The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-10-15
Jack Tars and Torpedoes.


Nearly every important discovery in the
arts Of peace or war is at the first presenta-
ton received with salute of pooh-poohs
from the class who regard progressive change
as the result Of species of lunacy and as
meriting the sternest discouragement. When
the use of torpedoes for offensive and de-
fensive warfare was first suggested shout
of indignation went up from all sides at the
barbarity of the proposition, and the pro-
fessional Jack Tar was loud in his protests
against weapon which took all the romance
out of burning defenceless seaport towns or
blockading the harbors of the enemy. Like
the old stagecoach driver who did not be-
lieve in riding behind 'stea kettle" on
wheels instead of team Of dashing road
sters the Jack Tars had fixed notions con-
corning the naval proprieties, and regarded
the idea Of killing or getting killed in any
other fashion than that laid down in the
official regulations of the service as one sub
versive of strict discipline md calculated to
promote objectionable breaches of naval
etiquette. The humanitarian sentiment that
gave point to the protests against torpedoes
was the most amusing feature of the opposi-
ton. The same feeling was entertained by
the armor-clad warriors of the Middle Ages
toward the newly discovered gunpowder.
1t was in sooth great pity, SO il was
This villanous sapetre should be digged
Out OF the bowels OF the harmless earth
Which many good tall fellow had DESTROYED
So cowardy, and but for these vile guns
He would himself have been a soldier
The worthy knights and gallant gentlemen
considered it horrible thing to riddle your
enemy with bullets, while the good old plan
of smashing him like a lobster in the shell
was chivalrous and eminently satisfactory to
the individual so smashed Although Bush
nell, of Connecticut invented the torpedo,
it was Fulton who first practically demon
strated its destructive power by demolishing
the brig Dorothea in presence of the British
Prime Minister Pitt. The Jack Tar Admiral,
Earl st. Vincent, remarked on reading an ac-
count of the experiment that "Pitt was the
greatest fool that ever existed to encourage
mode of war which they who commanded the
seas did not want, and which, if successful,
would deprive them of it." Later expert
ments caused Admiral Cockburn to remark
that torpedoes were "a villanous, improper
and cowardly mode of warfare" In 1918
Captain Capel, of His Majesty's ship La
Hogue, declared the use Of torpedoes by the
Americans to be IAN inhuman and savage
proceeding not justified on the most
barbarous principle of warfare" and
humanely ordered the destruction of
every American ship that was within
reach of his squadron. The Naoal
Chronicle called Fulton ga crafty and
murderous rufian," and deplored the pros
pect of converting "our hardy dauntless
tars to submarine assassins" What won
derful change has come over the spirit of the
nautical mans dream! To-day our admirals
pride themselves on the ingenuity and relia-
bility of our torpedo system. Foreign Off
GERS are cordially invited to witness our
ability to welcome them as friends or enc
mics, the greeting being decidedly warm
in either case and expressed either in the
form of sspread" or ''blow up" just MS
they choose to seek it at our hands. The
HERALD of March IT. 1912, gives an interest
ing account of Colonel Samuel Colts exper-
ments on the ignition Of torpedoes by the
electric current, in which he was very sue
cessfuL Indeed, it is to him we owe the
submarine cable, which he first employed
to fire his torpedoes. The tremendous
power of these terrible engines of destruc-
ton has changed naval tactics almost en-
tirely, and not the least alarming prospect
for the jolly Jack Tar during fight is the
sudden conversion of his stout frigate into
flying cloud of splinters, driven with the
most mathematical accuracy to every point
of the compass