New-York tribune., 1901-08-18
NEW "DESTROYERS
MAJORITY OF THE UNITED STATES
fLOTlLLA READY To BE PUT
IN COMMISSION
IN COMMISSION.

Washington, Aug. 17.-with the launching
OF the torpedo boat destroyers Truxtuu
Nhlpple and Worden at the MARYLAND Steel
Company's yards at Sparrow's Point, MARYLAND
majority of the little craft for the navy's
new hotilla, TO consist Of sixteen torpedo
poat oestroyers of this class, will be ready
no be put in commission. These vessels are
nearly identical in construction and appearance
ana when finally the entire sixteen are afloat
hhe United States flag viii ny over what naval
oiicers say viii be one Of the most formidable
neets Of torpedo boat destroyers tn ne found in
any or the naVles Of the great powers except
'iat OF England. whose single fleet of similar
Nesses outnumbers 10y four that Of the United
@'"'es' though, perhaps. il is not so modern
All modern conyeniences have been provided
Tor IN the construction OF shese new vessels
and although the designs were preTared ly As
sis'aht Naval Constructor u. II Cox L : N
IN the department here. they cannot be referred
10 any particular type
The contracted date for fha connnlstior, of thasa
vessels fell in the spring OF 1860 but owing
TO certain distractions TO work their building
has extended over another year. 1t is expected,
hoNeVer tnat within few months the last
one will have been completed.
Ihey VIII carry each battery OF TWO H.
pound and five 6-pOund guns, With long torpedo
tubes mounted on the amidships line besides two
cutters. a whaleboat and two folding boats and
a complement OF four officers and sixty-nine
men. The amidships section approximates TO the
oval form largely adopted 10y the French Gov
efnment The sections toward the stern are
original though resembling somewhat the form
given by Thorneycroft TO his twin rudder boats
several Years ago. The relative arrangement OF
engines in separate compartments between boil
ers is similar TO that the torpedo boats The
officers, petty officers and crew viii be provided
for as comfortably is practicable on board
this style of vessel, with stowage for twenty
days provisions. Dynanlos viii be used for the
electric and search lights. In addition the
coal abreast the machinery, there will be the
protection Of twelve and one-half pound nicke!
steel sheet plates portion Of the deck and
on the steer strake The forward coming tower
is Of half-inch nickel steel sheet plates.
The contractors TO whom the construction was
assigned have guaranteed that the vessels viii
attain a speed of at least twenty-nine knots
and in several cases where the specifications Of
the department not altered as high as
thirty knots will be reached. -Four of the de-
stroyers vii! have displacement of between
400 and 40 tons, while the rest have i20 tons
displacement. except the three launched to-
day. which exceed their sister ships in tons Of
displacement as well as in general measure
ments. The extreme length, breadth. mean
craft ana displacement OF the TruHtun, the
Whipple and the WOrden 24s feet, .3 feet q
feet and 4a3 tons, respectively.
A somewhat novel feature of these new un-
armOre1 steel vessels is the introduction Of bilse
keels. decided upon the result of experience
at sea with even the largest Of American tor
pedo boats. The use Of this keel has been found
10 be great relief TO crews, especially during
excessive and lively rolling. As these boats Will
DE expected in the future TO keep the seas. the
fitting OF bilge keels is thought to be important
Builders were not inclined To favor the adoption
OF this sort OF keel, because il considered an
uncertain factor in the high speed required.
Ii WAS exacted in the construction OF these
vessels that the use OF wood should be reduced
TO a minimum, and that 1t must be made thor
ougEly hrePrOof-
The sixteen unarmored steel sister vessels 10
compose the United States fotilla Of
pedo boat destroyers follows: The Balm
bridge, the Barry, the Chauncey, the Dale. the
Decatur, the Hopkins, the Hull, the Lawrence,
the Macdonough. the Paul Jones, the Perry. the
Preble, the Stewart, the TruKtun- the Whipple
md q ba