The Swiftest Vessel in the World.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4787, 31 July 1894, Page 2

The Swiftest Vessel in the World.

In .her trial, trip the other day,the torpedo destroyer Havoc,' built to the order of the British Navy, attained a speed of 29 jknots, eclipsing the world's record, Tho Inventive /lye, an Americaiii'Sqientifio journal, thus refers to the Havoc and Hornet; sister torpedo boats, which have just been completed by Messrs Yarrow and Company, Islo of Dogs, London; " The fastest vessel in tho world is undoubtedly the nowßnglish torpedo destroyer, Hornet! The official'trial .of th?. new\ boat showed thather speed exceeded ,28 knots an hour. The Hornet is 0110 of moretliau 30 vessels, of a similar .type, ordered by the -'English Government;, ;;The Havbd and Hornet are built exactly alike in every detail.except theii-boi-lers, The disadvantage under jvliich ordinary', first class .torpedo ' boats labor is their loss of speed in a heavy.' sea, These larger and more powerful craft were constructed after tho torpedo type for tho purpose of overhauling'the torpedo boats in astern. The Hornet is a twin screw boat, 180 ft. long and 18ft Gin beam, Tho propellers are three Waded. The engines, are of the tri-compound type,' having cylinders' 18in, 26in, and 39jiu in diameter -by 18in stroke.: The Ttto sets af inverted tiiple expansion engines are capable, of developing collectively 3600 li.p. each set of engines driving a screw, There • are: two, surface condensers, two centrifugal pumps, and .engines for driving them, fan engines, steam bilge pump j evaporator and distiller, air compressing enginos, and engine dynamo for the; search light, and the engine for steering the boat,' The armament consists of an lSin-bow torpedo tube for firing directly, ahead and two 18 inch swivel torpedo tubes for side firing, placed on tho turntable aft, On the forward conning tower, woll elevated above the water line, is a 12-pound quick firing gun, 0110 011 each side, and a - pounder placed on a high,stand near tlie stern, There,is, a watertight flat, or a lower deck, just above the wator line, from tho stem to the forward stokehole, adding greatly to the safety of the boat iu case of a collision. The usual carrying capacity'is sixty tons. The'supply-is believed to bo sufficient for a run of 4,000 miles at . a ten-knot speed. The complement of officers and men is forty-two. The Havoc is roported to have made the marvellous avorage speed of thirty miles an hour 011 a run of a hundred miles."