The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-06-21
Torpedees ana sron.olads,

The London Times, referring edito-
rally to lecture delivered in that city
on the recent developments of torpe-
does, says: "The question at issue
is neither more nor less than whether
our whole system of naval warfare,
and perhaps of naval architecture, will
not have to be changed, and whether
our magnificent iron-clad fleet is not
liable to be paralyzed by means Of lit
tie machines which almost any govern
ment could afford to construct. Our
present system of naval warfare rests
on the supposition, handed down from
the days of the old three-deckers, that
the most powerful vessel 10 the one
which carries the greatest weight Of
metal, and accordingly we have taxed
the skill of our naval architects to
build, at any cost, vessels of immense
size, each carrying several of the larg
est guns constructed. There Is, as we
have moro than once observed, very
great reason to doubt whether this
plan is wlse one, even assuming that
the naval battles of the future will be
simply contests between guns. We
have had it proved within the
last few days, by one Of those
incidents which real war alone can
furnish, that single shell, IL 1t strikes
an iron-clad In a weak place, may be
sufficient to send it instantaneously to
the bottom, and it is obvious to ask
whether it is prudent to concentrate
on board q vessel liable to this kind o.
accident so vast an amount Of lighting
strength, alike in guns, in men and in
money. 1t appears possible to mount
these heavy guns, one by one, on little
vessels, upon which they would be
equally effective, but which would be
far more difficult to hit, and Of which
the loss would be Of comparatively in
significant Importance. It is the old
story of putting our eggs into one
basket, and that basket very frail
one.
"These considerations, a. we have
said, would arise even il we had solely
to deal with the fire of modern guns.
But they are vastly enhanced by the
invention OF these torpedo yes
sells of which we have lately
heard, and OF which Mr.. Dom
aldson gave full account. The
invention has passed beyond the stage
of experiment, for vessels OF the kind
have been constructed for several for
eiga governments, and one has been
built for our own. These little vessels
are described as little more than the
length Of q racing "eight," and from
seven to ten feet In beam. They are
made entirely OF steel, and are pro-
vided with engines which give them q
speed varying from fifteen to nearly
twenty knots an hour. They can,
therefore, overtake almost any war
ship ahoat. They are armed with one
Of two classes Of torpedoes, either the
nut-rigger torpedo or the Whitehead
fish torpedo. The former is carried
projecting from the bows, and explodes
on being brought in contact with the
vessel attacked, the little ship itself
escaping any damage from the shock
Of the explosion. A little steel boat,
therefore, armed with this kind Of tor
pedo, is a ram OF the most phHer~-
full and most manageable kind.
It can hardly miss ats mark,
fatal. But such a boat carrying the
Whitehead torpedo is, perhaps, still
more formidable. This, as its name
implies, is like fish, with its motive
power in its tail and body and its ex-
plosive force in Its head. Like fish,
when its machinery is set in motion,
which is done by compressed air, It
can swim through the water at any
depth and in any prescribed direction,
and il can carry the largest torpedoes
30 yards Rt "A knots an hour, or 1000
yards at 10 knots. Such, II is said, Is
the skill now acquired in the use Of
this torpedo that II is believed possible
TO make almost sure Of hitting an IRON
clad at 1000 yards, even when the ship
from which 1t is fred is moving al the
rate Of 10 or ~ knots an hour. Il fol-
lows that our powerful iron-clsd feet
might be bcset by Q swarm Of almost
invisible enemies, too rapid to be
caught, too small to be easily bit,
and capable Of delivering absolutely
fatal blows from q distance Of
more than half a mile. II had
been supposed at first that these
torpedocs might be kept at bay
by surrounding the vsssels with
some kind OF wire neitiBg, bat u IL
now stated that the to- pedo boats can
be provided with weed cutters which
would easily cut through such de-
Tense. This would seem sufficiently
formidable; but mention was made IA
the course Of the discussion of 40 IN
vention which would seem even nS-s
formidable still. There is said 70 be
kind OF rocket, which, BY the aid Of
recent improvements, ma nov be ac-
curately projected for 500 yards in
stead Of 1000, with destructiye
charge. II this be the cas :, It would
seem that II furnishes the neaia oE
discharging the most powe 'ul saells
without the enormously expe sive ma
chinery Of heavy guns. shs ID thu
rocket be really under controla nitI-
GENTLY destructive, it would | ; Tar
more terrible weapon than the 20 pedo
and It would seem likely 70 be for
midabie in military a. In naval va fare.
II belligerents can avail themselv . of
all the power OF artillery withou. the
Inconvenience Of transporting gas.
warfare win be reTolntionized alike II
land and sea