In 1894 private contractors were making rapid progress with British warships under construction. On the Clyde there was a total of no less than 62,000 tons on hand with nearly two thirds of the whole tonnage distributed amongst private firms. At the yard of Messrs. J. and G. Thomson, Clydebank, there was Admiralty tonnage amounting to over 80,000 tons including the torpedo-boat destroyers Rocket, Shark, and Surly. The Rocket had been handed over to the Government and had achieved a mean speed of 28.25 knots during her preliminary trials. Fairfield and Company had three torpedo-boat destroyers in hand, the Handy, Hart, and Hunter. The Handy was almost ready for launching. The Abercorn Shipbuilding Company, Paisley, had two torpedo-boat destroyers in hand. The Naval Construction and Armaments Company, Barrow, also had a large share of the naval contracts awarded to private contractors, including the three torpedo-boat destroyers Sturgeon, Starfish and Skate. The torpedo-boat destroyer Banshee built by Laird Brothers, Birkenhead, was launched on the 17th of October1894, and the construction of another two torpedo-boat destroyers was in an advanced state. A number of torpedo-boat destroyers were being built in private yards on the Tyne, Wear, Humber and Thames. The Ardent, the first of three torpedo-boat destroyers built by J I Thornycroft and Company, Chiswick, achieved a mean speed of 29.182 knots over two runs, one with, and the other against the tide. The total tonnage under construction for the Admiralty was 220,210 tons, 128,640 being at the Royal Yards, and 96,570 tons at private yards.