TORPEDO BOATS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 254, 29 October 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

TORPEDO BOATS.

An Interesting Demand for Them in

Europe.

Decidedly the time has come when fche torpedo boats must do something, no matter what, to justify their existence. For any powers they have of late shown themselves to be possessed of along with the gallant Bugaboo, and "a royal salute of ricks " would be a fit recognition of their imagincry merits. A b Toulon recently the torpedo boats failed so badly that even their great patron, xldmiral L'Aube, threw them over ; at the recent maneuvers they disabled themselves one after another, like crazy wasps, and yesterday's attack upon he fleet in [the Solent seems to have been the worst'fiasco of all. Captain Long, wo are told, " handled hisflubilla of twenty boats in a most masterly and scientific manner," so the fault must be in the boats themselves. "Yet," says another correspondent, "it seemed to all who watched the fight closely that very few torpedo boats could have passed the outposts so skilfully posted by 'Lieutenant Slade, and if any had got through they would inevitably have been sunk by fire from the ironclads." "And besides those in the action a few ran aground for variety's sake, although," says a sarcastic witness, "without suffering any material injury beyond theoretical destruction." As we sadbefore, a borpedo-boab must blow up^ somio thing just to show that she can do ib with all the chances in her favour. —" Pall Mall gazette." ■ ~ ■ .