Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-07-14
OUR TORPEDO FLEET.
SIX CRACK LITTLE WARsoATS WITH
A LONG CRUISE AHEAD.
Winter Maneuvers VIII Work Them Grad
uaIly southward-Details of the Cruise.
Probable Purpose of Uncle Sam-Omcers
Claim They Are Merely at Practice.

Claim They Are Merely at Practice.
The strangest fleet which ever sailed
in the waters of the Atlantic is the
American torpedo fiotilla now cruising
and ready for the order south in pursu-
ance of the department. plan for the
winter maneuvering.
1t seems as if it We're only year or
two ago that the United States had a
torpedo fleet consisting of the old ram
Alarm - "P0ter's Folly - and the
wooden Stiletto. And even after our
white squadron had become famous
the almost indispensable torpedo boats
were not provided.
Uncle Sam has however, "come to
his senses +" Six splendid torpedo boats
are now ready for service-the Gushing,
Ericsson, Porter, Foote, Dupont and
Rodgers Two more are nearly complet-
ed-the Winslow and Rowan. Six more
are half finished-the Davis, Fox, Tai
bot, Gwin, Mackenzie and the subma
rine boat Plungcr-and work has been
commenced upon the Dahlgren, Craven,
Farragut, Morris and Mckee.
Nineteen boats of the highest speed
and greatest efficiency are therefore
assured us, with a promise of many
more to follow, and, since torpedo boat
work requires special training, the navy
department is making haste TO prepare
a force of officers and men for the work
of manning the mosquito fleet F" The
first fiotilla has been designated as fol-
4
commanding; Ericsson, Lieutenant n.
K Usher commanding; Porter, Lieu
tenant John c. Fremont commanding;
Foote, Lieutenant W. L. Rodgers COM
manding; Dupont. Lieutenant S. S
Wood commanding, and Rodgers (unas-
signed, probably flagship. Lieutenant
W. W. Kimball will act as admiral of
the miniature feet.
The combination of great names in
the feet will strike the least observing.
Gushing, Gleaves, Porter, Foote, Usher,
Rodgers, Dupont and Wood are all
names famous in naval annals There
has been scarcely ever put together such
a combination of swift, resistless ma
chinery and brains, good American
blood and scientific knowledge. Lieu
tenant Kimball is an expert in ordnance
gunnery and torpedo work, and the gov
ernment's confidence in his ability is
shown by virtually making him an ad-
miral, with powers given few admirals
of squadrons.
Leaving New York-not in summer,
observe, but in the season of cool wealth
er and brisk gales-the long, narrow,
greenish gray fiiers dash out into blue
water and disappear. Where they viii
next be seen is uncertain. No life in
surance company would care to insure
the lives of the hardy sailors. If no ac-
cident happens, they will reappear at
Cape May, Hampton Roads, Charles
ton, Savannah or Key West Lieutenant
Kimball can take his fleet wherever he
pleases provided he goes steadily south
ward, and the tactics of fiotilla in
wartime are likely to be practiced
When winter comes, the flotilla will
be in the gulf of Mexico, conveniently
close to Havana at just about the time
when Weyler may ''hear somethin
drap The north Atlantic squadron
may also find it convenient TO go to
warmer latitudes at about that season,
and if the flotilla happened to meet the
squadron no one would be surprised
and Spain would have no just cause for
complaint. The programme of the cr.Iiso
also includes trip up the Mississippi,
to give the 1900, 600 people in the
valley a chance to see war vessels, and
a return voyage TO Hampton Roads next
spring.
All this may be for practice, - and
again it may not. Time alone will tell.
With the tariff out of the way, an exec
utive with backbone and a congress i'm
bued with sturdy Americanism sitting,
any number Of things may happen next
winter, and as the old wartime rebel
used to say, Victory goes to them as
| gifts the mostest thar fustest. New
| York Press.