The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1878-11-02
PANRAPP0'S SEA DE7sssN.
Yet Another Engine Designed to
ReyolutiOnise Naval Warfare.

iStencG, quietly and secretly, an internal
machine which combines Il score Of Won
drous inventions of the past into one,
and which may tittingly be characterized
as Il sea demon or inanmate octopus. Be-
fore il the nayies Of the world are expect
ed to disappear as leaves before the au-
tumn breeze, or as the race Of giants or
mailed barons in fcudal ages vanished i'll
the flash of gunpowder. Skirting the
pretty shores Of the bay the voyager sees
on the beach thing resembling double
barrellcd cannon and monster soda
water fountain. A short distance away is
small house adjoining p. McGilhan's
yacht building establishment. In this the
marine monster lies on Il set of ways, al
most completed Ii 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 1t tapers
down to the bow, which is shaped exactly
like the sharp end of Il cigar. The stem is
very like the lighted end of a cigar cut off
underneath sharp 50 as TO leave al over
hang.
! Divested Of technical terms good id a
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 powder, or enough
/ force to whirl into the air in fragments
| ihe largest ship ati0at, or, it is said, in
! fact, whoe fleet Aft of this torpedo is
! the cYlindcr which contains the mott e
t power, of gas. This is generated in the
queer machine ashore and charged in the
| cylinder. So powerful is it that several
/ cylinders have been bureted, and another
of peculiar composition Is being CON
structed, AmidsIips is the engine, and
aft of this is the steering apparatus The
craft has center spring rudder, aft of
which Is two blaIcd pro. eller on a hos
low shaft, in which are contained the
! wires by which the craft is manned, sail
/ ed, steercd and fought from ashore
While gas is the motive power, instead
/ of steam, singular to say, electricity from
ashore works the valves, starts the ma
chinery, and docs The steering. There
are two batteries aboard-onG for the mo-
tive power, aud one for the steering appa-
ratus. All the steering apparatus is in
air tight compartments, except the en-
/ gine, which Is flooded constantly by holes
! through the ship, for otherwise, 50 in
tense is the cold generated by the gas,
| the engine would freeze up. IN the YES
sci, astcrn is a huge reel on which several
miles Of fine copper wire, coated with
gutta pcrcha, Is coiled. This wire is at
tached to the battery ashore, and is grad
ually unwound rs the vessel goes toward
its destination. When it returns the wire
! is, by another process wound on simi-
! lar reel on shore. In action, however,
! this vessel never returns, for after destroy
ing the enemy it blows itself up, and when
! YOU want to use it again you have to build
another one.
This singular craft has speed of fifteen
miles an hour, and can be despatched
! to distance of four miles and return.
/ With great 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 hg lost, as in other torpedo
boats. The craft is charged at tile bowwith
the torpedo dynamite, a charge Of motive
power being put into the cylinder from
the gas generating machine. Then she
is launched from a set Of ways, and wires
! connecting the shore battery and reel on
board are attached. Then a man seats
himself at the battery, and another, provid-
! ed win a poWerfl! glass, gives him orders.
The craft floats just Under the surface Of
the water, but two elevated painted Sights
by day, and two lights by night, forward
and aft, show, by ranging, just bow the
craft is sailing. AT the words "Starboartt,'
or Port, from the man with the binocu-
lar to the man at the battery, the course
of the vessel Is in a twiukling changed.
/ Far ont Of the range Of the heaviest guns
these two men sit as quietly as 4 telegraph
operator at his desk. and await the APP
preach Of hostile crafts unconcernedly.
whether 10y night or day Sailing mys-
teriousy along under water, the approach
OF the sea demon is not known by the
encmy's ship before the ship and its occu-
parts, with the torpedo itself, arc blown
to atoms.
1t is understood that 4 gentleman