The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-09-10 00:00:00

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Sept. 10,1844

CAPTAIN WARNER'S INVENTIONS.

For years past it has been a question of no little doubt
amongst scientific and nautical men, whether the alleged
inventions offered for purchase to Government by Capt.
Warner—(who, it will be seen, has recently charged our
representative, Sir Howard Douglas, with unfairness in
his conduct as one of the Commissioners appointed by
"Government to investigate the value of those inventions)
were what they were represented by him to be, or the
Caere creations of a mad enthusiast's fancy. There was
80tnething apparently so outrageous in the sum demanded
for them, in case of a successful trial of their powers,
.(,400,000 in all, or £200,000 for the invisible shells, and
.`"e same amount for what was styled " the long range,")
that sensible and cautious men were indisposed to believe
that, in the present advanced state of science, any de-
"
,ruetive agent could exist, or any mode of applying
lvnewn agents could be discered, worthy of a rernunera-
cal so
great as that named. The professions of Captain
Warner, therefore, as to the tremendous powers of the
engines at his disposal, were, somewhat too readily per-
"aPs, treated as gasconade, and, especially by professional
teen, looked upon as illusory and fraudulent in character
-and design.
The recent publicly-made experiment off Brighton,
when a vessel (the John o'Gaunt, furnished for the pur-
liose of trial by private munificence) was destroyed most
;ligaallv and effectually at the will of the operator, con-
.- d all but the obstinately incredulous that Captain
nee
Ramer did possess the knowledge of some secret agent
Iv tremendous and irresistible power, or some mode, pre-
viouslyp.. undeveloped, of using known agents, which was
_-siculated to effect a vast change in naval tactics, and
~§',.v,e a terrific preponderance to that nation who first used
-',ll warfare. But even that experiment, publicly made
1,1'4 /vas, afforded no solution of the question so indus-
-°uslY canvassed by the public, as to what was the nature
Vlew the agent or the mode of its application. Capt. Warner
up the John o'Gaunt at a signal given, he being in a
vessel at some distance from her ; but it was not seen
whether the agency employed was a projectile, or in what
Sher
way the destruction was effected. It was even sur-
-Bed that collusion might have been practised—that
,olubustibles might have been previously placed on board
re vessel destroyed. The experiment was a.dmitted toe
toea wonderful operation ; but it was not admitted to b
io"en‘which could be repeated under circumstances adverse
the
operator, or made practically useful in warfare.
aPtaia
hi; Warner kept his secret too closely to allow the
sP:i;"e either to pirate it, or sufficiently to satisfy them-
be i.`' Copy of the correspondence which bas taken place
I 'ween her Majesty's Government and Captain Warner
8 now before us, which throws considerable light upon
the nature of the inventions, and the treatment experi-
enced by their owner in his endeavours to render them
available by the Government of his native country. We
have already mentioned that the inventions in question
are twofold, consisting
first of a shell of a peculiar con-
tdruction and adaptation, called by the captain his " invi-
sible shell," by which vessels, fleets at sea, or forts, can
be destroyed with tremendous andefficiency; celerity
and
secondly, of some peculiar means of projecting engines of
'estruction, with a certainty of aim hitherto unknown,
by which objects can be destroyed at a distance from the
operators of five to six miles. This the captain styles
his
• long range." With a view of affording to our readers
a, closer insight into the nature of both these engines of
destruction than perhaps they at present possess, we shall
give Captain Warner's description of them, contained in
a letter under date of the 2nd November; 1841, addressed
to the Earl of Hardwicke ; and, for the sake of perspi-
(llitY, we shall describe them separately. First, there-
4.°rei we take the " invisible shell," of which Captain
warner thus speaks :
" I will first, my lord, enumerate some of the effects which I
p.4artake to produce by means of my Invisible Shells, antici-
ag br efly, as I go along, such objections to their practical
4lgeability as will probably occur to the minds of seamen, and
ofaces, I am informed, have been urged against their use by
to rs not intimately acquainted with their mode of operation,
the'iraWare o the ect conrol Icn exercise over them. By
Ma the mouths oft rivers,a harbours, and roadsteads
ing.yf perfect
ce blockaded; and any channel, where the usual sound-
wae,„4.l be incurring may be rendered impervious to. ships,
rnea.:L certain destruction. By usual soundings, I
For
e-x,euere a ship under ordinary circumstances will bring up.
