The evening Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1902-1902, 1902-08-29
LITTLE DEFENDERS.
Remarkable Target Practice
by Torpedo Boats
A RECORD NEVER SURPASSED.
Out of Fourteen PrpisctiIcs Fired
Only One Failed to Work, and
All the others Hit an Ira
aGinary BstticshiD.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2o.-The navy
department has made public an extract
from the report OF Lieutenant Chan
dler, L. s. N. commanding the torpedo
fiotilla, Of the firing of his vessels dur
ing the time they were inspected by
the secretary Of The navy. 1t is rs fol
lows:
Forming in exact column. the notil.
la steamed north until abreast Of the
firing ground in Coddington cove, when
the Decatur turned and headed for the
target in the cove. This target con-
sists Of three platforms supported on
casks, about seventy-hve feet long in
all, outside Of which, one at each end,
are two yellow flags, representing the
two turrcts of the 500 foot battleships.
Outside Of these again are two red
flags, representing the ends of the same
ships.
"Steaming bows on for the float
when 1000 yards away the secretary
pressed the firing key on the bridge
and simultaneously discharged the two
torpedoes, one on each side. They
curved as set, and one went immedi-
ately under the center of the float,
while the other passed inside the right
hand yellow flag.
while the Decatur was firing the
rest of the 1otilla continued to the
northward countermarched and re-
turned close to the Decatur, about 800
yards from the target. The boats
passed the target at from seventeen to
twenty knots. and each one fired two
torpedoes simultaneously from her port
broadside as her tubes bore, firing
while close to the Decatur. OF the
twelve torpedoes fired by them one
from the Stockton hung by the tail
from the tube with the head in the wa
ter and finally wrenched the tail off,
but not before it had been secured. Or
the other eleven all but one passed in
side the yellow flags. and that one
passed just outside of the yellow flag.
"All these torpcdocs and gyroscopes
in operation except one of the pair
from the Biddle, and that one hit the
target also, and one of the casks COM
posing it having to be cut open to get
the torpedo out, it having preached
just as ii arrived under tine floats.
Il believe that the results reported
above have never been exceeded be-
fore and | know of no record equal
to them. 1t is seen that out of fourteen
tcrpedoes prepared but one failed to
run. Out Of the thirteen that did run
twelve hit between the turrcts of the
batt!eslip target and the other one I'M
der one of the turrCts. Fully three
quarters of the shot would have struck
directly under the engine rooms. All
boats except the Decatur were at high
speed when they fired, and she was
only slowed down 50 as not to ovelrun
the target. Speed would have made no
difference in her shots owing to the
presence of the cap mark tube gyrO-
scope. In considering the results the
haste with which we got ready for the
performance should not be overlooked.
after the practice and leaving boats
behind to pick up the torpedoes, all of
which were reported uniniured, the
tlotilla formed column at full speed.
1t had been my intention to proceed to
sea for tactical work, but found that
the visitors seemed inclined to prefer
spin in the bay, which was accordingly
taken in column at full speed"