Evening journal., 1902-06-21
HULL GLIDES
INTO CHRISTIANA
Another Valuable Addition
Made TO the Navy
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS HERE
Torpedo Boat Destroyer Floats Grace
fully Into ChriStiana River
at Noon Today

Another strong and valuable addi- |
ton was made to our ever growing
navy at noon to-day when the torpedo
boat destroyer Hull glided into the
waters of the Christiana river from the |
Harlan and Hollingsworth Company's |
yards.
Amid the cheers of the numerous |
guests and the large throng that had |
gathered to see the war vessel make its
initial plunge, Miss Hull, descend |
ant of the famous commodore for
whom the new boat is named, broke |
the bottle OF wine on the sharp nose of |
the destroyer rs 1t started from the
WAYS.
The Hull is the same class of boat |
as the Hopkins which was launched |
some weeks ago from the same yards. /
She was about completed at that
time. but as the Government was not
ready TO receive it, it was decided TO
let it remain on the ways. Another |
thing that retarded its launching was
the fact that it had to be removed from
the ways on which it was built TO the |
ways from which the Hopkins had been
launched This was done in q most
The whole operation. which required
the greatest skill and knowledge, was
performed in one hour and five min
utes
After the launching to-day a lunch
con was served in the mold loft, tOl
which all the guests at the launching
were invited.
Description of the New Boat
The construction of the United
States torpedo boat destroyer Hull, No.
z. was authorized by Congress in tho
act approved May 4, 1898, and the con-
tract for her construction was signed
with the Harlan and Hollingsworth
Company Wilmington, Delaware, Oc-
tOber 1898. She is 245 feet long, %
feet extreme breadth and at feet 6
inches. mean draft, displaces 40S TONS
The design in its general features fol-
lows the English type of boat but it is
not q close copy of foreign plans, as
has been the case with the designs of
some other boats now building. She
has four ThoTncroft water tube boilers,
designed for 300 pounds pressure ex-
hausting into four stacks. The en-
gines are twin screw, vertical inverted,
four cylinder triple expansion, 2O1ax-
B2x3Sx3Sx22-inch stroke, designed to
indicate about 5000 horse power, which
drive the boat to the guaranteed speed
OF 29 knots per hour. Her allowancel
of coal at her normal draft of water is
35 tons. and her bunkers will stow 120
tons. .Jhe carries an unusually heavy
battery for boats of her class, as in ad-
diiton to two deck discharging tubes
for 1S-inch Whitehead torpedoes, she
mounts two 12-pOunder and five g.
pounder rapid fire guns, one on top
of each of the two coming towers and
the other five ON the deck between the
coming towers. The officers quarters
aft consist Of cabin and staterOom for
the captain, a stateuOOm each for the
executive officer and engineer, and a
mess room abaft which is pantry and
bath room. Forward OF the captains
quarters is a compartment for the
galley and four berths for petty Of
fcers. and one with six berths for ma
chinists. Forward OF these is the fire
mems quarters with twelve berths.
Forward OF the firemen's quarters are
the two engine rooms, occupying the
full width of the boat and the boiler
compartments and coal bunker are
forward and abaft of the engine room.
Forward of the engine boilers is the
galley. and then the crews quarters,
with thirty folding berths, and in the
extreme bow the windlass compart-
ment. A turtle back is built from the
forward coming tower TO the stem and
the latter has sharp rake instead OF
being plumb as usual.
Sketch of Commodore Hull
Commodore Isaac Hull, for whom
the torpedo boat destroyer Hull is
named. was born in Derby, Mass, in
March. 1775. His father an
officer in the Revolutionary
army. was captured and placed
aboard one of the British prison
ships where he died. Young Hull was
taken in charge by an uncle, General
Hull. who gave him liberal education.
He early evinced a passion for the sea,
and in 1898 received a fourth lieuten-
ants commission. which was dated on
his twenty-third birthday, and was as
signed to the frigate Constitution, un-
der Captain Samuel Nicholson.
His first service of note was in cut
ting out French letter of marque in
the harbOr of Fort Platte, Hayti He
sailed into the harbor in broad day
light with a small vessel. the Sally.
captured the fort. spiked the guns, and
succeeded in getting away with the
French letter of marque. without the
loss OF a man. He commanded, in
1902. the Adams, with 2S guns. as
hrst lieutenant. and saw service in the
Mediterranean. In 1903 he command
ed the Argns two slxfeen-p1ln hrig-