The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-15

According 10 capt. SEMESCNlNT. Russia l.
now completing feet Of one hundred torpedo
bouts. which are deemed ample protection for
her harbors from the visi,ations of hostile ships
of war. The English have recently been making
protecting gear iorthrir war vessels. supplying
wire netting and spar projections TO stave OF
tho deadly submarine enemies. On both sides
il seems 20 be recognized that a now element.
greater than all others. has entered into the
conditions Of naval warfare. and only practical
experiment can determine the relative values
of attack and defence developed ly il. The first
torpedocs smploycd Tor harb0r defence were
stationary. and int ended 10 ba fired by pcrcus-
sion. or by electricity from the shore Nccessa-
rilY. their field Of usefulness was limited.
and against them the English system OF de-
fences would undoubtedly be generally sum
cicnt. But il Is an open question whether the
swift and strong torpedo boats. built OF steel
and travelling at the rate Of seventeen miles
per hour. will not dart through any netting that
can be employed in active service, or carry away
any spar dcfences, and. by very simple
adaptation Of the torpedo TO the new conditions,
reach and destroy the enemy Those who pro-
fcss 20 have had an inklng Of Capt. ERICSSON :
plans aver that his torpedo will be so riggcd
that upon meeting the resistance of such de-
fences a. have been indicated it will be auto
matcally detached, sink below the line Of
spars or even deep MEETINGS. and con-
tnue travelling on. with the impulse al
ready given to II. until it is beneath the yes
sci at which il is fined whore 1t will be
exploded. II thus new and terrible power
can be given to the torpedo-if instead Of being
a mere slumbering demon. lying in wait for a
victim to approach it, ii can be endowed with
vitality and energy. sent abroad to seek the
enemy il is commissioned to destroy. and with
unryalled speed. uncqualed destructive force
unorrinR precision Of aim and merciless
thoroughnoss. caused 10 do its awful work
either naval warfare must end or take new
and frightful character rs n submarine duel.
When an inventor like Can't. ERCssoN claims
to be able to do this and sustans his claim rs far
IA he has done by experiment it isVlmeto think
seriously before approprinting any more mil
lions 10 rebuild our rotten navy. Tho
history Of our civil affords ut least one illus
traton Of what torpedo Is capable Of doing
On the 9th Of October, 1864 in the Roanoke
river. Lieut. CUSHING. by means Of spar tor
pcdo. destroyed the powerful ram Albemarle
That fact gave an impetus to our experiment
ing on torpedocs. for which we had long had q
fancy. As long ago rs I'LL. Capt. DAVID BUSH
NELL. Of the American army, blow into the aiI
an English war vessel anchored in the bay OF
New York, using for the purpose n submerged
boat and torpedo consisting Of a tin box con-
tanning $50 pounds Of powder, supplied with n
percussion emp and clockwork which exploded
it at given time. ROBERT FULTON invented a
torpedo twenty years later and tried TO get II
adopted by tho Government. but without sue
cess. Then Col. SAMUEL COLT and others went
on experimenting in tho same direction until
they struck out tho idea Of employing electricity
as an exploding agent. Capt. ERcssoN's tor
pedo may be looked upon as the latest outcome
Of all this study. and if his anticipations are at
all realized will prove the most effective.