Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-07-28

~. Fultsn,s Exprrissext MI attempted
Yesterday, at.the promised hour but ei-
Their from carelessness or aceident il totallY
tailed. AT o'clock Il was gain sttenpt.
ed. and again il failed. AZ Z third
attemPt was made-thc experiments suc-
ceedsd-thes brig was destroysd and sunk.
Perhaps fifteen or tusnty thousand persons
were drawnfrom their business aud col.
iected en- the battery, on wharyes md yes.
sels, on the roofs and al the doors and
! windows Of houses, TO view the expert.
meut. After the 6rss fsiinre . great pro.
portion OF the concourse dispersed With
visible and marked Dissatisfaction after
the secoud many more retired and tpeth2ps
not five Hundred witnessed the explosion.
AS to the utility Of the invention, NC
! shallmake but one remark-N o mac hiue5y
like this which requires the manager to
proceed, 10 full view. within SO or so Yards
Of the vessel TO be destroyed can ever, 10
any degree succeed. a thousand OF thea,
with the managers and their BOATS, could
be blewn from the surface Of the water,
Before they could approach 80 pear as 10
90 the least injury TO hostile feet.
( NezO 1erk PAP. July 2l.
The following letter has been addressed
by Mr.. Fulton, TO the governor, mayor and
corporation of New York.
/" GrKTLKMts,
$ Yesterday (Menday) my desire
to satisfy public curiosity al the stated us.
nn,c was as great as my never ceasIng anx
iety to see our harbors and coasts placed
beyond the power Of foreign insults aud
q lament exceedingly tina. numbers were
disappointed by The explosion not taking
place on the FRS, ATTACK. Bar i, has given
me much additional confidence 10 my en-.
glnes, and hope il will be acme sails.
faction to you and the public TO know tina,
the failure Of the first attack was occasion.
ed by the ,rieiog circumstance Of the lock
being placed under the torpedo SO that
when it struck, the powder fell OUT of the
pan and did not take 6re. On taking the
torpedoes GU. Of the water wnere they had
been two hours, found the locks and
powder pet:eo.ly dry, aud Immediately
discovered the cause of the failure which
corrected by placing piece of quick mach
in she ctargewhich the loekconta,ned. Thus
arranged. the FIRE was communicated to
tte 20 pounds of powder Ia the body, Of
ae torpedo. An explosion took place and
,hc brig was decomPosed.
You have now secn the effect of the ex.
psoslon ofpowdef uuder the bottom of
vessel and this believe is the best and
most simple mode Of using il with the
g,eatess effect ia marine wars for sficht
sppllcation of one torpedo will anBihilate
shipvof Sc line nor leave man 10 felate
the dreadful ca,asrophe. Thus should
ship OF the line containing 500 neu cor
tend with 10 good row boats each with
torpedo acc en men, she would risk total
anaihlatIon, while the boats under the
cover q the niehr and quick movements
would risk only a few men out of one hun
drea.
When I've. ships Of equal force engsge it
may br aeob' iul which will gain the yic,o.
rys frequently one hundred men are kill- !
cd CO each SIDE. as many wounded, and |
sh Psmr b injured bu' even .he vanauish.
ed vessel will admit Of being repaired, and |
thus she cumber of ships Of war are not
diminished, bu, coo.inue to increase. and |
ytannise over the rieh.s of acu.rals and |
peaceahis nations Having now clearly de.
monssra,ed the great effect Of explosion
under waller, it's easy to conceive iha. by !
organisation and practice, the application |
of the Torpedoes will, like every other art,
progress to perfection. Little difficulties |
and errors will occur in the commence mens,
as has been the case in all new inventions,
bur where there is 80 little expesee, so lit.