West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-11-09
Yet Another Engine Designed 10 Revo.
lutioniZe Naval Warfare.


New York sun
Down along the pretty and historic
shores of Communipaw, near the little
Village of Pamrapo, is growing into ex.
istence, quietly and secretly, an infer
nal machine which combines a score of
the wondrous inventions of the past into
one, and which may bo fttingly charac.
terized as sea demon or inanimate oc-
topus. Before il the navies of the world
are expected 10 disappear az leaves be.
fore the autumn breeze, OF a. the race of
giants or mailed barons i'm feudal ages
vanished in the flash of gunpowder.
Skirting the pretty shores of the bav
the voyager sees on the beach thing re.
sembling both double-barreled cannon
! and monster soda water fountain A
short distance away is small house adj
joining 7. McGilhan's yacht-building
establishment. In this the marine mon
ster lies on a set of ways, almost com
pleted. l; is built of iron, and is twenty
one feet six inches long over all, fifteen
inches in diameter, and nearly four
feet in circumference at its largest part
amidships From this point il tapers
down TO the bow, which is shaped cx-
actly like the sharp end of cigar. The
stem is very like the lighting end of a
cigar cut OF underneath sharp, so as 10
leave an overhang
Dlvested oftechnical terms, agood idea
OF this wonderful craft may be gained
by the following explanation At the
bow, and screwed in, is the torpedo.
with brass cap at the end. 1t is charged
with one hundred pounds of dynamite.
equal to six hundred pounds of giant
powder, or enough force to whirl into
the air in fragments the largest shin
atoat, or, il is said, in facts whole
fleet. Aft of this torpedo is the cylinder
which contains the motive power. or
gas. This is generated i'm the queer
machine ashore and charged I'm the cvl.
inder. 30 powerful il il that several
cylinders have been burst, and another
oi peculiar composition is now being
constructed. Amidships is the engine
and aft of that Is the steering apparatus
l he craft has center spring ridder. aft
OF which is a two-bladcd propeller on a
hollow shaft, I'm which are contained
the wires by which the craft is manned
sailed, steered and fought from ashore.
While gas is the motive power. in
stead OF steam, singular to say, electri.
city from ashore works the valves. starts
the machinery and does the steering
there are two batteries aboard-one for
the motive power and one for the steer
ing apparatus. All the apparatus is i'm
alr-tight compartments except the en-
gine, which is flooded constantly bv
holes through the ship, for otherwise, 80
intense * the cold generated by the ras.
the engine would freeze up. In the YES
sci, astern, ~ huge reel on which sew
eral miles OF fine copper wire, coated
with gutta percha, is coiled. This wire
Is attached TO the battery ashore, and is
gradually unwound as the vessel goes
toward its destination. When il returns
the wire Is, by another process, wound
on similar reel on shore I'm action
however, this vessel never returns, for.
after destroying the enemy. il blows it,
self up, and when you want to use IL
again you have 10 b6ild another one.
This singular craft has a speed of fif-
teen miles an hour, and can be dis
patched 10 distance Of four miles and
return. With greater supply Of motive
power and more wire on the reel this
distance can be extended There is no
risk To be run and no lives to be lost. as
on other torpedo boats. The craft is
charged at the bow with the torpcdo of
dynamite, charge of motive power be-
ing put into the cylinder from the gas
generating machine. Then she ia
launched from a get of ways and wires
connecting the shore battery and reel on
board are attached. Then a man quietly
seats himself at the battery, and another
provided with powerful glass, gives
him orders. The craft floats lust under
the surface Of the water, buttwo elevated
and painted sights by day, and TWO
lights by night, forward aud aft. show,
by ranging, just how the craft is sailing
At the word Starboard," ." or port"
from the man with the binocular 10 the
man at the battery the course OF the
vessel is in twinkling changed. Far
out Of the range Of the heaviest guns.
these two men sit a. quietly as a tele-
graph operator at his desk, and await
the approach Of hostile craft unconcern-
edly, whether by night or day. Sailing
mysteriOusly along under water, the ap-
| proach Of the sea demon is not known
| by the enemy's ship before the ship and
It's occupants, with the torpedo itself are
blown 10 atoms.
II is understood that a gentleman
named Huby is the inventor OF this
/ mysterious craft. He il said to have
expenmented largely with torpedoes for
the Russian Government, and to have
been connected with heavy railroad
| building operations with the Khedive Of
Egypt. A singular feature Of this sea
demon il that her machinery has a
striking resemblance in all its parts to a
steam en- me, cccentrics, stesm-chests.
valves, exhaust pipe, all having their
proper places, and the only limit to the
vessels career is the amount of motive
power with which she is charged. and on
I which she depends for propulsion as
/ does steamer ON coal Great interest
exists in scientific circles in regard to
| her, and 1t Is understood that AN the
| foreign powers will have representative
/ At her approaching trial.
Death In Match.