Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-06-08
THE sTRlNGnAM.


Ihe largest and oostliest torpedoboat
yet designed for the navy will be
launched at the Harlan & Holdings
worth Co. S shipyard next Saturday
and named the Stringham. She will
be the pioneer of ocean-goIng boats of
her class, and her guaranteed main
tanned speed will be 30 knots an houR
The vessel was authorized by the APP
preparation act of March Sd, 1897; the
contract was awarded to the Harlan &
Hollipgsworth Co. on July Goth, the
same year, and called for completion
by January 10th, 1899, but all such
contracts have been delayed by the
rush Of work preparing for the war
with Spain, the Farragut having been
launched by the SCOTS three months
after her delivery to the government
was due, and the local shinbuilders,
although eight months behind time
with the Stringham, are less delinquent
by many months than other con-
tractors.
The Stringham's keel was laid on
March 2lst, 1893. Her length is 225
feet, breadth % feet, mean draught
feet 6 inches and displacement $40 tons.
This is 10 tons larger than the Farra
gut, twice as great as any other Ameri
can torpedobost built or building, and
is within 60 tons of the weight Of some
of the destroyers. Two vertical triple
expansion engines driving twin screws
will develop 1900 horsepower when
forcing the boat at her maximum
velocity. This power is greater by |, 500
than that of the Farragut or any of
her class, and equals that of several
destroyers. 1t is nearly as great as
| the horse power of the cruisers Newark
and Philadelphia, which are over 1900
| tons displacement; Is much greater
| than that Of the Detroit and the Mont
gomery, 2,000-ton ships, and nearly
twice as great as that of the Atlanta
| and the Boston. The normal coal
supply is 35 tons, but the bunker
capacity Of the Stringham is 100 tons,
and with this she will cruise straight
way over thousand knots.
In addition to carrying two 18-inch
Whitehead torpedo tubes, the Stringbam
is defended from vessels of her class
by seven 6-pounder semi-automatio
guns, and she ia to be fought by com.
plement of four officers and 26 men.
Rear Admiral Silas Horton String
ham, for whom the boat is named, was
| ", on November 7th, 1893 When IL
years old, on November 10th, 1909, he
entered the navy as mdshipman, and
on the frigate President participated
! in engagements with the Little Belt
and the Belvidere. In 1914 he became
| lieutenant, and on the Spark was in
the Mediterranean throughout the
Algerine war. At this time during
storm at Gibraltar he went in a boat,
with six men, to rescue the crew of a
| French brig which had capsized. He
succeeded in getting the crew, but was
unable to get back to port; he was
blown off to Algeciras, where his boat
upset in the surf and one Of his men
and two Frenchmen were drowned.
From 1919 to 1921 he went SLAYER
hunting on the coast of Africa in the
Cyone, and brought home four slave
ships as prize master. Later he was
executive of the Hornet in a three
years. cruise for the suppression of
piracy in the West Indies, assisting in
the capture of the Moscow, the most
dreaded buccsneer vessel in those
waters. Stringham commanded the
Ohio at the bombardment Of Vera
Cruz, and after tours of duty at navy
yards was flag officer Of the Mediter-
ranear squadron from 1858 to 1856.
When the Civil War began he was
summoned to Washington to advise
upon the preparations for war, especially
in relation to the relief of Fort
Sumter, which he strongly urged, but
his advice was not followed until too
late. He took command of the North
Atlantic blockading squadron, and
organized the expedition to Hatteras
Inlet, in which he was accompanied by
B. F. Butler, with 800 soldiers. He
adopted the course afterward followed
by Dewey, sailing his squadron in
an ellipse while bombarding. He
maneuyred so that none of his vessels
were hit Both forts surrendered, and
the troops were landed. This was the
first naval victory Of Importance during
the war. Stringham declined further
active service on account of his age
(then 63D, and retired as commander,
in December, 1861. He continued,
however, as commandment at Boston
until 1865, and was port admiral at New
York until 1872, dying in Brooklyn,
on February It'll. 1876.
Judge Advocated General lLemly tells
story of the admiral which illustrates
his character. Old officers in the navy
used to speak of their date Of entrance
into the service as younger men now
date everything from their graduation.
|, Stringham was proud to be "of '09, "
as he always called his date of entrance
In 1870, when the Guerrero was about
to leave New York for the Mediter-
ranean, where she was afterward "piled
upon the italian coast, young mid
shipmau was sent by her commander
to Admiral Stringham with a requisi-
tion for sand to scrub the decks.
Stringham read the requisition with
apparent astonishment, and blurted
out gruffiy:
Awe didn't do that way in co."
The midshipman was frightened, and
tried to be apologetic enough to beg
pardon and say he was sorry he did not
understand.
II said we never did this in '09, -
Numbered the admiral. In 100 il we
needed sand we sent midshipman to
Coney Island to dig it--that's the way
we had in '09 y
Admiral Stringham's widow died
several years ago, and the Navy Depart
ment has written to the admirals
daughter, the widow of the Rear Ad.
miral j. Beakely Creighton, to select
one of her daughters Edwina
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