New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-07
NEW CREAMS RErUBIloA ~ s0NpAY bDdpBER ~ @asf

times {drnished II the kreatest abundance.
The secret for purifying this air-and we
aro aasuroa By t6oses 1ho process
that it is pure and wholesome-the manner
Of operating the boat and placing the tor
pedoes in position at the end Of the boom
and firing them, are purposely and properly
withheld from the public. The torpedo
boom is run in and cupboard by very
simple piece Of mechanism, excluding all
water from coming into the boat.
% One of these submarine torpedo boats,
known as the Intelligent Whale, is now at
the Brooklyn navy yard. Since this one
was built, however, many Improvements
have been made. The dimensions of the
Intelligent Whale are: Length, twenty feet;
beam and depth. seven feet; weight of hull,
fifteen tons dead weight). The hull is com
posed of wrought and cast iron. The Whale
is capable of being propelled SIX knots at
depth of twelve or fifteen feet under water.
The improved submarine boat which has
been laid down since is sixty feet long and
ten feet diameter at midship section, and
weighs thirty-eight TONS
Her frame is composed of a network OF
hollow galvanized iron tubes. covered on
the outside with steel plates, and lined inside
with two-and- a-halfineh yellOw-pine floor
and ceiling. The frame is Theoretically
sealed, cemented, and double riveted to-
section by means of clamps. This arrange
ment of huh, together with the hollow tubes
throughout her frame, makes her at all times
a perfect self acting life boat, either on the
surface of the water or fifty fathoms under,
in any kind of weather or bOisterOus sea.
With her present motive power this Peace
maker" is capable of going from ten to
twelve knots with apparent ease. She has
hold three feet deep, and three feet below
bo rr;., u1atf fnr 6ix-ar
to work upon while adjusting tOrpedoes for
blowing up harbor DISTINCTIONS
Bombs of enormous size, too large to take
inboard, can readily be dashed to this plat
form to be used for any special purpose re-
quired. After they have been once secure
ly lodged in position against or under the
scarp wall OF tort, the diver, clad in his
helmet and armor, attaches telegraph
wire to them and returns to the inside OF
the boat again through the well hole in the
bottom. The boat then backs Oft to a safe
distance, the diver meanwhile unreel. the
other end OF the wire from spool which is
fastened to his armOr III front of his breast
plate and attaches it to a small magnetic
battery, which is located in the pilot cupa-
10. When the boat has gained sufficient
sternway to be beyond the reach of any
falling missiles from the fort, it becomes
the pilot or commanders duty to send the
spain AAOH OuIS UdtUCty upou Ilc ulsclUU VI
destruction. The platform is only intended
to be used for harbor and river service and
will not be carried by sea-gOing torpedo
boats.
Now, when it is taken into consideration
that every cubic foot OF water acts as full
crum on these torpedoes like so much solid
iron, some idea of the immense force and
power of their explosion under the surface
may be imagined. No stone fortress whose
Il I~<Hlt 80 ~,
could withstand the shock of an explosion
of a monster torpedo of this description,
charged with dualine, illuminate of mer-
curry, nitrO-glycerine, or even when filled
with ordinary gunpOwder. 1t is quite prob
able that the very first torpedo of proper
tionate size would send it topping to the
bottom, a mass of ruins. Five or six of these
submarine boats acting in concert, there is
no good or valid reason to doubt could, if
occasion required. start an earthquake I'M
der that venerable pile, the rock of Gibral-
tar, while the destruction of an iron-clad
fleet, drawn up in battle array, would be
the work of only few moments, or as fast
as one vessel after another could be reached
and struck by the mysterious little water
sprite SO carefully hidden from view.
Naval battles hereafter will be of rather
short duration if such formidable engines of
destruction are once fairly engaged in the
contest. A squadron of these submarine
and surface torpedo vessels could speedily
annihilate any enemy that could be brought
within striking distance of their terrible
bombs. Eight or ten of such vessels ca
pable of going anywhere upon the ocean. or
entering any harbor in the world, would
actually cost less than the construction of
q first class iron frigate. For all the pur-
poses of offensive and defensive warfare
they would prove ineinoible as well as in.
York Sun