The evening times., 1898-10-06
A REPTILE FLEET.

There is class of war vessels that bear
this name. each having an appropriate
title such as Viper, Venom, and the like.
They are torpedo boats. of the imperial
and royal Austro-Hungarian service. and
the first of the brood was the Viper. The
London News says: "She was hatched
about three years ago in the fertile yards
of Yarrow & Co.. Poplar, and her success
was such that the firm was commission
ed 10 build four other boats, and OF
these the Boa was tried down at the More
with most gratifying results. There is
a Cobra somewhere ready for introduc-
don 10 the world of waters. and the 9TH
ers Will follow In due course. Some peo-
pie tell US that the days of these small
torpedo boats are numbered, but the per-
1ormanceS OF the Boa, at any rate were
watched by number os directly repre-
sentative men, TO wit: Sir h. Reed Ad-
miial Morant. Herr Kellner, chief con-
structor of the Austrian navy; Lieut. Col
we'll tnited States naval attache; NJ
Romero, OF the Mexican government;
Lieut. Peffabet tArgentina); Mr.. Hunt. of
Chicago troller of the first Bessemer steel
IN America; M. Andrea (Holland): Capt.
Yukoyama. naval attache, and Command
er Constructor kondo, of the japanese
navy; Mr.. Martell, chief surveyor of
Lioyds and, of course Mr.. A. f. Var
row. representing the great Poplar firm
The Boa was not put to her highest
speed but during the run out to the
More and back she surpassed twenty
four knots an hour. She is 152 feet s
inches long, and Il feet inches in beam;
Is constructed of galvanized mild steel
and subdivided into a large number of
water-tight compartments by transverse
| bulkheads. There are three pivoted S.
| inch torpedo tubes. two forward and one
| art, and brace of quick-firing 3-pounder
/ guns. The machinery, etc. is on the
| same perfect scale as the Viper. At the
| official trial not long since the Boa car
! rying load of fortyfour tons made a
| speed of 24-265 knots with a pressure of
steam of $50 pounds per square inch,
! and $40 revolutions per minute.
The Poplar shipbuilding yard may be re-
| garded as hotbed in the production of
torpedo boats The firm have lately con-
! structed half dozen for the Chilean gov
| ernment and the little spitfires sailed gall
lantly right away from the Thames to
| Chile. They have now in hand five SINH
! lar vessels for the japanese government
| 1t would seem, however. that a little ex-
! PLANTATION is necessary as to the speed of
! torpedo catchers and torpedo boats. The
/ popular imagination sees one of the for
mer flying through the water al Incredible
| speed and such IS, indeed. comparatively
| the case. But this is what experts have
! 10 say upon the matter:
! ''It is well known that at the present
! time a large number of destroyers of
about 200 feet in length are being built for
/ various naval powers and are guaranteed
| TO have n speed of 30 knots. This speed
! however. is somewhat deceptive. as it
/ does not represent the loaded condition of
! the destroyer. nor anything approaching
/ il consequently. the apparent difference
! Of speed between the destroyer class and
( the first-class torpedo boat seems to be
far greater than it is in reality. seeing
/ that the destroyers have, in spite Of their
/ greater size, only a load of thirty-fve tons
! to carry on trial. Consequently. when
/ these vessels have their armament and
full load on board, their speed is greatly
reduced. To compare the first-class tor
I pedo boat with the destroyer on the same
/ basis. the loads to be carried should be
/ in proportion to their size and power
For example. in the case of the Viper,
/ which carried 26 tons and obtained
speed of &c 12 knots. for comparison
( with the so-called 30-knOt destroyer,
which would be of three times the dis
/ placement and three times the power, the
/ latter should consequently have load
I of Is tons. Under these conditions of load
the speed (of 20 knots with - tonsl would
! fall to about q l-2 knots; that is 10 say,
with a propOrtionate load. it will be seen
! there would be difference of speed of
/ one knot only between the most improved
| first-class torpedo boat of the Viper type
and the so-called 39-knot destroyer.
This is the point of view of the
Messrs. Yarrow. and there is a moral TO
the tale. namely, considering that the
cost of a first-Class torpedo boat is about
| one-third the cost of a 30-knot destroyer.
/ il becomes an important question with
I naval powers whether the expenditure of
/ a certain sum in the purchase of destroy
ers is as well spent as in purchasing
three times the number of torpedo boats
| when their relative speeds differ to so
| triffing an extent. The gentlemen on
| board the Boa under the sunshine of a
| perfect day found time during their sew
! en- hours cruise to address themselves TO
discussing the problem above indicated -