Evening star., 1940-08-11
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

In these days Of naval warfare, with
types of fighting craft not known
so years ago, the fol-
New Ships lowing printed in The
For Navy Star Of August Q, 1890,
relative to new marine
development, is Of particular interest:
THE Board Of Commodores, constitut-
ing the construction and designing body
Of the Navy, is at present engaged upon
the consideration Of the plans for the
torpedo cruiser or torpedo chaser for
which provision was made in the recent
naval appropriations bill. This vessel Is
to be novelty as far as the American
Navy is concerned, her nearest prototype
being the vesuvius as regards size, shape
and speed. She will practically have no
rival, for the present at least She is
virtually to be an diversified torpedo boat
Of the protected type, fitted with torpedo
tubes and an offensive gun battery and
is designed primarily to attack the small
torpedo boats of the Cushing class.
There is as yet no definite conclusion
reached as to the dimensions and general
characteristics OF this vessel, although
these figures are quite likely to be adopt
ed: Length. 26o feet; breadth, rs feet:
draught. feet: speed. % knots: horse
power, 5000. She will probably be ntted
with coil boilers and will cost about
$3.50, ,000 She will differ from the Vesu-
vius in this material point: That she
will have a greater range of action in
possessing high-power powder guns Of =
practically universal range, whereas the
dynamite cruiser is hindered in her scope
OF operations by the fixation of her three
pneumatic guns, which can only be
trained by the movements of the ship.
There is also to be one additional tor
pedo boat built Of the Cushing class, the
appropriation for this purpose being
$l25000. It is thought likely that the
contractors for the Gushing, the Herre-
schoff Co.. will be asked to duplicate that
remarkable little vessel, with certain
notifications designed to lessen the vast
amount of machinery which she carries
in order to give more room below.
ut is expected that the bidding on
four big ships, the three great battleships
and the three-screw cruiser, which Is to
take place october !, will be quite spirit
ed, as those old rivals, the Cramps of
Philadelphia and the Union Iron Works
OF San Francisco, declare their deter
mination to oppose each other again.
Some naval authorities are of the opin-
ion that bidders will be more eager for
the swift cruiser than for the battleships
on account Of the opportunity offered by
the three screws to make large premiums,
but as the requirements as to speed are
to be very high-22 knots-the risks are
very great. On the other hand, there
are some who believe that the battleships
will be sought after with the greater
avidity on account Of the very novelty
OF the three-screw plan, which Is yet to
be demonstrated success. The appro-
priation for the battleships Is $12, 900 900,
or 100000 for each vessel, and that
for the cruiser, which some one in the
department has, for the lack OF better
name than number, dubbed the Pirate
is $2,750,000 each exclusive Of armament.
There Is rumor that the Bath Iron
Works, which is now building the two
1,000-ton gunboats. intends to bid on one
battleship. the facilities and tool plant
having been lately enlarged with this
view.
Work on the Maine and the Cruiser
No. 7 at the New York yard Is progress
ing well. The Maine is in 30 advanced
a state Of construction that her launch
ing Is expected to take place by the lst
Of November next. The other vessel will
probably be launched some time next
summer. The two ships corresponding
to these, being built by the Government
at Norfolk, the Texas ard Cruiser No. 8,
are not going ahead so rapidly. Work on
them has almost come to q standstill,
owing to the absence Of the constructor
in charge in Europe and some trouble
that has been had Of late with the stern
posts Of the Texas. 1t will probably be q
year yet before the Texas is ready to 60
OF the ways.
There is another vessel undergoing
the process Of paper preparations IN the
Navy Department, the Ammen Ram, or
Turtle, as she facetiously Is called. She
is to be . very peculiar craft. with
sloping back, the edge Of which goes
under the waternne. Hen bow viii be