The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-20
THE SECRETARY on THE NAVY.
Visit of Secretary Thompson
to Newport.
A GALA DAY AT GOAT ISLAND.
Exciting Torpeoo, Electric and Chemi-
cal Experiments.
BLOWING UP OF A HULK.
A GALA DAY AT GOAT ISLAND.
BLOWING UP OF A HULK.

[By TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
NEWPORT, r. L., July 10. 1873.
relay Goat Island. where the United States Tor
pedo station IL located, wore holiday appear
ance on the occasion OF the visit thereto Of
the Secretary Of the Navy. Among tho guest
who were at The station a. an early hour wert
Sir Edward Thornton, tho English Minister; Mr.. MAJ
Outrey French Minister; NINE Outrey, Mr.. French,
Secretary Of tho English Legation; Rear Admiral W.
Gore Jones' Naval Atiache OF The British Legation;
Mr.. ". W. Tucker. OF Boston, member Of Gov
ernor Rice's Councils; President weIing. Of
Columbia College, Washington; Baron De Kisnck,
OF Germany; Duo De Feltre, OF Paris; Professors
Cooke aud Rogers, OF Harvard College; General
James Lawrence, General W. II. Emory, United
States Army; Colonel Montgomery, United States
Army Cap, ain Edw ard simpson, United States Nays
Captain NJ G. Marin, Cnitod States Army, and large
number of.the summer visitors.
THE EXPERIMENTS
The nrst experiment was by Commanders Stanton
and Potter, who in a launch In front OF the
Talapoosa fred two enty-nve-pound torpeioss
FROM the end of many spars Lay torpedo was
brought for second experiment being iu charge
Of Lieutenant John S. Newell instructor OF torpedoes
at the station 1t was steered by electricity from
keyboard placed In front OF the Secretary, and II
was made to make several circles, and in TACT Dir.
Newell was confident that he could do great deal
more with it, but there time tor any further
manipulation Of this costly torpedo boat The prinoi
pie the steering apparatus used on the Lay torpedo
was shsn applied TO launch, which il intended 10
send OF without nybody being on board, to show
that it could DO run under the side OF ship and
plooe either one or two torpodoes; but owing
10 the dissrraugement OF some OF the counec-
lions this part OF the programme had 10 be
omitted. A salute Of nineteen torpedoes planted In
tho inner harbor then hrod IN hsnor of the
Secretary, and was, without dsubt one Of the finest
huge column OF water q distance Of $50 feet in
the air. Thoy were ignited BY Lieutenant A.
Isupc Soaas eou,..nng Commanders W 5. Dana.
&. D. Ghdden and Lieutenant Frank
Courtes, aud Masters Nathan and sargent, then shot
out from the wharf aud exploded two seventy-fys
pound spar torpsdoes loaded with powder water from
the second one into the boat and drenched the
bright uniforms 81 the officers, and .his created no
little sport among those on board the Taiia2oosa
The guests wsro then taken 70 the machine
10 me many objects submitted 10 their inspection.
In the irize Secretary Thompson was allowed 40
one huu feet from the building ON the shore He
ignised fuse from the second story Of inc building
rLEcrRIoAL ILLUSTRATIONS
An experiment was then made IN the Museum, on
the me floor, with u we'll known French electrical
Iixht--a gramme machine win Srrrin lamp The
room was and 50 bright was the light that
process Of producing electricity was fully shown 70
The Secretary. He was surprised when be
CUNTS for sixteen men-of-war After tho battery
cellar had examined In tho electrical building
sss,rs wnere he nred of thrse ssla,ing torpsaoes,
v hch were planted IN the har0or The explosion Of
was great success, Inc third one senains
water TO height which, II Is believed, has
mover been attained before Edisoa's microsphone
was also exhibited by Lieutenant C0ndon. Some Of
the mysteries oil BeiIs telephone as IN use al he
station also exhibited ny the venerable oisctri-
cian, Professor Farmer, VINO, after darkenlng tie
ROOM exhibit ed the principle oil Sir William Thomp.
sons rejecting xalvanometer, an instrument used
IN ocean tslegraphy, anu the resistance OF
which by a delicate and intricate experiment
was shown TO DO equal to oue-haif Of the Atlantic
cable Professor Farmer, IN tho lecture room, also
exuibited Wild's electrical lamp and the gramme
machine, the latter furnishing current TO show the
picture OF mo Carbon ana Inc arc whlon formed inc
ngnt n photograph OF which was thrown upon the
wall The ject Of this light which, by the way. Is
soon furnished 10 our men oi-war, IL 10 detect
the approach oil the encmy's boats.
THE CHEMICAL LABORATORY.
The visitors were then conducted TO The chemical
dar and where ihermomstsr registered nearly
one hundred. Tnoy were FULLY rsputd, however. Tor
Inc chemist, Professor w. n Hin, who showed ma
chime tho purpose oil accompanying or separating
tho two gases OF which water composed The process
on which clearly shown that the hydrogen was
twice much as the oxygen, ana the sppeAr.ncs OF
cerne works were tho next TO bs inspected, alter
which ,hs party conducted TO- the top Of the
wherc they remained Tor nearly one hour
In The broiliug sun, but - will Do seer
they were fully repaid Tor this suffering charge Vi
picrate powd . substitute for shells and torps
does shipboard, and Two charges OF dynsmits,
VIII ch were placed rock on tho shore ~ The foot
OF the men tied, 10 me horror OF tue
iades, considerably frightened ~ the unex'
pected concussiou.
BLOWING UP
Tnc great experiment reserved Tor The last, and
that Was the blowing up Of q hulk anchored GU tue
outer barbor. IL consisted oil three huge water
soaked RATS under which was placed three mines vi
dynamite. containing hhy pounds each. After some
little delay the mine ignited by Professor Hill,
and the spectacle witnessed was one which Will
never forgotten by the distinguished gathering.
The rats were skyward Ia Thousands OF
p,ecsr not one which larger than AN ordinary
sningic and It estimated ny Professor Hill that
some oil the fragments were sent q distance oil zoo
feet The water agitatsd tor nearly quarter OF
mile. whiIo the surface here ana there covered
with Kindiing wood. The ladies waved their hand
kerchieis and ciappcd their hands, and the sterner
sex congratulated Captain Breese and Professor Hill
upon Tue success OF tubs novel spectacle.
The Secretary aud lew invited guests then lunehed
with Captain Brcese
Alter the lunch there very Interesting expert
mcnt IN the inner harbor win the torpedo boat
Lightning which, while running nj the rate OF twenty
miles per nour, exploded u torpedo ON the beam.
The guests we're escorted to tho Tuapvosa ~ about
..tol hv hall. or nm thstr