The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-09-03 00:00:00

THE TORPEDO EXPLOSION AT KIEL.

An eye-witbern of this &easter has written the
following diocr:ption of the eoene :

" Yeaterdav Augest 11, at 12 o'cleck midday. I went on
board the Elbe. a email steamer, detached, to wituns hnw
oar ramie ity the torpedoes Three cables' length from the
strand lies it bowler-bar, r, with 8 OUOlb of powder on ho rd
The torpedoeil were charged upon it The Ele rangel her-
self alongside Oa the barge's deck lay 14 laded tothed, es.
The long-boat, which hod followed tie, and which carried
14 hands,ldd herself along the other nide of the berms and
eanumenced chipping the torpedoes. 441:ar taking three of
them flit board they were to start In maker to sink them.
leoned upon the boiler of the steambc stand watched them at
work, tird without • secret shudder at the careleamese
with which the sailors handled the hellish macnines. Tilers
they lay in a row, shtning in the son, lacquered Iron boiler.;
upon each glatened a great white T. Involuntarily I thought
to myself that must steed for 'Tod '—Death. Two torpedoes
were deposited in the long-boat; the such. r WWI belie Mica.
There rum out a fearful tietonntian; fur eye. and Inc.' were
smother, d with a hot volume. I felt a heavy st,lns no the left
mender—l knew not what had hammed I freed mt eyesight
and lo tad round. I as. stun :leg In a edit of tiling timber,
iron. and sphnters ol bone—then all Wa4 q Met. 8 aid-
ciering, I rabbis i my face; it was covered with fraements of
fl ,slt. so were my cloth.. toy cap was sprinkled with there.
: On the deck et the Elbe lay countless epecks of flesh and
none spluiteringt ; siongeide, hunting pieces of wood and
clothing The del of the pow.ler harp was in like c ,se.
Instautly we put net the lire burning upon it arid looked
(either round The leg-hoot had truni,herl, end with her
seven men ; three others lay sorely iv...deli on the barge,
one with fractured leg and mangled features, another with
shattered spine, several others bleeding from numerous
w.,unds. Mena were owininmig In the water What could
he rove) Wan saved, altll the wounded brought on board the
Elbe The seven In the long-bent were literal y torn to stoma
The two vessels were steamed with minute fragments of their
bodies. Inc funnel of the Elbe had two holes. and the interior
of the fore cablte was almo4 demolished. Fr,- to the powder
I barge piece. of plat-king were torn away. Ilad the B,ooolb
I powder hut zplodet, 110 boat, no trace of laving soul
would have remained. Haeeyou any conception of our
contact torpedoes? They comet of a torpedo iron vessel
charged with leftlb of powder, which, bv means, of iron
bonds, is knelled to an umnrellestiaped a. chor. The fame
and leaf piping are filled with priming; that,. pedo melanin
I tl.e middle of au air-flPed sp cc some ten feet below the sur-
face I the water, anti as stem as • atop disturbs end strikes
it the charge explodes. The torpedoes lie so thick together
anti Ins many dlrc,i,ns across, the haven thst no ship can
, pass Ural j red;i others of • different et:m.ollo'ton 111110 lie
there, who he.. be watched onshore mid tired by electricity
The blow I d en my shoulder lamed also try left arm
On leiokine closer I found my jacket and shirt pierced throuah,
a wound in ihe shoulder, *MI two lIIJII,t.rII of bone an inch
long sticking in it—not my bane. It mast have been a ilmb
Coin one of the 111-fated ones which had struck me."