The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-09-05
Russian TOrpedOes.

es&~S'AsSAA = OA kSosAOOSs
From a correspondent of the Times,
dated off Cronstadt:
This morning each ship commenced
sweeping for the Internal machines, and
before night gathered in a capital harvest
of them. The way in which the sweep
ing is done is this: Two boats take be-
tween them long rope, which is sunk to
the depth of ten or twelve feet by means
of weights, and held suspended at that
depth by lines attached to small casks,
which float on the surface at intervals of
forty or fifty yards. The boats then sep
arate as far as the rope will allow them,
and pull in parallel lines until one of the
casks stops behind, which tells them, as
fishing float tells the angler, that they
have caught something; the two boats
then approach each other, keeping the
rope taut, then haul it in carefully, and
up comes the machine.
The Exmouth found the first, the Nile
the second, and then the catching became
so numerous that in some instances two
at time were hauled up. They were at
first supposed to be only the buoys to the
machine, but I am sorry to say Admiral
Seymour proved them to be the machine
itself in most unpleasant manner. He
was examining one of them on the poop
of the EXmouth, and incautiously tapped
a little bit of iron which projected from
its side, saying, "This must be the way
they are exploded" when, bang! the thing
went off, and everybody round was scat
tered on the deck. Admiral Seymour
was so injured in the eyes that for some
time it was thought he would lose the
sight of both, but am very glad to say
he can see little out of both to-day,
and no fear is entertained now of either
Lieutenant Lewis, r. NJ, was severely
wounded in the knee joint and badly burnt
in the hands and arms; the signal man,
who was holding the machine in his hands,
was severely burnt down the front of the
body and legs; and Mr.. Pierce, fag-lieu-
tenant, had his whiskers burnt off and his
face singed, and every one near was more
or less burnt. 1t was wonderful escape
i for them all.
Each machine consists of cone of
galvanized iron, 16 inches diameter at the
base and 20 inches from base to apex,
and is divided into three chambers; the
one near the base, being largest and con-
tanning air, causes it to float with the base
uppermost. In the centre of this cham
ber is another, which holds a tube with q
fuse in it, and an apparatus for firing it.
This consists of two little iron rods
which move in guides and are kept pro-
jected over the side of the base by springs
which press them outwards. When any
thing pushes either of these rods inward
it strikes against lever, which moves like
a pendulum, in the fuse-tube, and the low
er end of the lever breaks or bends a
small leaden tube containing combusti-
| BILE compound. which is set on fire by
coming in contact with some sulphuric
acid held in capillary tube, which is
broken at the same time and so fires the
fuse, which communicates with the pow
der contained in the chamber at the apex
or ten pounds. At the extreme apex is
a brass ring, to which is attached rope
and some pieces of granite, which moors
them about nine or ten feet below the sur.
face; so that the only vessels they could
hurt the gun boats, float quietly ovel
them, and, now we know what they are
have been disarmed of all their dread
But they prove dangerous play things
The Commander-in-C Chief was examin,
ing one of the fuse tubes that was sup
posed to be spoiled, for it was full of mud
and water, when he accidentally touched
the lever and it exploded in his hands
scattering the mud into the faces of al
present, and literally throwing dirt into
their eyes, but doing no hurt"