The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-04-16

OF ever! seanan) in twenty minutes as to
prevent, even itno other means were used.
the possible application Of cable cutter.
After the aforementioned performance
OF cutting the cable, the members of the
committee. at the request of MIR. Fulton,
proceeded to examine "a torpedo, which had
been previously anchored ca the navy yard,
for the purpose of showing the position
which torpedo of that description would
maintain in the tide.
Ills torpedo was. by the effect of bri.
Gle, anchored In such manner as to pre-
sent the surface, by which it was supported,
en- an inclined plane to Their esistance of the
tide; SO that the action OF the tide served
20 propeti IL upwards; atd to prevent its be-
ing thus propelled beyond certain dis
rance from the bottom,s weight was attach
60 to It's lower extremity, by means of a
rope OF correspondents length, 10 the desir-
Cd distance from the bottom.
The position Ut the torpedo, was shown
On the eb5 tide, and actually Gas am in-
formed. maintained the position which
ever, was done without his proving any
thing of its effect IS an engine of war, or e.
enthat it would maintain similar position
on the food tide. ana which it must be adj
initted, wonid'ss very uncertain, owing to
the weight attached to the lower end of the
tornedo always beng liable, on the change
oil the Tide. to eecome entaBgled with the
mo'r'ngs of the machine itself.
Ihereioreo all that has yet been proved
relative toiU.is description of to,pedoes.
consider, la amount. as Eothing, when com
pa cd with the object for which It was
Constructed; and even if was capable of
beng mS5.e as perfeci as he protector has
described, in his book entitled Torpedo
War, Out which utterly deny) j, can re
We be~'of any Important consequence as
oy The aid OF very simple piece of ma
c"iherT III form like the backbone Of fish,
tand Y hich wouid naturally suggest itself
as reventative,) it. effect may, without
meg .e,tion OF doubt, be rende harm
less
-.e committee on this day adjourned, for
.nt purpose OF making their report; Mr..
Ia Ion having informed them that he had
no further experiments to make: There
10 re-,
Having attended all the experiments, and
nted in my pr. ceding remarks, every thing
oil any consequence relative to the same,
have only further 10 observe that MIR. Full
Lcn Drought vessel for the purpose, as he
said, ct convincing the committee. by ocu
iar demonstration, of the effect OF his torpe
Goes but which, however" CATER being at
the trouble oftransporting her to the navy
yard,) he never attempted owing, as am
Induced 10 believe. 20 an entire conviction,
in his own mind, that such an attempt ould
ool1 serve to prove more distinctly, that
the practice of every, nr anv part of his
project, would be found no. only impossible.
but that even its theory would be proved us
conclusiyely absurd. Further, however. !
do not at this mumen, ieel my.elf at liber
" TO animadvert--as Mr.. Fulton has pledg-
ed hial.eii to Mr. Wolcott. Colonel Will
ans, DIR. Kemp and Mr.. Garnett, (mem
bers al the committee,) in presence Of Cap
tain thauncey and myself. to acknowledge
IN a public manner the incorrectness Of all
suchp part of his theory as he should no; be
able 10 establish by these experiments -
consequently, ! cannot but conclude. that
MS cmer f0frie as we'll as q respect Tor
his word, (Which he pledged as before men.
tioncd,) will induce him To publish 10 the
citizens of the United States, IN the sauna
pupic manner, that what he may have led
them 60 expect, he now finds himself INA =
BILE to perform, namely-ihat his torpedces,
SO far from being Of the importance which
he mad considered them. we,e, On "a more
thorough examination of their principles,
assisted by all the practice of which he,
himself, had supposed them susceptible,
found, to say the least, comparatively of no
1m portance al all consequently, that they
ought not to be relied on as a means of ma
sioi,ri defence.
ITO be Concluded in our neat
We have authority to state that Mr. Ro-
L.. Na.1, ~ Il