Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-09

rumors should be taken with a good-sized
grain Of salt. The maneuvers at Key
West within the Past few Gays are clted
as proof of the ease with which torpedo
boats may creep up within striking DIS
lance under cover of darkness; but all the
conditions of real conflict were missing.
The conventional! restrictions of play-war
tactics are but poor shifts for the stress
O. war and the nervous excitement presa-
lent when under fire or fear of fire. 1t is
one thing to creep up within the clrcun-
scribed arc of theoretical danger and to
assume a shot struck, but quite announcer
story to face the threat of well-n1gh GER
tain destruction with the very questionable
prospect of hitting the shadowy target
presented by foe on night such as
would make near approach possible. the
element of surprise is everything to the
success of torpedo boat attack; ana It were
quite as likely that an army snouid rest
secure in the consciousness OF Its own
might, without the safeguard of pickets,
a., 1t were for a battle ship to Willingly In.
wife attack by waving the protectlon OF
y,Gettes It is to just that service that the
recently acquired yachts and seagoing tugs
will be put when the time comes; and,
once warned. the heavy craft will be but
poorly handled that cannot send the threat
ering torpedo boat either to the bottom or
back into the gloom whence she came.
Her Deadly Work.
There are times, though, when the tor
pedo boat is a frightful menace, and then
it is that she is justified. At the close Of
an action, when foe Is wounded in all
save her slow-nring big guns. and is still
too dangerous an anti gonist for tour de
force, then ia theitime for the torpedo boat
"a small and elusive target-tO rush in and
to plant her deadly charge against the side
Of the numbering giant Where the battle
ship may hesitate to strike. this puny craft
has done the work with even more awful
certainty. The inoral effect of torpedo
boats is a close second to their actual
might: and the craft is rash, indeed, that
will venture between marrow passes, land
bound waterways or near the shadow of
any cover that may shelter the dingy body
of torpedo boat. The mere thought Of
such a menace is enough to keep away
vessels such as would readily engage
formidable fighting ship.
Every effort is being put forward to rush
the work on ouryo torpedo boats and
torpedo boat destIoyeTs. and but reason
ably short time will find provided with
some really effective boats of this sort.
A More Dangerous Enemy.
Of the torpedo boat the public has
fairly accurate notion. and knows that her
chief purpose is to plant one or moro fatal
stings against the sides Of an enemy. but
agination. all the way from countermin-
ing machine to something just short of a
good-sized cruiser. The torpedo boat de-
stroyer is really Eagnified torpedo boat
Of great speed, better sea-keeping qualities
and with battery OF rapid-fire guns of
from five to eight six-pounders. She is
built purposely with an outward appear
ance closely akin to her natural quarry.
that she may the better approach unsus-
pected within striking distance. She also
carries a torpedo outfit, and in her the bat
tie ship and the cruiser have even more
dangerous enemy than in the simple tor
pedo boat, for where the small craft, by
stress of weather, limited speed or restrict
ed endurance, must halt, the destroyer may
continue with all the more certainty Of
carrying out its murderous mission.
OF the eleven boats upon which we may
count in a short while two may be cIassed
as destroyers. thu Farragut and the Row
an; two as thirty-knot torpedo boats. the
Craven and the Dahlgren, and the rest as
torpedo boats of ordinary speed.
Now Building.
The "Farragut," Rowan" Davis and
Fox" are building on the Pacific coast
the first by the Union Iron Works of San
Francisco. the second by Moran Brothers
of Seattle and the last two by Wolff
& Zwicker of Portland. Oregon. The
"Dahlgren" and Craven are building 1T
the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Me, the Nor
ris," Talbot" and ''Gwin'' at Herreshoff's 8,
Bristol, the Mackenzie at Charles Hill
mans yard, Philadelphia, and the NC
Kee'' at the Columbia Iron Works Of Bal
timore. and it is of interest to note that
these last two boats are Of the type re-
commended by the chief constructor and
the engineer-in-chief as most readily sus-
ceptible of rapid duplication in event of
need.
In prolonged conflict that type will sur
vive that can be easiest replaced or repair
ed; and from all we know now of the COM
plicated nature and time demanded in
building armored ships, 1t Is easy to see
the position torpedo vessels of all sorts will
fill. They may be called the moments
most effective fighting machine, but can
fensive qualities of the battle ship.
The Whitehead torpedo IL no longer the