that partic
ular engagement was identified as the
same referred to by Captain Sigsbee.