The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-10
TINY CRAFT REACH MANILA.
Four American Torpedo Boats Make
IA Remarkable Run.

Remarkable Run.
| A remarkable voyage for four little war.
| ships has been completed in the arrival
| at Manila of the squadron composing the
| gunbOat Annapolis and the OCEAN tugs
F'roliC. Piscataqua and Wanpatuck
which sailed from Hampton Roads early
/ last winter
This is the longest trip ever accomplish
| ed by such tiny naval craft and was prob
ably never equaled by similar warships
The distance covered was nearly two
/ thirds around the world. crossing one
ocean skirting the southern part of Eu-
| rope, thence through the tornado seas OF
the Indian Ocean. down to the Philip
pines at a season when typhoons are US
| ual- There have been trips of small ships
across the Atlantic, and once an old mon
itor was sent around to San Francisco by
! the Horn. but no vessels of such light dis
placement have yet covered so much dan
geTOus water area as the little squadron
Of American boats
The Annapolis, as flagship, is small
vessel and the Piseataqua, next in size. Is
of but $50 tons, while the FroIiC has but
609 tons They made their first leg across
to Bermuda. where, after piling coal in
their bunkers and on their decks. they
made across to FunchaI, thence TO the
Mediterranean and out through the Red
Sea. On several occasions the Piscata-
qua was called upon to assist the other
ships with lows while repairs were being
made Now they are in the Philippines
the navy will have several useful boats
for shallow-water work there.
Difficulty is found in maintaining the
torpedo Doat fiotilla in a condition for
ll@ff
bers Of these boats awaiting some repair
work. and as fast as one is cleared an
other is waiting her turn Such delicate
pieces of mechanism require as much at
tenticn, the navy men say, as a sick
baby, and as long as the service supports
large fleet the navy yards may expect
to have some Of these vessels always on
hand At the Norfolk Navy Yard are sew
eTaI to be overhauIed this summer and
at New York are others. From present
indications 1t viii be necessary TO have
these boats in charge of experienced Of
ficers and trained men Lack of officers
has prevented the boats from having as
many assigned them, as they require
with the result that frequent accidents
have occurred, through no fault OF Of
flCers or crew Life on them is trying
at the best, and is especially severe now,
owing to the fact that but two line Of
ficers are assigned each boat During the
summer evOlUtions Of the North Atlantic
fleet the largest torpedo boat fotilIa or
Bdnized by the navy viii participate in
the exercises
4 compTe henSive plan for the esta bIish-
ment Of i torpedo boat defence for the
United States viii be recommended to
Secretary Long for ira nsmission TO Con-
gress by the beard which is carefully
considering this matter. Until the return
Of Capt G Q Converse, president OF the
board, who is now on board the Illinois
which is TO undergo her preliminary trial
this week the board Will not prepare its
report 1t Is certain, however. that the
board VIII oppose the establishment Of a
single rendezvous for the torpedo boat
toti.la. which, in about d year, viii con
sist OF at least fifty boats The boats Will
be distributed among points on the At
lantIc, Pacific. and Gulf coasts
Some of the members Of the board favor
the construction OF sheds at the points
selected. while others believe that the
best course to pursue Is to tie the boats
uD at whaTVes and dock them as frequent
y as necessary IL order to prevent de
decorating To esta bfish sheds an ex-
pendituTe OF several millions of dollars
would be necessary 1t is likely that a
middle course xiii be pursued, some of
the boats being hauled out and others re-
naming in the water The cost IN this
case would be about $1,000. 600.