The New York herald., 1870-02-15
LITERATURE.


LITERATURE.
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Reviows and CrItIcisms Of Now Books.
SUBMARINE WARFARE, OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE
Including o Discussion OF the offensive torpedo
ana Iausnos siis ooD UpIn utnrs v SnU a1
Lieutenant CommanderJ J. y. Barnes, United Statea
Navy With Illustrations. New YORK: D. Van
1t Is difficult to decide which II deserving OF most
praise, the thorough ana accurate manner In witch
the ana history OF submarine warfare s re-
corde1 IN tins volume, or the admirable style in
which tho subject treated. After Oreny referring
to the invention and destructive power Of Gunpow.
der Lieutenant Commander Barnes enters upon an
account OF tho efforts made at various times to efiecs
the destruction OF . ship 'by applying 70 Its sub
merged parts . magaziae Of POWDER" DAVID
Bushnell, OF Connecticut. an eccentric character,
bat man OF great inventive genius, frsi
conceived the idea Of Q submarine vessel, ana In
1857 he addressed letter to Mr.. Jefferson. then
Minister TO France communicating the nature Of
hts invention. Ills experiments with tins then
novel engine OF warfare were singularly .success-
| full Years before writing the letter referred to.
he had made ths effort to destroy tho BrLsn war
vessel Cerebus with one Of these machines, and
lalcd and for many years his idea was regarded as
or lutte practical service Robert Fulton, in 1907,
constructed submarine boat In which he navgated
the depths Of tue harDor OF Brest with safety aud
after satisfying himself OF the practicabiity OF
moving about under the surface OF the water con-
| strUcted ana gave name to what Is now known as
| "torpedoes.n He made numerous experiments with
his invention which was really nothing moro than
| en- improvement on Bushnells idea. Some OF
| these were successful; others-and, unforiu-
| Eate.y, The most important -iailed, partly
because OF inco.nDieteness IN the arrangements
ana parity BECAUSE OF the hostility wnlcn Fulion
m om @ Ya$e1s AND o."sIs
SUBJECT was colonel Sanuei Colt, Of revolver lame,
who experiinented undel tne authority OF the Sec
| retary Of War. On the attn VI june lS42, me OK.
| plouo1 torpedo In New YORK HarDor with gall
vanc battery, and on the 4th or July destroyed tue
Old gunbcaC Boxer, opposite Castle Garden. These,
| VITA olhe. experiments. iuiy demonstrated Tie
effectiveness OF submarine engines or warfare. Tho
day however was not prepared Tor them. IL Is true
thas during the Cr1neaA war tie harD0rs OF SeDas-
topoi and Crostadt we[c projected by electric to..
peaoes; but tae science Of submarine warfare hal
rot been Sufficiently perfected 10 them ehec-
tive against the allied meets, not one snip vi wAich
Americans invented torpodoes and torpedo boats
! and is was reserved Tor Americans to prove tneir
war, belongs tie credit " establishing submarine
engines as legitimate Appliances OF acdern warfare.
or the many which proved the terrible ciect-
lvcnes3 OF t0rpedoes and with descriptions Of tue Va.
rious kinds used BY Dotn begelcns. Luckily Tor tia
Union cause, as the author remarks It was uiifi
comparatively late IN the contest that the feoei
| organized . regular system OF submarine deience.
/
whether New Orleans and other seaport towns cou.d
have been capGared without frignLlll expenditure
| Of life and money The effectiveness OF torpedoes
! for defensive purposes Is shown in the attempt
| blow up IL fr,gate wabash III 1854 account Of
| which we give Deiow:-
Upsn tho 18th OF April n attempt upon the
steam risae assa on tho outside OocAade. OF Charles
w s "ys'd ss :. the ssp e e aS Of s
shead u apesd directing The re OF hcr sroasds and
fussdc OF EzseTy In the supposed direction OF dmin
u.iye aAsaiaa ras d.rkness the sua size Of as
aim and the rsturaei IN safety ohafesen.
and noy y @ % sn1 my w =, her rS,
four in little boat OF less than burden,
| spar ahead OF her
In tho foregoing account tho mere chance OF On
| early discovery saved tae WaDasn, and even then
she was compelled to retire before her insignificant
sized cnomy. During the entire war seven mont
Sv OF were 'y
tiveiy engaged against the enemy's ports
osner ana woOaenn
weapons. We need only refer to the Montaak.
Baron do Kalb, Eastport, Tecumseh. Patapsco, Ml-
with many Others, were destroyed by these weapons
TO prove the terrible power Of torped0es. Nor dld
the Conrederates escape injury from them. TIE de-
strucaon Of the Aloomarie the finest IRON clad in
tier navy, was elected Dy means OF small D0as
with y torpedo attached thereto.
1t would require moro space than we oan spare to
review Commander Barnes' descriptions OF the tor
pedoes ana TORPEDO boats used during tne war, con-
asruced since. designed. IA careful peru3al of
book cOnvinces us that ne has lett nothing unsad TO
| strengthen his argument IN favor or submarine
their utiliiy aad careful investigation VIII supDy
any want that may now exist In their construction
The suggestions and opinions OF the author are ea-
tised 10 much attention. HIS work Is not merey
entertaining III tao highest degree as literary pro-
branch oi science almost yet In It's infancy and one
whose tremendous power, Wnen deycoped to per.
fecton, Will probably exercise beneficial influence
III restraining nations from tae madness of war;
Why DID LIE MARRY HER, by Eliza A. Dupuy
(puolshed by Peterson & Brothers, or Pnladeiphia,
FIRST appeared as serial IN D0nncr's Ledger. Like
tne others OF Miss Dupuy's novels 1t is very
tional and abounds In surprises aud mysteries. The
style OF writing IS easy and auens ana the cnarac-
ters are as strongly oraWn AZ could be desired In
tnls Class Ui uteTALure.
TIE FEaRyMAN OF TIE TIDEn is historical
toIs translated from the Italian OF Madame A. K. do
In Grange tsew York: +. O'cAea). The scene s, Of
course laid In Italy, ana the reader Ia introduced to
such characters Aarc, Klug OF the Goths aud ST.
Jerome. PROBABLY there are persons wlo VIII 1nd
this novel Interesting but we confess our faiure
do SO. IN spite OF It's strong religious tendencies
Two DEaispuEaEs, a romance from the German
OF Otto Rupins tPhnadelphia: Caxton, Eersen s
| Hafebrger) Is interesting enough as n romance
| bus is moro especially noteworthy for the absence
| or tEat Ilateria.isil which lS characteristic "
German novels the author eyidenIly believes In .
| God
THR RECORD OF AMERICAN AND FOREIGN SHrrPrN0,
published by the American Shipmasters' Assoca.
tion, contains all that Is OK Importance to the ship
ping community. 10 tsneatly printed aad bound
THE PLANTERS NORTHERN BRIDE Is q repuDlica-
ton philadelphia: Peterson Brothers, Of Mrs.
Caroline Lee Hentz's well known novel Of the name.
IL belongs 70 the new edition og her works.
The REV COTTON ExcaaaGs
INC new Cotton Exchange, al the corner OF Beaver
and Pearl streets, was formally opened yesterday IN
| the presence Of a largo number OF cotton brokers'
The exchange Is IN the basement, which Is not wen
| adapted to the business II will not be occupied,
however, longer than the ist of May.
Mr. Wright. vice president Of the Board Of Cotton
| Brokers. delivered the opening address. lie said
that tue aiferent branches OF business with the ex
ception OF the cotton trade, have had separate ex
i n room suitable Tor this larg4