The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-09-06
THE TORPEDO STATION.
PRACTICAL ExLBcI INTER
LISTING EXPERIMENTS WITH DYNAMITE AND
,Y TELEGRAPH To THE HERALD

The torpedo exercises to-day were OF very prac-
Teal character. and all were eminenty succs su,
rejecting credit upon tho officers OF the station and
the Individual members OF the class The weather
was as undesirable possible Tor the experiments,
several OF which had TO be postponed until NOR
row. The station ia seriously crippled tor want Of
servants This TACT was very evident and was u mat
ter OF considerable regret on tho part OF the
mandant, Captain X. r. Breese There was
scarcely of powder for the torpedoss owing to the
non-arrival of the Tailapoosa. This vessel has
supply on board, which was detained account
Of the storm The experiments to-day, from the
shore by the members OF the class, wero under the
direction Of Lieutenant John s. Newell the instructor
In the torpedoo department. IN the presence OF the
officers OF the Board, who accom- panied by Adj
miral Emmons, United States Navy. Captain Breese
was present to show to tho Board every courtesy.
TORPEDO.
The first experiment WIS Entrusted to Lieutenant
Commander Felix McCurley. who proceeded about
seventy five yards from the shore Ia torpedo launch
and arranged spar torpedo. at The end of the spur
was fastened a con tainng twenty pounds OF dy-
nsmitc equal i've timss that amount OF gunpowder
He then ashore aud fred the explosive material
by electricity, using farmers electrical machine the
current OF which passed through about two hundred
feet OF 1t very successfully exploded, the
report being sharp and creating serious disturbance
Of the elements, causing hundreds OF fab come
70 the surface.
AN EXERCISE TokPKDo
Lieutenant Commanders W. Starr Dana and Edwin
White then called upon to explode an exercise
torpedo which contained about fvo pounds OF powder
This exploded while the officers tho boat.
II made nearly as much noise tho preceding Tor.
pedo but failed 10 convince anybody that 1t would
do much damage. IT showed the princips Of the ex-
periment-uz. that torpedoes could be exploded
from small boats launches nfer getting alongside
of an onemy's vessel.
A DYNAMITE EXPLOSION.
Tho next experiment was the exploding VI can Of
dynamite containing about TWEEN live pounds from
The side Of u launch about one hundred yards from
tho Shore by Lieutenant Frank Courts. who came on
shore to Gse IT, as not deemed advisable to run
any risk IL ignted IN the usual way and when It
exploded IL made terrific noise, shaxing the vessels
in the immediate vicinity aud again sending large
number OF lsh to the top OF the water whero they
were gathered without the aid Of hook or line
THE HARVEY TORPEDO.
The United States steamer Nina, attached to the
station, WAS then got uAder way ana proceeded up
the Harvey torpedo IN connection with tho schooner
Joseph Hcney, owned by the government, ana W INCH
~ used Tor torpedo practice. The steamer was
charge OF tho executive Uicvr OF the station, Lieu
tenant Commander Goodrich, while tho schooner
was com unnamed by Lieutenant Commander Gliddcn
and who was accompanied ny LieuteDants Coartis
and Pendletou. Tho schooner iowed up
tho buy, but was allowed hor liberty when
ment with the Harvey torpedo Ensign Wood was
detailed TO explode exercise torpedo from huge
spar managed py oppingiitts guys &c, and which Is
permanently attached to The steamer and swung out
over the sides at VIII. He was also requested to 1t
tho torpedo and explain tho manner OF launching,
handling and firing. II was fred very successfully,
and 1t sh owed that largo vessels could thus up
ALONGSIDE OF another sOip and explode ono OF these
rible effect. The most successful experiment
ever made 1t tho station was oy Lieu
movements OF The Nina against the Joseph Henry.
making offensive attack with tho Harvey (English)
towing torpedo which was guyed out over tie side Of
the steamer, and which cut through the water like .
huge shark. The steamer was stsered northeast by
north, and tho Joseph Hsney. when the 'attack"
made, was the port bow On she steamer
Win its towing apparatus, and II was indeed u
msntous OCCASION Tor tue young ofhoer Al
schooner. Ho gave his orders cooily and intel
lgsnty. The collision finally came tho torpedo
gong right unaor ana striking the bottom OF tho
schooner, and camo u the surface tho levers
were closed, ami II was then known that the
torpedo had made contact OF course tho torpedo
not loaded; practice fuse, however, following the
gong down Of The firing bolt, showed that it had
performed its mission. Tho officer promptly con.
