The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-01
DWARF ocean 4ERRORS
The Latest Naval Invention Of
Marine Architecture.
Marvellous LiEbtBess of Texture and
Syyirtp..s Of speed Belonging to
the Torpedo S"at of Modern Con-
.frurtion Rivals of the Wind
when Speeding Out of Danger.

The gnat OF the navies of the world is
undoubtedly the modern torpedo boat. Its
usefulness as an engine OF aggression is
just beginning to reach proper degree
of appreciation. Torpedo boats have en-
tered the lists of destroying engines on
the ocean and the presence of few OF
these yeritabie terrors in a harbor men
aced by the naval greatness of a foreign
fee has depressing effect upon the in
vader that is entitled TO no little consid-
GRAFTON.
The recent war with Spain has given an
impetus to the general impression that the
usefulness OF torpedo boats and torpedo
boat destroyers both of which belong to
the same family OF naval craft, has not
been exaggerated. Had Spain been pos
sessed of a number of them when Cervera
was bottled up in Santiago Bay, with otfi-
GERS and crews competent for their eff
cient management, there would have been
| a possibility of greater glory attending
defeat than was met by the Spanish Ad-
miral when the flower of the Spanish
modern Armada paled in the lustre OF
American naval prowess.
The world is just beginning to place a
proper estimate upon torpedo boats, al
though they have been practical figures in
naval history for nearly, if not quite, half
a century. Their merits in naval warfare
seem now to be reaching a proper degree
of appreciation. Probably they are in
strength of construction the f1imsiest ma
riue warshins that float upon the seas.
What the torpedo boat lacks in perfec-
ton of strength, however, is well met in
marvellous speed that can be brought into
play either in attack or retreat. The COM
parative thinness of construction render
ing them easily vulnerable to sharp dis
charge of musketry is more than counter
balanced by the rapidity by which they
can get beyond the danger line When
it is necessary for torpedo boat to take
TO her heels and get beyond the line OF
capture or destruction the NEUROLOGICAL
god of the winds himself would find a prob
lem to solve in overtaking her.
The American Government is now en-
gagged in the construction of numbers OF
these ''serpents of the sea-" as they have
not inap.ly been described. In almost ey
cry prominent navy yard from Brooklyn to
Mare Island their frames. in various de-
grees OF completion are observable. In
comparison with the great battleships near
by the torpedo boats look like bicycle
side by side with locomotive.
When the Government gives an order
for a torpedo boat or destroyer the first
thing done is to design working model
of the boat, complete in every particular.
With this model the speed trial of the boat
takes place The speed that the model at
tains will, provided the mathematical cal
cuIations of the designer are correct and
the model built correctly according to
SCALE be the speed of the boat when it is
ready to try for place in Uncle Sam 9
Navy. An error of even a thousandth of
an inch win throw the whole work out,
SO il can be seen how much care must be
taken in the making of these boats.
When the small model is passed upon
and found 10 be correct and up to the re-
quirements in every particular, 4 is conf
paratively easy TO make the boat full size.
If the small boat be true in every detail,
as it must after it has been tested and
proven the larger boat will be true also
The initial stage of the work is to make
the skeleton framework of the boat
This is done by placing sectional drawings
on the floor of a great room used espe-
cially for this purpose and then bending
the frames to correspond with these lines.
After the frame has been shaped in ac
cordance with the designs the sections are
conveyed TO the shed where the boat is to
be finished and are there set up to form
the network of the future torpedo boat.
1t sounds strange to talk of bending the
steel frame to shape. The shell OF tor
pedo boat however, is made of steel only
one sixteenth of an inch thick. The-t,ull
of enc of these boats can easily be pierced
by a rifle bullet. They are built for speed
and not for resistance. and weight must
be economical just as it is with the racing
skiffs of one of our college crews.
When the framework is set up the plates
are riyeted on and the hull is completed
ready for the internal fixings.
The most important part of torpedo
beat is its internal arrangements. With
out these it is like a watch ease without
its works. Its armament is inconsequen-
tisl compared with its prodisious internal
engine power, which is capable OF forcing
the boat through the water at wonderful
speed. The boats require only few
months for their construction Their cost,
in comparison with the BUILDING Of an or
binary cruiser or battleship. is inconse-
quential, but as commercial destroyers
taking everything else of an aggressive
character out of consideration. their place
is in the very height of naval importance.
And yet, torpedo beats and torpedo
destroyers are in the infant class. The
acme OF their Importance awaits Develop
ment.