Richland beacon., 1877-04-07
IOiSHEDO " 1kElHE

Tie Scientific American rubli5le; al
illustrated description of admiral Por.
ter's system o. torpedo warfare, as exhih-
tied On the torpedo steamer Alarm now
under command OF Lieut.. Frederick II
Paine, L. :. y. The Alarm is calcutta
ted not only TO destroy it's advarsarieS
but to put TO an end to all the poetry al
taching to 4 naval warfare. The '.iollv
tars' are, to great extent, replaced by
emotiOnless machinery, and the brave
commander and his assistants by engi-
neen and electricians, WHO fight with
steam engines and electrical buttons.
while comparatively secure from the shot
and shell of the enemy. Personal braves
ry no longer enters As determining fac
tor in the struggle; everything depends
on the intelligence which plans the YES
sci and guiaes it in its work of destruc-
ton. The Alarm is armed with an im-
mense ram, and from his sides and bow
tOrpedo spars may be run out for dis
lance of eighteen to thirty-two feet, and
the torpedo On the end exploded by cleo
tricity. In the bow fifteen-inch gun /.
carried. The vessel is built in water
tight compartments. and is sunk Ike
monitor when in action. Almost the
only part exposed to the shot of anenemy
is the steel-plated deck, which must be
struck, if at all, at an angle, 30 that i,
will escape the full force of any shot.
the Alarm is guided by the same appa-
ratus that propels Der, feathering pad
dle-wheel. and can be turned as on a
pivot. Having sighted an enemy her
engines drive her at the rate of fifteen
nOts an hour to close quarters. fiat
night, an electric light on her bow lights
up her path. A shot from tie fifteen
inch gun in the bow is followed quickly
by the explosion of the bow torpedo,
striking the enemy thirteen feet below
the water line. As soon as the Alarm
RECEIVERS from her recoil the ram is used,
and as she swings brOadside on, another
torpedo spar from her side is shot out,
the t,rpedo is exploded, and, if this does
not complete the work of destruction,
she can be again swung round so as to
repeat the operation. In the meantime
guns on her deck have kept up deadly
fire of thousand bullets per minute.
sweeping her enemy's decks. Her own
protection lies chiefly in the fact that
but small portions of her hull and upper
works are exposed to the enemy's fire,
and that she is built in compartments,
and has double shell, 80 that the entire
ship cannot be filled with water except
by as many breaches as there are COM
partments. She is expected to attack
much larger and more costly iron-clads,
and her method OF warfare contemplates
self-destruction, if necessary, in the eff
fort to destroy the enemy: for the uti,i-
tartan in war argues, eff, by the sacrifice
of a torpedo.beat, costing $500, 900, we
sink a great iron-clad, worth a million.
the life mission Of the former craft NAV
we'll be deemed fulfilled.
ETIQUETTE FOR WIDOws.-It il con-
trary to custom to invite guests to the
marriage of a widow. If a widower
marries young girl, the etiquette is
the same as that of a first marriage. A
widow must marry in the morning ear
ly, without show, and has only her wit.
nesses and those Of her intended. Her
dress mus be plain, Of quiet color:
black, however, Is not admissible. On
leaving church the bride invites tn
breakfast the witnesses who have form
ed the welding party, but, no other
guests are invited to the repast. On the
fifteenth day after the marriage cards
are sent bearing the new address of the
married pair. A widow never makes
wedding calls after remarrying. Those
who receive the cards do the visiting.
There is a month allowed for the return
of cards and the visits. When a single
lady marries after having passed the
usual age for marriage, the ceremony
should be simple and unobtrusive.