reaclera•
ntlile, any part of the Downs I could easily and speedily
risk 0, ImPassable, and accomplish
antets without running any
uetection, even in the face of nemy's fleet. If need-
rtiaint abcase of European emergency, the entire Straits of Dover
• track rendered impassable, and the whole of the ordinary
TorradnshYitc,,el'a
steadsev aP-channel, from Dungeness to the South Foreland,
ivoef thrmarn
tbony 4;1 of similar depth. With this in view, I beg your
ine a chart of the ports, harbours, and road-
roadsteads th "1"
einterranean; and your lordship will, at a glance,
entrance to Toulon soundings, laid down, that the Dardanelles, the
interruptinne harbour, and all the principal ports and
throughout that sea, are liable to the same possible
troubled which I
could cause iu the more stormy and tide-
Merse t,-; Channel. The mouths of the Thames, the
Needles the Humber, the access to Portsmouth, either by the
unitOf St.
„, "elen's, Plymouth S, und, and all other ports in
and " Kingdom, might be severally blockaded, and ingress
pro„.eress effectually prevented in the space of a night. I have
tcativslll d or all fluctuations of tide and alterations from any
ime' of the depth of water. for the set of currents too ; and
the. •°es not deteriorate the efficiency or *bate th: force of
-e implements.
m
eat, aY system is quite apart from any aecustomed
its.stem of
ai tactics, and entirely novel ; but so simple. that ould
oadvisalee au enemy sh ould be in, if
oo
e,;,',ainetrically opposite quarter forduced dangerpossib to that whence
.lint.
really strike him ; to use a colloquial expression, it is dem-
etle to put him on a false scent, which can only be done by the
secresy and most guarded discretion. I assure your
:ir-o".'aiP, that by means of these Invisible Shells, I could so en-
tee shut in a fleet brought up, that it could not. get under
on" without involving itself in certain destruction ; and I
the-iluensure it the same fate if under sail, whatever might be
ship. -litho af the sea, the weather, the size and number of the
timving-Inttx)), eing such fleet, or the rate at which they may be
l.asely through the water. I may add too, adhering most
The %ruth. that I have so erfect a ove
Nur qu wer in en, that lobtained can apply it with facilityastery and cer-
r
re.4„l"__°fl the largest or most portable scale as occasion may
taii7
.‘ My intention, and I believe your lordship's wish,was,
°ter should principally state the efficiency of the inventions I
liberty Government in maritime warfare ; but I will take the
Troops
oof subjoining, that I can apply them on shore against
amiXtit,r forts with equal destructiveness. The most difficult
and bihli Passes might be maintained by means of this power,
Whit forts, however loft their site, be attacked or defended
vvee,.°'tly body of men, and without any battering train,
erek,..-Derishable stores f ammunition. I will not, how-
Zu, /our fne,..,°,n the land application of my inventions, but
-ee, if yo'ix'.sllll) to the present Master-General of, the Ord-
: "nth -*tracts
further satisfaction on this head.'
-*"act it will once be seen that the
• e shell 8 above
W's
the ""f Captain Warner is not a projectile, as
toent general! d • •on
it
Brighton. eceive opini , even after snowpshed,
it
From other documents pub-
'oPerate will be seen in what way they are calculated to
24th i • In a
- -larch letter, dated " Grand Depot, Woolwich,
R A
and
.1 1843," and signed by J. A. Chalrner, . .
Which *th"' Caffin, R.N.,- prescribing the experiments
letigoverneY require to be made to enable them to report
Pulat ,ment
firstesp to their value, we find it was
the .ea as the experiment, that
thick vratert"ft
ts to
pinrevrisible shells be placed by hg,.. Warner along the coast, so
ship lying at anchor from putting to sea, the tide
The ab. second experiment was to be "the same as the
~ooove
but with the tide either strong ebb or strong
With
respect to the third it is stated-
-12
invisible shell
1 • Warner is to suppose himselrcliased, and to throw overboard
s, and to destroy the ships following in his
wake.e
From these and other particulars of
government and the captain it will be readily tween negotiation be-
t-e .• • •
sur-
mised that these "invisible shells" are to be sunk in the
water, secured by grapnels, and attached together by lines
their course.
a manner as to operate by vessels striking them in
l_eri course. An under-water cordon, it is said, can be
armed round any port, or round any fleet, which will in-
711the destruction of vessels attempting to escape through
At the same time, the party using this defence can
Vtoh
oafety remove them when required. They are said
(11 to. be perfectly safe in handling on board ship ; the
Itynevvhich might be supposed to arise in the case of
triltia
of 9f destruction submerged, or from the rise
oPerat. tides, is capable of being provided for ; and the
~i4t ion of arranging the instruments round works to be
toetra°led can be performed without interruption, or an
thern: Perceiving from what quarter they are menaced by
The
by Ci;„?_°.we,,L styled " the long range" is thus described
atreedrala warner in the same letter from which we have
the ,ituoted
see,,,,d'• i.oPio. to which I solicit your lordship's attention is to
,aw...444°Nention, which I have designated my Lone Range.
