Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-03
SPANS TORPEDO FLEET. q
Boats Built At Greenock-The PIuton
Makes Thirty Knots an Hour.
washington Star.)

Spain, March 18th. for Porto Rico, are the
destroyers Furor and Terror and the
Pluton. The other vessels in the squad
ron are English-built. sea-going torpedo
boats. A letter to the New York Times
from Gourock, Scotland, describes these
formidable warships OF the Spanish navy.
The Audaz and Osado were launched at
Greenock during February and March Of
last year. respectively, and should have
been completed long ere this, had II not
been for the engineers strike in Britain,
which delayed all classes OF ship-build-
ing. The Audaz, Osado. Pluton, and
Prosperina are sister vessels, and In
construction are much similar TO the
latest class OF British torpedo-boat de-
stroyers. While the British boats are 2OO
feet in length, with an average breadtn
of 10 feet, and Of 300 tons displace-
ment. the Spanish destroyers have
length Of 225 feet, with beam of 22la feet,
and their displacement in tonnage close
on 400 tons.
In appearance, also. the Spanish vessels
look larger and fuller, and are, therefore,
able TO carry a larger dead weight. They
are constructed entirely OF steel, and
broadsde resemble the British boats
very much. with their elongated whale
back forward, on top OF which are
steam capstan, anchor chest ventllators,
and hawse-pipes. At the after end, and
most elevated part of the whale-pack,
and under the navigating bridge, Is the
coming tower. The only part OF the deck
protected is twelve feet on each SIDE
Immediately abaft the whale-back, where
there are steel bulwarks.
DETAILS OF CONSTRUCTION.
As preventive from falling overheard
there IS. of course, railing all around
the vessel, which, when it IS under SAIL
ing trim. is canyascd over with DODGERS
stanchions are also fitted on the vessels
for spreading awnings in warm climates.
on deck are principally the tunnels, ol
which they have three, n noticeable I'D
| ture being that the middle one IS just
double the size of the fore and after ones
| in diameter the accountable reason LOT
| which is that it carries away the SMOKE
| from two boilers while the other ones
are the uptakes for one boiler each. me
mast is very small, and is intended lot
signalling purposes. 1t Is fitted WIN
yard for flag halyards. Large ventliator9
| for conveying air to the stokeholds are
o,so consnicuous on deck. Two boats are
carried on davits. and one collapsible boat
| IS on deck. Their armament consists OF
one 12-pounder quick-hring gun. FIVE b.
pounder quick firing guns. and two tor
pedo-tubes. Each Of the vessels has four
| compasses--one on the bridge, one in the
coming tower, one aft, and one amid
ships. They are all steering compasses,
| With the execution Of the one amidships.
which Is a patent standard compass.
| t,acb vessel has four boilers, supplying
| steam 10 two sets Of engines, which have
an indicated horsepower of 1900, driving
twin screws.
| zach DESTROYER IS divided into several
| v,ater-tight compartments by steel bulk
| heads The officers are berthed aft, while
| The accommodation for the crew and fire.
| men IS forward. The British thirty-knot
| torpedo-boat destroyers are manned by
crews Of ffty-eight men all told, but IN
the Spanish destroyers the men number
all told over seventy.
SPEED or THE BOATS.
The trials of the Audaz and Osado were
| only completed toward the end or last
month. but probably owing to the present
stote of matters between the United
Statos and Spain everything in connec-
| ton with their doings has been Kept Sc
Graf THE Pluton's trials on November
| 4th last. were watched by a government
| commission under the presidency OF COM
| nnodore Triguiro, with whom were Leuts'
| Ariba. Guimara, and VaZquay, Naval-
| Architect Taliso. Messrs. Thomson Cor
| don and Haynes. The actual load on
hoard during the trial was seventy-three
tons. The results OF the trial gave
mean speed of SO.12 knots on the mea-
| sured mile at Skelmorlie, ana curing
| a continuous run of one hour ana q ma,
sneed of 5000 knots was maintained.
A. The conclusion of the forced draught
| trial the vessel was, according 10 con-
tract. run for a further period or TWO
hours under natural draught, the speed
attained being 22.7 knots, or 40 or Knot
over the contract. There was notice
,ble absence Of vibration, and the engines
worked to the entire satisfaction OF tne
| Spanish commission
THE TORPEDO-BOATS.
OF the torpedo-boats In the noulla' inc
Arata and Rayo were built at Chiswick'
in 1Ss7 They are of 12O tons displace-
nent. and their armament consists Oh
three 3-pounder quick-hring ana one ma
chine gun and two torpedo laulcii ..n
tubes. The Arete has engines OF LoSO-
horse power, and can carry twehty-INe
tons NJ coal and steam twenty-five knots
rha Ravo can speed half a knot faster,
| although her engines are or only Low
| horse power. She can 0"i'' '0
| amount of coal. I'll.
| The Azor is OF 10S tons. and was DulIt
., Ponlar in 1881. She carries the same
armament as the Arete and Rayo, with
| the exception that she has one less o.
nounder aulck-fring gun. she mas en-,
ines az / .GOO-horse power. and her speed
is twenty-four knots. Her bunker ca
nacitv affords space for twenty-five tons
OF coal. ,.o,,-r,r>
THE AUDAZ WRECKED.
The Audaz. which recently left Gree
| mock for Spain, has succumbed to the
| waves. which were running unusually
heavy off the coast Of Ireland. While on
| it's way 10 Spain, and put into water
| ford for repairs. 1t will be In the DOCKS
| annarently for several weeks, as It's stem
| Is twisted like a piece OF wrought-iroh
and the bow is said TO be stove In.
Further news comes that another OF th'
| little boats has been disabled ana haS
| had TO seek port and dry-dock. Ihis
reduces the force by very heaVy per
centage-a percentage OF loss that WoulC
ha considered terrific II ii had occurred
I'm battle. IL this loss may be considered
as a presage Of the terrors OF trll
across the Atlantic with these rolilckint
little war engines, 1t may be suppose
that the flotilla, when 1t appears at oai
Imam de Porto Rico, will be in sad cohui
ton.
SPANISH ARMADA RECALLED.
1,he fate of these two boats suggests u
navy officials apt comparison with IA
nous event in Spanish maritime history
the wreck OF the invincible armada IL
that great disaster the channel was to'
,fgh