The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-04-12
RICHMOND, FRLD.4Y. .4PRIL IL, 1911.


vessel but presume that he report of the
committee is correct ON thi. head. On ON,
meeting, on the 28,h of September MIR
Fulton exhibited the model of a vessel
guarded in the manner the brig Argus was,
with nets and also showed the PRACTICABLE.
iity Gas he supposedly OF passing the ,orpe-
90 under the net, and making it rise to tn e
bottom OF the vessel. alter it had passed
ms, he alledged, might be effected by an
exmg weight to torpedo, that was spe-
Critically lighter than the water. whio h
weight would be cast OFF at given time
and the torpedo rise and strike the bottom
OF the vessel with sufficient force to be dis
charged. He exhibited the model of the
ciock-work prepared for this operation.
which cast of the weight at the time for
which 1t was set. To guard against this
Commodore Rodgers ssidthat the net might
De extended &c the bottom of the river: in
which case, it was admitted by Mr.. Fulton.
taas the torpedoes could not be placed up-
der the ship, but BY passing them ,hrouph
the net. Commodore Rodgers was asked.
whether it would be possible TO sail and
man0uvre vessel in harbor surrounded
with spars and booms. aud with nets hang
ing down TO the bottom of the riyers He
was OF opinion, that il was but upon be-
ing requested to put the brig Argus in mo
tion with her nets and spars, which did not
extend many feet below the vessel. he de-
clined 1t until she should come round into
the North river, where she would have
more room On this subject hsweyer the
Commodore never had any experimental
evidence, the ship never having been ma
nGuyered with these incumbrances. How
far Commodore Rodgers's opinion ON his
head is correct. I pretend not to Judge but
TINS question, so very important in deciding
on the means that ship possesses for de
tehoing itself against torpedoes. ought, in
my opinion, to be tested by actual expert
ment; because no naval officer. however
experienced, can as yet speak oft, exec ut
as theoretical and untried question. 7
was not with the committee when thev ex-
amined the anchored torpedo, butt saw it
Il believe IN company with one member of
the commitiee,) at two different times.
when It appeared to me co be erect. What
the effect of ship passing over it. would
have been whether or nor the lock would
have given FIRE, i cannot say from any &C
toal experiment, though Ihave iittle doubt
from the construction or il, tina il would
have done so while the torpedo was VERT
cal, or even If its end was inclined by the
tide to ship bearing upon Ii against The
tides Though we doubt whether it wouId
have gone off, If the tide should incline the
head OF the torpedo much III the same di
rection out have no reaSo3 70 think, that
Il would be so inclined or, If it would. it
Is obvious that this might be easily pre-
vented by the use OF two, instead of one
bride, and by various other ways. This
was the sum OF the experiments made bv
M: Fulton. He, however. suggested sevc
raj ingenious modes by which he Conceived
the netting might be cut; and the torpedoes
passed through them. These were answer
ed by several modes of defence. equally in
genious, proposed by Commodore Rodgers
Captain Chauncey, and the other naval Of
hcers present. But as you have it in YOUR
power, sir, to command those, and doubt
less will do so BY calling upon M. Fulton
and the gentlemen of the navy, do not
think II necessary to repeat them--but will
proceed to state my own opinion, drawn
from what was able to collect from the
experiments, after mentioning one other
made by Commodore Rodgers in order 70
show the effect of grape and canister she,
An old boat, whose :planking vas not.
think, one inch thick. was anchored at the
distance OF sixty or eighty yard, from the
wharf, with some boards set erect. to re-
present men. A four and twenty pounder.
loaded with grape and canister shot, was
'cveiied By Captain ChauHcey and fred al
1t. The boat and boards were perforated
by great number of shot. Not having been
so exact as to count them, I cannot saw
the precise number, but certainly e.
nough to have destroyed a boat of that
kind. and killed or wounded every man in
Il. a circumstance struck me in this ex
pertinent, from which very important con
;lusions may be drawn. For the space of
near two minutes after the gun was fired.
the day being calm,) the boat was invi ,ible
% myself, and l believe, to every person
placed within twenty yards of the gun. ow
Dg to our being involved in the smoke If
the cannon. Another circumstance was
hat though the sides of the boat were old
aud thin, yet the same shot did not appear
o have passed through more than one side
,f the boat, most of them being found with
n it: from whence infer, that three
Dch oak plank would have resisted those
Mot, and OF course, that grape or canister
Gould not be OF much effect, when the men
we're covered by deck, or when the sides
of the boat were more than three inches
hick.
1t seems, sir. TO have been admitted on all
sides, Oh the faith of the experiments that
have been previously made, and of which
Mr.. Fulton had given an account to the
public, that powder placed under vessel
would destroy it; and indeed, this nigh
nave been inferred from the incompres.
'ibifity of the water, and the resistance il
'hords to any sudden and violent i'm
pulse.
Mr.. Falton has thus presented to us a
new application of powder, and il is i'm
possible to say. to what important conse
luences 1t may ultimately lead, as de.
Iehce against naval attacks, or in the re