, 1877-07-16
A FLOATING TORPEDO.
Tho Invcntton Of n Rrono1aantnc-1t Ex-
Ptotycs, Blowing ltsclf and 1ta Inventor
II Atnn&.

Correspondence Cincinnati En4Hfffr.
aT4n lstAsn HOUSE,. EFT b. cIA,n ,n Flats July
wc,. cicar ~ ica-i, fort hcf,rc ~, ,cn l., arn
g. c,s.. ,ss1',., ~. -, 49, ~ :" ..".o ~
e~ e!a. haa psohs" ~ an,-a '"ah nearly W
nothing ean be lcarne,l, made his appearance at
Port Huron. 81. Clair, Alsonac, and at other
lawn m thc s.. Cla;r niycr. tic NV VA - r.thsr .s
,sea.,. ~. a..t wv ~, % ..,M , " . atues nn..
sight, would havc been taken for trump. Yet
the old man not only ha1 money, but plenty of
It. He had little 10 say to any one, and when
stopn,nr At hot:l he rof,1.eu to rcri,.cr n, c,.e
n'aae scta"l IN ptaco OF name. iao stran9cr
had nothing to do except With hlacksmiths and
machinists, anl through them 1t became knowu
toat no invent torpedo 'os Inc
oes" aes,o" W ""l.scsee'.' itc w" no@ ~ W.
communicative seeming to lear that some ono
would steal his Ideas; but his plans were grad
outs,,lc as.fstance. perara,nr him NJ . mono.
.ss.as =, ~. -, 49,. ~ 's''', "o"o
,ua't'a., NV .no W, .ta1' iee1Nea
Dit lattte attenton' Some castings we're tnadc
had others male, and about the middle of May
he built himself rude sl,anty on Wntpole
island, bought O skiH, two Or three kegs Of
powder, and 80 rigtdly secluded himself fum the
public oyo TINT he WAS, III time, forgotten As near
~ can be asccrtalncd, tho old man was seeking
70 invent . floating torpedo. Tho sizo Of hi;
ono he did make will never be knowft nor yet
now aas peTTd;f r. formed 6nxs tho, tho oE
pounds. with likelihood that It was 100. Tho
torpedo WINS d shell Of caat-iron no thicker than
that used IN making stoyc.WnFc. It was pear
shaped, and divided IN tho centre. One division
was u be filled with compressed alt, Eas, or
other b,loyant substance, and tho othpr waA to
hold tho powder The torpedo was provided
with fans or wings made Ut galsanizod Iron, and
bnoy up tho mass. 1t What may bo called
tho down-rirer end of tho torpedo WAS q steel
/ rod, with ?. wooden bar six fset long
crossing # iiks the letter T: Tho opposite
Iolted 70 il. and in thls ring was IL ba tied a
rope. Tho Idea was TO float tho torpedo under
the surface The depth would b. regulated BY
the aoating material. 10 opcrate Ii oie would
have to put out In boat above tho vcsscl TO bo
attacked, md Let tho torpedo 1oat down in line.
Wllel! tho wot,dcn bar Or cIoas'piccc struck tho
33-ssntrivanco inside would strike on tho charge,
i tho kainc as In an infcrnal machine. I am not
able to furnish closer particulars. because the
ull usan and his torpedo arc m[ncc.r1,eat. It. ts
serlbel, bocauso several persons san Il, mid be-
cause Lie submitted drafts md plans to others.
Some Of Tho Indians OH tho islanl saw the ma
rinc monster several times, atl 'rerc taken iato
whites.
Tn tho 10th of June tho cruxy inventor went
tu Detroit or some errand or other, and WIS
absent until July .. llo probably secured tho
Inst things neelcd to complete his torpedo, for
| lie wa4 heard working NIL that night Tn tho
9th he cudcayorcd to hire the Captain Of !
! achooncr to tow tho invention across t4aIse st,
C1alr for him, but as he would not tell what It
was, md 10 he acted very strungcy, no larYain
| wns 1nadc. The torpedo was then anchored of
tic foot Of tho island, past Of 1t showing above
| water, and several fishermen inspected It md
called It abuuy., On tho evening 1T tho 9Th tho
old man and ~ torpedo Disappeared Without