The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-04-10
PlO w d e m NH alse v.
A TRUE STORY.

were directed 10 tho improvement Of scientific and
naval defence, when the fleets of tho enemy were
seaboard, bombarding cities. plundering
vessels and destroying commerce. novel
and formidable plan adopted TO destroy their ships
and drive them from coast We refer to the tor
pedo and other machines for submarine navigation,
by means Of which the largest man-ofwar might be
bowed TO atoms, by magazine deposited under its
bottom, while not the slightest trace Of an enemy
should be visible. However inhumun or unfair this
mode of warfare might be in itself, still it wac but
just retaliation Of the barbarities committed by the
British and their savage allies in the bloody And
although owing to its imperfecon and secresy, our
country Mt that time received but little advantage
from it, yet the experiments at that time proved that
with longer practice and additional improvements, il
might be made powerful Of seaboard de-
fence The most approved invention for tho purpose
was the torpedo ESQ called from its resemblance to
the fish Of that nancy or the submarine vessel ofMr
Bushnell. II consisted OF a frame resembling
two boats ono inverted and converting the other so
that the upper and lower surface somewhat repres-
ented the shell ola tortoise. II large enough
to allow to sit upright in the cavity, ard
tain air to support life considerable time, and
when closed was entirely water proof 1t pro
which passed in the cavity within reach Of the OPP
era or, and operated the principle of the endless
screw. One of these was placed at the end Of the
machine, to propel il backwards or forwards, on the
ton or bottom, to raise or lower it, in the water.
Four keels, uniting at each end, gave il constant
direction; and it was loaded with weight sufficient
to keep it just below the surface of the water but
part of this load might BIO disengaged from the out
side to raise The torpedo Immediately to the surface.
| Attached to end concalg magazine suiii-
cient 20 blow up the heaviest ship, which could be
fired at pleasure by the person in the torpedo, by
means ofthe connecting machinery. When it was
intended to blow up ship by Of this machine,
it was first lowed could he done with
safety to the devoted vessel when the operator was
enclosed in it, gloomy cavity, provided with lights
and compass, by which he directed his course having
first calculated the distance and direction of the ship
and asccrtaned the currents or tide, and probable
speed Of the torpedo. The operator might pleas
ure rise to the surface and look out through small
window, or take in fresh air. if necessary by means
oftubes prepared for the purpose
| Having arrived directly under the ship he would
then (asen the magazine to its bottom by means Of
a at the vortex of the conical chamber of pow
der. The made sharp that by a single
exortion would pierce the copper bottom Of the ship
and penetrate deeply into the timber.-Thc operator
would then disengnge the magazine from the torpedo,
set the machine in motion, which would produce an
explosion in given time, and make his escape as
possible, beyond the reach Of its effects Then
while all was joy and tranquility on the ships deck,
while officers and men were fasting and carousing,
perhaps inprecating themselves or profaning tho
name of their Maker, the spectator at distance
at the vivid flash, the tremendous report and
sees the mighty vessel blown to the sky, filling the
air with thousand fragments, ceaviug the ocean TO
the bottom, then sinking in the Deep with all whom
! it contained to rise moro forever. Such was
the warfare which terrified the stontest heart and
would have driven the whole navy Of Great
Britain away from the coast ofthe United States
| II was near the close Of the year 1914 that Brit.
! ish man of war lying at the mouth of New Lon
don harbor in Connecticut, causing great annoyance
to the Of that city, and the troops in that
vicinity. Mr. Buslnell's machine had been invented
| and some experiments tried with it at New York,
which argued favorab!y to its A secret fund
was raised at New London, and large private
" offered to the person who would blow up this ship
by Of the torpedo. At length brave patriotic
and ambitious young man offered 10 attempt its execn
ton. His Plowden Iialsoy, the youngest
son of large aud honorable family, most Of whom
had sunk to the grave by hereditary consumption, and
left his mother nearly chiIdess Hazardous as was
tho enterprise, it with much difficulty tho youth
could obtain the permission of his parents to venture
his life, dear to Them till at length that patriotic
mother with tears in her eyes devoted her darling
son for the good Of her country. Immediately and
secretly the necessary preparations were made for
the hazardous undertaking, and most confident hopes
of success were entertained by all who had any
knowledge of the project. But there was who
felt deeply interested in the success Of the
scheme than tho hero himself, his affectiouate
mother--one who's pillowe nightly buthed in tears
the bare apprehension of the danger to which her
lover would voluntarily expose himsefwhile esteem
ing him the highly for the courage and bodness
he evinced in his noble undertaking, She the young,
| the beautiful, the amiable, who had scarcely been
willing to make the slightest return for the passion he
had so constantly cherished during long and inti-
| mate acquaintance, now that danger approached in