Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-24

Flotilla Ready to be Put In Commits
sion. & M
With the launching of the torpedo
boats destroyers Truxtun, Whipple
! and Worden at the Maryland Steel
COmpanys yards at Sparrow's Point
Maryland. majority OF the little craft
for the navy's new notilla. to consist
OF sixteen torpedo boat destroyers OF
this class. will be ready to be put III
commission. These vessels are nearly
Identical in construction and appear
ance and when finally the entire six
teen are aflolt the United States flag
will fly over what naval officers say
will be one Of the most formidable
fleets of torpedo boat destroyers to be
found in any of the Davies of the great
powers except that Of England. whose
single fleet Of similar vessels outnum-
bcIs by four that of the United States.
, though. perhaps. 1t is not so modern.
| All modern conveniences have been
provided for in the construction Of
these new vessels. and although the
Do signs were prepared by Assistant
Naval Constructor d. III. Cox. T.. :. N.
| In The department here. they cannot b.
l'''I''h ~ any 'sp'.
The contracted date for the compile
ton of these vessels fell in the spring
OF 1900. but owing to certain obstruc-
tons To work their building has ex-
tended over another year. II Is ex-
| pccted. however. that within o few
| months the last one will have bteA
| completed.
They will carry each battery Of
two l2-pound and five G-pound guns
with long torpedo tubes mounted on
| the amidships line. besides two cutters
| n VIVA leboat ana two folding boats
ana a complement Of four officers ana
| ty-ninc men The amidships sec
| ton approximates TO the oval form
largely adopted by the French govern
mcnt The sections toward the stern
are 81 iginai though resembling some
| what the form given by Thorneycroft
| 10 his twin rudier boats several years
ago. Tile relative arrangement of
engines In separate compartments be-
| tween boilers Is similar Ia that on the
torpedo boats The officers petty
! officers and crew VIII be provided for
| az comfortably as IL practicable on
| board this style ~ vessel with stow
| lc. fnr twenty days provisions
| Dynamos win be used for the electric
and search lights. In addition to the
| coal abreast the machinery. there will,
| be the protection Of twelve and one
half pound nickel steel sheet plates
oxen Z. portion ~ the deck ana on the
steer strake The forward coming
| tower is ~ haIf-inch nickel steel sheet
plates.
| The contractors to whom the con-
| struction was assigned have guaran-
| iced that the vessel viii attain a
| speed Of n least twenty nine knots,
| ana ~ several cases where the speci-
| ficattons ~ the department were not
altered az high AZ thirty knots viii
| he reached. -Four Of the destroyers
viii hav" displac ement OF between
400 and 40 tons. while the rest have
10 toms displacement. except the three
iaunc he'd today. which exceed their sis
ter ships in tons OF displacement as
well as In general measurement. The
| extreme length. breadth. mean draft
and displacement of the Truxtun. the
Whipple and the Worden are 2iS feet
- feet. 6 feet and i23 tons. reSpccjively
y somewhat novel feature or these
new unarmortd steel vessels II the in
on "a the result OF experience at sea
with even the largest of American tor
pedo boats. The use OF this keel has
been found To he a great relief to
crews. especially during excessive and
lively rolling. As these boats will be
expected in the future to Keep the
seas. the fitting OF bilge keels is
thought tn be important. Builders
were not inclined To favor the adoption
of this sort of keel. because II was
considered an uncertain factor in high
speed required.
1t was enacted in the construction
Of these vessels that the use of wood
should be reduced to n minimum. and
that it must be made thoroughly fire
proof.
The sixteen unlrmored steel sister
vessels to compose the new United
States tlutilia OF torpedo boat de-
stroyers are as follows The Balm
bridge. the Barry. the ChaunCey, the
Dale. the Decatur. the Hopkins. the
Hull. the Lawrence, the Marlborough.
the Paul Jones. the Perry. the Preble.
the Stewart. the TruXtun the Whipple