The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-09-24

had colded, or that all the artillery nom every fort
Va Tue country naa peeL simultaneously discharged
n tnls spot Boon, vJoom, re-echOed from every
passage. The whole tslanA seemed 10 quver and the
OF every ear seemed shattered. This was
everybody thought, the blasts had all gone or
another voliey 'fesounded through che works, and
the smoke arose IN dense heavy volumes, while the
nelgnUornooo was resonant with the reports, anu
sMEU. OF xxrLoDEp NIrRo-GLYcERINE
several entlemen remarked that II was a terrible
noise, ane. no wonder that the men on board the
passing vessels seemed excited and alarmed:
when, AFTER we have excavated OUT the entire ats
lance cut all the cross sections, reduced all the
coluv ms to the minimum size and dow inc wn0ie
tnres acres Of rock up at the same momenty" Inc
General here explained that when the pillars had
been redUced to the smallest possible size consistent
Combedn and the apertures nlled with nitro-glyce-
rne. These would be all connected with electric
the passage, and cover everything com
pieteiy; then the battery VIII fire the whole
mass al the same instant and the entire mass 10, OF
city OF New York, Will sink down INTO the alleys
cut beneath, and splendid navigaele passage WIN
be left for the shipping. ave nave now been little
over two yearsn said the General. shut, II Congress
would only let us have the necessary money 10
Quoted, we should soon have the passage cleared
and this fearful obstruction sunk down out OF all
General Sherman seemed particularly interested
In the work and the explanatons given BY the Chief
Engineer and General Newton. While down In the
headings some one found piece OF rock with q
streak Of gold in IL. Mr. Ehot who was with him,
suggested speculation at once-a crushing ma
and referred the matter 10 Professor Newcombe or
the St Domingo Commission; but the latter shook
copper. and burst the brilliant bubble at word.
Having completed the inspection OF this work the
party next proceeded TO reembark on board the
Henry Smith, and In lew minutes were
BOUND FOR wILLETT'S POINT,
the band In the meantime playing selection OF
boat hauled alongside the landing stage at the
military station, and the visitors were met on the
Of a tine
panied BY his stan IN full uniform, consisting OF
Colonel !s v. J. Twin1s, Captain 4. Mckenzie Cap
tenants Huer, Davis, Post, Hinman Marshall, VIII
lard and On. Byrnes, who is attached to the sta
GENERAL SHERMAN AND THE SECRETARY OF WAR
greeted these officers, and tn. whole company
started for the interior Az about hundred yards
drawn up In line and received the visitors with
presented arms, and as General Sherman passed
along the lines he sauted the soldiers In that cheer
full and soldicrllke manner SO peculiar to him.
General Abbott SAID he proposed to show them
tOrpedoes were made the narbOr defences before
he proceeded 10 give the entertainment in the bay
the post. here the whole party gathered around
him while he explained first the composition OF the
mos; nd aus s%c c1r as
He next described to General Sherman the manner
In which he constructed the torpedoes, which was
to make box Of wood two inches thick and dove
tailed IN at the cOners-Of various sizes, according
to the size of the cartridges used-and then the
INTERIOR with Illuminating fuses at various parts so
that the whole Should be ignited at the same In
AN ELECTRIC BATTERY WAS PRODUCED,
and he commenced by ignlring small quantities OF
the compositions. He first ignlted piece OF gun
nared up like piece of paper, but when he applied
detonating fuse TO similar quantity It dis.
IN the same ana thus made tne
generals stand back; for OF all matter for Internal
machines tins composition would be the worst and
most destructive. Concerts fuse was tried and
created great excitement when 1t ignited two heaps
Of powder at considerable distance from each
This part OF the programme being concluded,
General Abbott arranged that Secretary Belknap.
should enter his barge and the Remainder Of the
visitors should return 10 the steamer Tor the pur.
THE TORPEDO EXPERIMENTS
ne was about TO make between Fort Schuyler and
WiIlett's Point. This carried out ana the Gen.
with the materials necessary for carrying out the
project.
which was made up OF 100 pounds OF powder, wa
sunk In thirty three feet OF water and attached to
General Abnotts barge by means Of the electric
the way and warned all passing vessels, the barge
containing the four gentlemen above referred to was
the steamer. composed now partly of ladies taken
board at Wiuett's Point who had.been invited to
raj Humphreys, became excited, and in o few sec
Onds terrible report was heard, three immense
ana causea sSe War tS 20 be a %
surface, and as they fell magnificent RAINBOW was
formed Dy the falling spray. the sensation on
struck from beneath, while the collapse OF the
water created second and distinct conclusion
'nfoush Inc all. ronprno xoa
consisted or four pounds OF gun cotton In wooden
frame, and sunk thlry-three feet Also When the
spark was applied scarcely any report was heard but
the water boiled violently, and the shock felt on the
water was terrific, showing that this would have
done fearful execution to the bottom OF a craft
sailing over H.
TORPEDO NO. 8
was 100 pounds OF common mortar powder sunk to
a depth OF seventy feet. After the fire mad been
communicated one might imagine there was a whirl-
pool or boiling spring The water did not ascend
pieces OF artillery being discharged together and
caused the ladies TO start and the timbers Of the
steamer 10 creak' ro,,rno .o
created great excitement and some little alarm.
Fifteen minutes elapsed before it was ready, and
then everybody wanted to know wny the Generals
rowed 30 far on, and why General Abbott kept so far
away with his battery. The topedo was composed
e OF o
time apo threw the wafer up distance Of 267 feet,
ing these things, and this fact being made
known, 1t left an uneasy impression. Every
bott rowed of and applied the spark. Anything
more grand and at the same time more terrible than
this could scarcely be conceived. The instant the
fire was communicated body OF water such as Is
represented IN Eastern prints caused by water
spOuts, assembled at least two hundred feet In the
air. carrying with II portions Of the torpedo Frame
which II scattered far and near, throwing some
pieces 300 yards. large whirlpool was also formed
at Its base, the influence OF which was felt the
barge at great distance. This one gave general
satisfaction Major King asserting that If vessel
had been over 1t it would have broken IL In TWO.
The explosion OF small raft completed the expert
ments.
GENERAL SHERMAN REVIEWING THE TROOPS.
The visitors were then taken shore
TO the parade ground for the purpose Of
witnessing full dress parade and a review OF the
soldiers at the garrison Dy General Sherman The
General first visited the barracks. then privately
inspected one company, and returned across the
splendid parade ground and reviewed the various
companies stationed at the post. lie afterwards
expressed his entire satisfaction with their perform
ance and congratulated General Abbott on the
excellent condition Of the barracks, &C, and also
on the clever manner In which he had conducted
the dangerous experiments he had witnessed, with.
out the slightest hitch or accident The parade
being ended Secretary Belknap and General
Humphreys remained at the house OF the CON-