The torpedo was lowed by wire rope tow.
line, and just before reaching the Niua tho
towne was Stacked and the torpedo being heavier
than wstor drove under it. Tho contact was effected
by means Of . mechanics firing bolt beng forced
down upon pin but me operator, II should he IA
levers referred TO into contact with the bottom tho
target Some OF the objections raised against this
pedo are:-Frst-rhat II explodes by mechanical
means, 10 oil the fact that all torpodoos Of this
kind IRE dangerous. Second-I requires great skill
and practice 10 strike the Object OF attack SO much
that with tho majority of officers, II the
end desired Is gained II Will be only by accident
bur this cannot be said OF the romarL able judgmeat
used this afternoon BY Lieutenant Thackara Third
Claiming that t0rpcdoes are the most useful during
the night the operator would not be abIo to
SLACK his line. Fourth IL Is claim cd by
gentlemen who occupy prominent positions In the
navy that II may DC exploded on tho surface with
slight immersion and thus do no damage Fiith-lis
present capacity for explosive material altogether
too email
MASTER M'cRsA's EXPERIMENT.
The next experiment was by Master NcCrea and
Who was also 10 endeavor 10 strike tho Joseph Horny
the commander OF the latter to do all that lay in hs
power " Keep out vi his way. ana IL should 10 hero
stated that IN tho preceding experont the schooner
TO make no effort to get out Of the way OF the
torpedo The young officer was as might be expected
IN the presence OF the Board, Somewhat nervous,
tut he has no reason to DO ashamed OF his
judgment. The towing line caught GU the
mainboom OF the schooner ana tho torpedo
struck Der with such forco to break the wire
ing line, onehaif OF an inch thcknoss, and parted
close to the torpedo II was thought that tho
mander OF the Joseph Henry had succeeded In cuiug
tho line aud had such been the case II would have
wus towed 10 the ship, however, IL was discovered
that the line had parted but that the object
down, but ihis Was caused, uniiiEo the pre-.
vIous expcrimen BY the inertia OF tho torpedo
which, by the way, Is altogether slow craft ior
such experiments and which does not tho officer
IN charge an opportunity 10 show what he can 10
with sailing vessel No sooner this OK perinent
than serious storm OF rain and der added
10 the already disagreabc weather, tho ON GERS
were obliged to remain on board for some time.
THE EXPERIMENTS POSTPONED.
Tho other experiments, which, by tho way, were to
be conducted by instructor OF tho station werc
postponed until TO morrow. For nour aflotward
rain poured down Ia torrents and graduating
class viii not DO likely TO forget their last day on
Government Island.
ORDERS AND PAY.
After the experiments tho class was detached, anu
pleased to receive their orders ON cunt
due them by Uncle Sam. when was handed them
by Pnymastsr Foster
THE CLASS
The names OF tho class are as ioows:-
Coalndndsrs-Oscar h. Stanton, Charles G. Carpon-
Ter, Edward Z. Potter, George Z. Reney, Albert g.
Barker.
Lieutenant Commdnders-Wiliiam Starr Dana
Charles II. Pendlcton, George ID. Il. Gliddon, T. H. |
stevens, Edwiu White Feiix McCurley, Charles Il. |
Rockwell
Northumberland Courts, Edwin Z. Pendleton, |
U. Alloouc, Alexander N. Tackard
Aasters--Nathan Sargent, Henry McCrea
4. nd