Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-08-21
SCOUTS" FOR BRITISH NAVY
New Type of Warship to be Added
to King Edwards Fleet.

New Type of Warship to be Added
to King Edwards Fleet.
Another type of warship is about
to be added to the fighting squad
rons of the empire. It's particular
function is revealed by it's name
the Scout. Every year the speciali-
cation of war duties in the navy in
creases. This remark applies equal
II to officers and men and to the
material they control. In the old
days all officers received the same
training; they were all sea-dogs, and
they sailed in line-of-battle ships,
frigates and sloops. Now navigation
gUnnery, the torpedo, engineering,
electricity, wireless telegraphy-or
signalling claim careful-and to
some extent exclusive, study by
those who 60 down to the great
waters u the Kings ships Is it
realized how this tendency is adding
to the long array of ships, with dIt-
ferent powers and different duties,
which are included in his Majesty
fleet? We have now battleships OF
various types, coast-defense ships
(old), armored cruisers, protected
cruisers, unprotected cruisers (old),
sloops, gunboats, torpedo gunboats
torpedo boats, torpedo ram, torpedo
boat deGtrOyers, submarines, dis
patch vessels, etc.
There is also a astgrowing list
of auxiliary ships-Colliers, hOspit
ais, repairing vessels, torpedo depot
ships and distilling ships-aI spe-
officially fitted for the peculiar work
expected from each kind. The last
new craft is child of the White
head torpedo a weapon which when
first introduced had a speed of 712
knots, could travel 1000 yards, had
a charge of 81 pounds of gun-cOtton
and was uncertain and unreliable
In a quArtei of a century it has
been gradually developed into a de-
pendable weapon, which travels
1000 yards after discharge at
speed of 80 knots, with a burden of
200 pounds of gUn-cotton. The gyrO-
scope guides this awe-inspiring
mother of so many special crafts
with accuracy. Until the latest de-
velopment came the destroyer" was
the baby of the family of torpedo
ships, but 1t was too frail for work
in open seas away from a base. As
the Earl of Selborne has explained:
When destroyers were first design
ed it was not contemplated that
they would be frequently used other
wise than as working from fixed
base. Experience. however, has
shown that vessels with greater sea
keeping powers are required for serv-
ice with fleets, and accordingly the
board has decided both materially
to strengthen the type of future de-
stroyers and also to create a new
class altogether, to which the name
Scout has been given. 1t is propos-
ed not to initiate a design for this
new class at the admiralty. but to
invite the private ship-builders of
the country to give the navy the
benefit of their creative ingenuity
by submitting designs ii fulfill cer-
tain stated conditions"
1t is now announced that from the
Clyde, and probably also from the
Yarrow and Thornycroft shipvards.
designs and tenders have been sub
mitted for these new boats The
necessity for a sitter class of tor
pedo vessel was revealed by the in
vestigattons of an admiralty commit
tee which was appointed after the
disaster to the Cobra The new
scouts are to be much longer and
stronger than any "destroyers" hith-
erto built. vessels which will be
able to remain at sea in ordinary
weather for more prctracted De-
RODS than either "destroyers" or
torpedo boats. 1t was at first fear
ed that the increase in the size and
strength would lead to a great fan.
ing off in speed. but there is reason
to believe, from the opinions Of
skilled engineers. that the Scouts
will have a reliable rate approach.
ing 30 Knots an hour. In the esti-
mates for the present year 7n1v
{ % 435 has been taken by the al.
miralty for the four craft of this
type included in the program OF
but at Glasgow it l.
stated that the construction of ten IL
now contemplated London Tela-
graph