Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-01-29
Internal Machines,

Other forms OF internal macnlneS nave /
been imported into the discussions which |
have arisen UPON the Mosel catastrophe.
Among these is the coal shell and the
rat, of the latter of which there are two
species. The London Times says: The
coal shell is ahollOw brass casting, repre-
senting a small lump Of coal, about five
inches long by three inches wide and
two and one-half inches deep. AT each
end is a hole for clearing out the core Of
the casting and afterward for filling it
with the explosive compound. The OBJ
iect of these shells would appear to be
not so much the destruction of the ship
by their direct as by their indirect use.
They were probably intended to be
thrown among the coal in the bunkers,
and with it shoveled into the furnaces of
steam vessel. There they would ex-
plode under the boiler, and would prob
ably by such means cause the loss of
the vessel. 1t is possible that the in
tention might have been to fill them
with some material which would explode,
either after a certain time or at the high
temperature sometimes present in coal
cargoes. The coal shells we're evidently
carefully nodded from lump of coal,
and when blacked readily deceive the
eye.
The "rats," of which there are two
species, are of more vicious nature
One species is intended to operate upon
iron ships the other upon wooden ones.
The &c iron ship rat consists of block
of iron known as Keutledge," which
has hole bored into it in which is placed
tubular boring tool containing an acid.
On the top of the boring tool is a lever,
with weight at its outer end, and this
lever can work to and fro horizontally
in piece cut out of the top of the Keut-
ledge. The lever is, of course, carefully
boxed in, and the surface of the iron re
stored. A confederate is required, who
will place the machine in the right
position-that is, with the bottom of the
boring tool downward and on the iron
skin of the vessel. Being so placed, the
rolling of the ship causes the lever tc
move backward and forward and the enc
of the tool to cut into the ships plates
the action being promoted by the aciG
and by slight pressure given to the
boring tool by spring. The terrible
process may be somewhat slow, but il
very sure.
The wooden ship rat is more com
pick machine, and possibly more ingeni
Gus. 1t consists of box, in which ar,
placed pair of vertical cylinders, on
at each end of the box, and spaced abou
five feet apart. In the center, between
the two, is horizontal cylinder, having
piston working in it, the rod passing
through stufing box. The outer en-
Of the piston rod works a ratchet drill 0
auger, the auger being weighted. Th
two vertical cylinders are each half file
with water and communicate with tn
, horizontal cylinder by pipes, each hay
= ing it's own pipe leading to the end O
l the horizontal cylinder nearest to il
/ The consequence is that as the ship roll
D the water alternately quits and return
: to the vertical cylinders, and, acting frs
i on one side of the piston and then on tn
f other, communicates q reciprocatin
: motion to the piston rod. This motto
g is converted into a rotary motion at tn
weighted anger, and in time a hole
t bored through the planking of the shil
b which gradually fills and may be lost b,
g fore the seat of the leak is discovered
e Provision is made for the release of til
il auger directly the hole has been bore
It and the resistance to it removed, whe
b it silently drops through into the SCI
IS Thus the hole is not plugged by IL
d anger and the ends of villany are n,
j. defeated. Should the hole be 'discovere
is and the box be examined there is not
is ing in it, except to a professional ey
v to show how the hole was produce
q Like the iron rat, the wooden rat +
is quires confederate to place it we'll fl
N its deadly work. Such are some of Il
1t devices for giving effect to one of ii
10 foulest offenses against society.