.e,,,;tTg „advantages secured by it are,. an extent of range ex-
are o To that of any ordnance now in use by any nation on
l'et;Ziettkilibt,'l3 Pre-eminent advantage may be added, rapidity of
tOluih.YftlieW of panaim freedom from recoil, and perfect safety to the
alluVed oic,a,rries, d the crew which handles, the implements
board t° the j!`" my general title of Long Range. I need only
your , ship. ,Jeettent and fatal accidents which have occurred on
trorn;Z(lali•;. late from the shells now in use, to impress upon
" illliability to explode
:Mul. the desirableness of obtaining weapons free
7ear loraetreet of
'afort, ashie single shell of my. fabrication. waswitnessed by
spontaneously..
who., Pe ti]', other competent judges in July, 1840: I beg to
the „:estruct;" I can project 100 of equal power with the one
te44°,`"`„ ration, capabilities you saw, in a single flight, and el eat
Po„ rteelit ata4lh rapidity Against such a fire what ship or fort-
‘-lbrni', that .b
falsely, end I fear maliciously, re-
-11)e -ar• "aye boastedseen • ' blow up the Rock of
ech. never* of my ability to
'4lt hav gave utterance to so absurd and ridiculous a
411 '3 as e said t
stra„, hat I could bring such a fire to bear upon any
ih'sPeet t` left .145 Gibraltar, that in a few hours not a man
lii'entio: the tbired'a it, and Ido not withdraw these words. With
.‘a certahit advantage I have mentioned as incident to my
• ukt, seyoni of aim, I can in the highest sea ensure my aim
bow 'ctir any distance hitherto attained by any battery
leht almostrdsbiP pea t."
certain ',) to . e. wally. knows how difficult it is, 1 may
ssible it is, in a heavy sea way, to obtain a
~u• °l4l, f hittinut a gun on a fixed carriage with any tolerable
tia there( taust, g an object whose position alters nearly every
3 ore dur the case with a pitching and rolling ship, and
aPereciate the importance of having surmounted
111'111 sears ,71811 not to disparage the efforts which have for
slily iunery, bu'eep made to improve the theory and practice of
Lae pa,t4,vvorth assert, that while the onside have been
the °eel, "e f.or a the success has been very incrable. .If
tie, Use of ° traot„ta_lnent to dwell
aluon the affair of Acre, which
Niaa se,.vießues, en"_intly quoted as proof of our improvement in
alt,(,)'e sem!, as yourre,° surely only remind a naval officer who has
ee„_r
catordslatp has, that the water was smooth fr.om
Torhiiai.",to cannonade was directed, the garrison assailed
feNawscol,, not !rita and the object of aim was a huge fortress on
• a
s., ic_o4 fluctuating ship But I will aeal to your
meet to ,11 wledge whether •f I hadbemployed to de-
Posit , within aid not have cen
t° Sit!' myself gunshot of • prevented the approach of the British
Ge, ftobe et its shores; and on the other hand, sup-
e Murray gaged against it, I will refer your lordship
elute boreb- wheteei'i Lord Ingestre, and Lieutenant Webster, for
alasiZt t•
he reach Acre frcould pot, by means of my Long Range,
each of the from
a single vessel, placed in security quite
4:11„, er Veiestion reasonably)y. I will here, my lord,
reapt tje` ask,.....carTaay anticipate any experienced
Ituse tier.ese PY ordinary ship's company be easily
lee
.re, eo,,2tnayfurther and. properly demanded,—Whether the
s‘,.
red by power
.animating principle, if I may so designate
Z.4_,eurniers
or.: mese different implements can be ascer-
iele to not. eamen employed in handling' them ? I
Chef
e this ass' and I feel no commonin satisfaction in being
be kw:id:who every crew spies may be, and I
And • des will
for a reward will reveal any secret
to the in Confi •
Lode dstr !illation of t
.Lord actint the opinions of the inventors of
Melbourne )324 .wee may give a letter addressed
ILieutenant Webster, an officer of