The New York herald., 1865-01-09
MONSTER 10RpEuoEs OF HISTORY.

L
l es ~~-~>-~~~~~~~>>->o~oo~~
| Where and How They Have Been Em-
plOyed-Tho TSrpedOes or Antwerp,
Trlp0li, Basque Roads and Wilmtng-
ton-Origin or the First Great Torpedo
| The Nations which Have Used Them
| Their Success and Failure-Are the
United States Destined to Rcvolutionixe
the Manner Of Waging Wars Sc.
The original inventor Of gunpowder little conceived
the extent to which his discovery would be applied
little did the musketeer Of the sixteenth century
dream that the few grains with which he charged his
matchbox would yet be magned for hostile purposes
into the hundreds Of thousands Of pounds with which
tho most recent and torible engine Of was nled
for It must acknowledged that doubtful the
success of the Wilmington powder-boat, its capacity
for destruction all l-suficient n torpcdoes are
practicable In the shape presented by General Buffers
ship, has received curious modification; for in
future victory will attend the combaant who has at his
disposal the greater quantity of the explosive compound
and the whole science Of strategy will be reduced TO the
simple process Of burning quantities Of powder
the closest proximity to the enemy's fortiAcaons and
armies
Torpedoee considered according the manner OF their
application arrange themselves into two classes-those
which submarine those which superficial. or
the t the numerous conrvanccs used by the
rebels during the present war; comprising comparatively
small charges of POWDER and arranged to drift about In
rivers and harbors Ever the discovery Of gunpow
dor machines Of this kind have been employed in war
fare throughout the world The instances Of the second
Glass; where quantities Of powder have been
used, and where results expected as much from
the concuSson shock from the direct
effects, are much fewer. Previous to that at VIII
mington three are recorded, and 1t Is a singular
fact that the experiments have been confined
to the Dutch English and American nations though in
one case the suggestion from an Italian Ameri-
cans have already improved upon many projects origi
mating in the Old World, which have been abandoned
there for the want Of in perfectng them
fully proving their merits and availability Who tell
but that the present is yet to demonstrate capa
city to spass all nations in the art Of war, as we have
in the arts of peace and that shall introduce into
martial science the most destructive of weapons.
THE rORPEDoEs OF ANTWERP.
To an italian engineer Of Antwerp, who brought his
talents into play during the siege Of that CITY, In 1854 Is
due the claim Of being Of the st IL not the first
invent torpedoes The Duke Prince OF Parma having
invested the city, found himself unable to close the
scheldt TO the vessels from Zealand which were con-
tinualy running the blockade with provisions and arms
for his enemy despite the batteries erected on both
banks OF the river He therefore, resolved to throw
bridge across the broad, deep aud rapid part Of the
stream between Antwerp and Calico Spies driven
into the river certain distances, upon which framework
laid supporting series Of block houses Either end
OF the bridge defended with fcrtihcations the
land. The depth Of the middle OF the river preventing
the Of piers, he compelled 20 leave gap OF
twelve hundred and fifty feet in the centre, which he
filled with boats, placed at intervals of twenty feet and
firmly connected together with spars and cables sent
iboats stationed up and down stream and In ad
dillon The Duke anchored his en-of-wIr quite close to
the bridge An eectunl barrier thus opposed 10 the
passage Of all boats The beseged had relied upon the
impossibty of his achieving enterprise Of such din
Guilty; but finding their expectations delnive, and also
that the bridge resisted the elements Of NATURE they
began cast about them for plan by which to
IT, especially fears entertained OF star
walton the city The Zealand States at the same
time preparing expedition up the ScheIdt, that
than object be attained by the destruc-
ton or the bridge An Italian engineer named Giambeli
at this time In Antwerp and had already by his
science contributed great deal TO repcng the assaults
OF the Duke We have but few details Of tho in
which he constructed his torpedo ships, au the nfor-
nation being gathered from the results produced. Early
the night of April 4, 1884, Parma and bis
army wcro amazed by the spectacle OF three
Of fame floating down the river The whole
surface Of the Schcdt presented sheet of hc The
country all around visible at Asonish-
mcnt was quickly succeeded by when
OF the three machines exploded with terrible
sion II he'd not, however, reached It's destination.
second ship tearing through the sentinel boats struck
against the bridge and blew up The bridge itself
sundered like packthread and the woodwork shattered
atoms, aud with all IL supporcd-men, cannon and
machincry--strewn to the winds OF heaven The Mar
quis or Roubais with many other Of Parma officers and
eight hundred men, perlshcd In AL varieties OF death
by food flames or Wounds Fragments Of bodies and
limbs werc flung fur and wide, and many soldiers per-
ishcd without vcstige OF the human form being left TO
prove that they had existed The river, forced
from its bed either side rushed into the forts and
drowned numbers OF their ganisons, while the ground
far away shook in earthquake The prince himself
struck down by beam, and with Two Of his gene
rnis, stretched scnsoless
The tcble effects arc here faily shown, and the tor
pcdc, iar ~ rs Immediate object concerned re-
suited most successfully II matter OF history well
known /, all however that the efforts Of the city
vain the long run, and that Parma finally tu,ul'ic
THE TORPEDO or rRtPoff HARBoR.
The mex, great torpedo usod by the United States
during with Trpol The eneny's cruisers
lying within the harbor TO which nsress was prohibited
by the formidable works commanding the entrance The
objective pont of our war with Trpol 10 destroy
andrhus put end 70 their paccs in the
Mediterranean Our feet had already beon detained
long time waiting for this purpose, maintaining pro-
actcd blockade OF the harbo To destroy these vessels
by means Of torpedo suddenly entered the plans Of
Commodore Preble Accordingly he selected the Intro
pid IN which no had a magazine plankcd up In
the hold Just forward of the mast In this apartment he
stored hundred barrels Of guppowdrr ON deck i'm
mediacly above, he placed nifty thirteen aud half
inch shells and hundred ninench Shells together
with balls pieces Of kentedge and fragments Of
Iron A iube with fuse connected with the magazine
led 10 another apartment filed with light wood and
spnters which intended to burn slowly and deter
the enemy from boarding II the intent ion 20 profit
by tho night carry the vessel into the habor
as far possible 70 light tho re In the splinter room,
and then for the crew to retreat In small boats. The
duty most hazardous one, as u was necessary 70
stand In through channel IN slow sailing ship,
directly In the face OF hostile batteries the rc of which
was 10 be escaped only In the Of the enemy mis-
taking tho veg for blockade It's execution
Cantnin Iicrici,ani Xad-