The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-07-18
DUG From THE DEEP.
A CsrieSs Torpedo Beat Found in the ca
- 40 1t The Spanish Fort.
New Orleans Times.l

- 80 u he SSanish Fort.
The dredge-boats In the canal at Spanish
Fort have lately brought 10 light mos
curious moustcr Of the deep, in the shape
of an ex- Confederate to- pedo-boat. 1t nov
HES. right side up, upon the shore of the
canal OrpO-ite the fort. A careful exami
nation shows that it conforms to the TO-.
lowing description:
It is made OF ono foul tn inch boiler iron,
rivetcd in plates. Its length is cigh,rcu
feet. breadth i've and depth seven. In
shepe 1t somewhat resembles suD-pc' ch,
although it is equally pointed at both ends.
A three-b'aded sciew is attached 10 tle
Stern, while at the bow are two species of
steering apparatus, consisting Of set fans,
which, being set a certain Indications,
force the vessel upward or downward, 10
the light or u Che left. .....
I, In the point Of the bow is a socket plug
ged with wood. From this fact it IS seen
that the torpedo. was suspended fiom The
bow npon wooden pole, which, judging
from the diameter OF the socket, could noi
have been very long, not more than SIX
feet; neither could It have sustained veiy
heavy torpedo. -. ~.
Through the upper deck Of the boat. or
rather through the back of the iron fish,
rises an iron pipe six inches in diamcicr
This Is broken OF al The height Of folr
inches above the deck 1t probably was
several feet IN length, and was used, dotli,t.
less, to permit . circuit Of fresh air to pass
through the vessel while passing beneath
the surface OF the water.
The entrance TO the interior is through a
twO-foot hole in the deck. An iron stove
lid door closes this aperture There are
traces VI keys, ETC., by which this door
vsS batieled down air-tight. Entering the
little; ship one finds oneself in very mar
row quarters indeed In the bow is an air
pump. with . pipe piercing the starbolld
side Of the boat shove the water-line. THIS
pump is worked by . slraight driving crank,
about three feet long. 1t was intended to
be used in fair aAi.ing upon the surface of
the water. ~ G. .JII ..r.s.-
When found necessary to 20 beneath the
waves. the pump would be vigorously
worked. and - mpch air forced in as pos
sibae. For the rest, the occupants of the
vessel would have to depend upon what
air they could obtain through the supply
chimney shove meaiioued.
Still further toward the bsw is the mech
anism for the working Of the elevating
fans and The rudder. This consists of a
series Of hand crsnks, of limited move
ment, bat sufficient, doubtless. to give the
fans and the Sudder the necessary inclina-
ton. A httle back Of midships is the cog
wheel and rotary crank arrangements for
the working OF the screw. From the size
of said screw it seems that il must have
required two men 20 work II effectively.
One man could handle the steering gear.
Total crew. three men.
The modss operandi was probably as fol-
lows: On dark night the three hardy ad-
venturers would enter the iron fish, and
set themselves seyeraiiy to their particular
work. The Two engineers would grind
away Ut their crank, while the captain
pilot would stand amidsaips, with his head
and shoulders projected through Tie hatch
way. Reaching down be could easily
manipulate The steering apparatus and
guide the destructive machine toward the
neighboring ship Of war. Having come
within thirty yards Of the victim. he would
set the steering and descending fans at The
proper angle, witbdnw into his boat. close
The hasch, and tatten the same. AL three
men would then apply all powers 10 The
driving crank, and shoot the boat through
he waies until something happened A
hundred to one that the explosion Of The
Torpedo would sink both destroyer and
sictlm q one and the same time This is
zoe OF those eaaes where The end is said TO
Justify tha mans.
The edB6A hissosy of This little ins;ru-
nsos Of vas u probably enhanced in the
lrchises of Ne Coofedrs.cy DOS in WASH I
ngtoa. What = here 70 be discovered
lb0ut il b Dsse ooojecsare Il vas made !
h lSoa. aDd never sonk any ac- 4
i've pan in the civil var. This hass fscs is
Widest hecanse ~ Vcnel Ms foiod 10 1
,ost aDa 1soccspisd- Had Il gone cut to 4
lciioo in The hin 4 vooad never have re-
~Dd. snd I'D b sssk Aghting in the
1Ai 4 VOID have - The tones Of The 4
80 within T. Voy hhely 1, sryer maie
m 10 bill trip, but - sink - . Dcss-