The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-28 00:00:00

Large Failure in Liverpool.

LIVERPOOL, Sept 28.
A Liverpool stockbroker has suspended payment,
with nobilities reported to exceed £600,000.
He is said to have disappeared.

A FEDERAL TORPEDO.—The first torpedo boat
worthy of any notice which has been planned since
the rebellion was launched on the Bth inst. at Fairhaven,
Connecticut She is a wooden vessel, 75 feet in length,
20 feet beam, and seven feet depth of hold. She is built
in the most substantial manner, with heavy beams sup-
ported by hanging knees, securely bolted and fastened.
The deck is crammed about two feet fore and aft, and
about as much athwartships, and this will be covered
with a thickness of iron armour sufficiently strong to
make it shot and shell proof. The vessel will sit very
low in the water under any circumstances; but when not
actively employed, she will float some 20 odd inches
above the surface; but when approaching a vessel to
deatr,y her or engage in blowing up obstructions, only the
cram of her deck will be above the water. There are but
three objects visible above the decks—viz., pilothouse, smoke-
stack, and ventilator. These only show a few inches at the
most. These objects are perfectly shotproof, and their
openings are protected in the most secure manner. The
novelty of the affair is not seen until a visit is made below
the deck. Away aft is placed the engine, with a cylin-
der of 18 inches in diameter and 18 inches stroke of
piston. This engine works a screw of a size capable of
forcing the vessel through the water at the rate of say
twelve miles per hour. Next comes the boiler which fur-
nishes the steam for the main engine as well as
for the auxiliary engines, which work the submerging
pumps, and the mechanism by which the torpedo arm places
the torpedo beneath the ship. Everything connected with
these machines is of the moat simple and durable kind, and
net at all liable to get out of order. Forward of the boiler
is the steering wheel, located beneath the pilot-house, and
then comes the torpedo machine. It must not be expected
of us to explain in detail how this machine works. We
will, however, give an illustration as to how the machine
operates. Let us suppose that an enemy's fleet were blockad-
ing our harbour, and w e were in possession of one or more
of these torpedo vessels. Twelve men, including engineer
officers. man the vessel. Tho steam is raised, and under
cover of night she steams out upon her mission. As she
advances towards her victim a torpedo, varying in its charge
from 601 b to 2001 b cf powder, is placed in a basket-formed
contrivance, which is secured to a long rod. The torpedo is
capped, and the hammer which is to explode it is secured,
and, everything being ready, the large working box is
closed, the ate at the bow of the vessel is raised ; the water
then rushes inuntil it is filled. The machine is now set in mo-
tion, and a long iron arm carries the basket containing the
torpedo out from the vessel, and, closing up to the enemy, by
means of a rod within this arm, the torpedo is released from
its receptacle and is deposited in the water in just such a
position as allows it to float up against the bottom of the
vessel intended to be destroyed. The machinery still keeps
on revolving, and the same motion which oaused the arm
to run out brings it back ; the vessel in the meantime backs
out of the way of the vessel intended to be sunk, and at the
moment fixed upon the hammer falls, the cap is exploded,
and the work i■ done. The arm is withdrawn inside of the
torpedo craft, and the basket again charged,—.Yetl,
Iler«ki,