The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-09-07
THE TORPEDO STATION.

CONCLUSION or THE EXPERIMENTS BRToRR
THE OPTICAL AsD-sUCoEssFUL ExaIBI-
TIoN OF The TORPEDO LAUNCH EXERCISES.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO TIE HERALD.
NEWPORT, r. l., Sept 9, 1878.
The torpedo experiments confined to-day 70
the instructors Of the station, who concluded their
exercises before tho Official Board
The nrst experiments were by Lieutenant Com
mander Horace Elmer, who showed tn com paraiivs
tests different and who red charges or
the same giving the pressure different distances
These were very successful
CHEMICAL EXPERIMENTS.
Professor W. N. hii, the chemist at tho station,
illustrated with tho college lantern the plan sys
tom OF impartug iniormation TO the class under In
struction, also Tie olectrolyosfs OF water the
manner Of testing essential oils and the process OF
making and refining charcoal oil and sulphur quo.
powder. He also showed the different explosive
bullets use, and the eject OF dynamite fred upon
iron also the curious phenomenon Of particles OF
camphor floating In water
BLxcTRc LIGHTS.
The various electric lights exhibited by Lieu.
tenants May nard and Couden who showed the differ.
means and methods OF signalling. They also ex.
planned In a very clear and lucid the
struciion and principle OF the Farmer dynamo
electric machiac. The electrician At the station Pro
lessor Moses g. Farmer, illustrated In hts usual In
tellgent manner the method OF illuminating by
strips Of platinum, heated by electric currents and
carbon, glass; globe Tiled with nitro
grogep. and other electrical apparatus.
TORPEDO LAUNCH
The torpedo launch Success was thon brought into
use by Lieutenant Jonn s. Newell. The object Of
boat, connected with the shore by single wire.
The operator Lieutenant Newell, enabled 10 control
altering ana dropping counter mines without the aid
OF any human agency on board She was also stecred
stopped BY the sk,ilsd operator Who also backed her.
then stopped again started ahead turned TO sarboad
nS % Ts sns
uaiing the movements Of this wonderful craft was
FULLY explained TO the Board by Mr.. Newell. II
invented originally BY Lieutenant Mclean, United
States Navy. and exhibited She Board Of inspectors
last year, but since that time m has Improved
upon by the gentleman who operated u to-day. Last
year could only accomplish TOUR purposes; now IL
do seven, and the same be- multiplied
10 wished. Dropping the mines either side ond
backing the additional improvements.
rnx TORPEDO BOAT.
The torpedo boat Lightning was also brought Into
Lisutenant CopJsn at the wheel Lioutenani May
pard ana the Board were seo odated on the
maroon ana wen, up the pay as lar az Bishops
Rock. wnen abreast OF the station on her
return .ne sd a sn:sa f'vs,seo rom
she was stopped within her own length.
and THIS too, when she hu was going a. The rate Of
that Board feel " they some here
else than the brny deep
A CLoskR.
An improviscd circuit closer TO be used In case Of
emergency, tue invention OF Lieutenant Stevens, n
mem Der oil the class, was also exhibited, and which
Is so arranged as 10 explode torpedo py running
over u while planted IN the water.
BoARn
The Board will make their report Tomorrow. They
informed your correspondent that all OF tho oxperi.
ments had been mnently successful They will rec
ommend In their report to the department an IN.
In the usual appropriation, FOR Mt present the
station Is seriously crippled by inadequate funda
They will show the grct results which have been
gained ut the station IN the matter Of torpedo war
fare during the past ave years. and will compare the
made In this country with those made
Tor the purpose by England, France aud oshsr
nations.
THE coMMANDAxT.
The new CON ndant OF the station, who has been
here tor some time, captain y N. Ramsay, will take
charge 18th mat The present tho fourth Of
the annual per iments which nave been held uudsr
the administrator OF Captain Bresss, to whom the
government Is greatly indebted Tor the interest which
he has taken In tho station.