The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-18
CAN'T REACH 80 KNOTS.
The Farragut Has Tried It Three
Times and Failed.

New York, Nov. ia dispatch to
the Tribune from Washington says:
The first of the 30-knot torpedo boats
built in the United States and the only
one Of that speed which has as yet I'M
dergOne official trial, has finally failed
to reach the requirements after three
attempts, the first two of them result
ing in serious damage to the vessel. A
telegram received from Lieutenant
Commander Franklin J. Drake by Sec
retary Long shows that the Farragut
on her final trial near San Francisco on
November 10 ran 29.73 knots in an hour.
He says that this remarkable high
speed was achieved with no excessive
vibration of hull or undue friction of
engines. The vessel ran straight away
for half an hour at the rate of 9.34
knots, followed by a turn, accomplish
of half an hour, this time at the rate
of 30.19 knots. The average for the
whole course being 29.73.
The Union Iron works of San Fran
cisco, which built the vessel, has ap-
pealed to Secretary Long to accept her,
declaring that she can easily make the
required speed of 80 knots under ordi-
nary conditions, but was retarded in
the official trial by shallow water and
heavy head winds in the first half, when
the speed fell behind the contract rate.
The act of congress of June 10, 1896,
authorizing this vessel and the Dahl
gren and the T. A. NJ. Craven, now
building at Bath, Me, is novel in that
it stipulates that the vessels shall make
for that speed and declare that if the
vessels fail to make it they shall be
rejected. The department was there
fore compelled to decide that fourth
trial would be necessary, it being pow
erless to waive the conditions, although
the belief was general among officers
that a difference of seventeen-hun-
dredths of a knot was impracticable OF
measurement in a 35 mile run.
The two similar boats building at
Bath. Me, are within 20 per cent Of
completion and it is expected that thelr
trials will take place in about a. month.
All three of the vessels should have been
delivered to the government under con-
tract in the early part of last April and
they have already accumulated large
bills on account of the delay penalties.
The failure of the Union Iron works
boat readily to accomplish its designed
velocity, although the SCOTS who built
her are famous for the excellence of
their work as shown in the Oregon,
the Monterey, the Olympia, the San
Francisco and Charleston and other
vessels, is thought to fOreShadOw much
greater difficulties with the Bath Iron
works boats as that company has
had Indifferent success with the
vessels it has furnished to the navy,
with the possible exception of the gun
their performance has not been extra
ordinary.
An instance of Pacific coast energy
under difficulties was shown at the navy
department in the issue of orders for
Commander Drake, Naval Constructor
Spear and Engineer Smith to meet at
the shipyard of Wolff & Zewicker,
Portland, Ore, on November %, to try
the torpedo boat Davis. It was aboard
this vessel that about three weeks ago
seven men were killed by the explosion
of one of her boilers on a trial trip. A
new boiler and other extensive repairs
have been completed in this remarkably
short time and another attempt will be
made next Tuesday to maintain a speed
of 221a knots for two hours. Another
221a knot boat. the Fox. is also prac-
tically completed at the Wolff & Ze-
wicker works and will be tried as soon
as the Davis is accepted by the govern
ment. The 26-knot boat Rowan, which
should have been finished by Moran
Brothers, at Seattle, last January, may
also be added to the navy before the
end of the year, completing the first
four and only torpedo boats on the Pa
cifc coast, the Atlantic fleet having
hitherto monopolized this type of craft.