The New York herald., 1879-09-14
PROTECTION By 7ORPEDOES
What New York Relies on to Keep
OFF a Hostile Fleet.
DEFECTIVE LAND DEFENCES
Antiquated Artillery PowerleSs Against
Modern IrOn-cladS.

Major Abbot. who is charged by the Chief OF En-
gneers with carrying out series Of experiments
with view of arriving at a perfect system OF tor
pedo defence, was found by HERALD reporter In
his quarters at wllett's Point, where the expert
nonts chiefly carried on, and what might 10
termed an American torpedo school has been srau"-
ally growing up under the Majors direction "hen
informed of the object of the reporters Visit ''or
Abbot seemed somewhat disincned to speak Oh 'ne
subject of what had been Accomplished anu
anxiously inquired where the HERALD had oo'aine"
the information already published, ana winch 'he
Major supposed safe III the archives OF the "af
Department On being assured that the information
had probably been furnished by the government ior
the benefit of the public the Major seemed more at
his ease and finally consented to give as much IN
formation the subject of torpedo aetence as ne
could without exposing important secrets to foreign
Governments The reporter opened the conversa-
ton by asking Major Abbot to explain the value OF
torpedoes as defence against attack by an enemys
feet.
WHY ToRPEDoEs ARE USEFUL.
..The general why torpedoes are important
as means resisting attack is the faculty which
modern vessels of war possess of steaming past bat
teries rapidly that they can hardly be hit with
any degree of certainty by gunners firing from the
shore. This of is due to the invention OF the
screw propeller. which made shortly after 1910.
and was the first difficulty which had to be met in
modifying the old system of fortihcation adopted
aft r the of 1912. Superadded to that came the
IRON plating which rendered it possible for vessel
20 resist few shots from guns which would destroy
she remained a sufficient length Of time under
are. Permanent defences became therefore of little
Sue unless something could be done to prevent the
vessels passing rapidly and compelling them to
stop and fight in order to get by. 1t is for this
that the question of stationary torpedo de-
fence has received much study from engineer
officers the world over. The problem is different
from that of the offensive torpedo which so much
engages the attention OF naval officers. without
some obstruction the land fortifcatlons would be-
come utterly inadequate even when the nation is
possessed of the best patterns of modern ordnance.
We. who hardly equal Brazil in this respect. have
been compelled for stronger reason to give atten-
tion to torpedo defence. The old pattern ordnance,
with which forts armed do not begin to COM
pare with the guns carried by foreign men-of-war"
would not the heavy guns be effective against
iron-ciad?''
'.At range of few hundred yards they might do
some service; but on account of the size Of their
projectles and their great diameter resistance
OF the air to their passage is great to impede
their fight, and in range of mile they lose SO
less against modern iron-clad."
cat what distance can torpedoes be 6red?'
practically at any range. 1t is merely question
of fitting the means to the end. 1t would be posi-.
bic to arrange the electric batteries as to fire
torpedo in Washington from this fort; but the ma
chimes which we now possess would explode tor
pedo placed fifteen miles away and that is sufficient
for all practical purposes. SO much attention hal
been paid the preparation OF electric fuses both il
this country and in Europe that there is now dit
fculty from want Of electric power"
MONEY WANTED.
''what is your principal difficulty at PRESENT."
'.The insufficency OF the appropriations made by
Congress. At present expend most of the money
appropriated in the purchase of such articles are
most important aud most difficult to get ready III
of a sudden war. We are also preparing the
iron works OF torpedocs and storing them III the
different forts, SO far us our small appropriations
will permit"
mot unless the forts have been previously pre-
pared. Many of iorts have been prepared
ties. What is needed is the construction OF bomb
proof casemate entirely secured against any possible
chauee OF injury from the tre OF the enemy. and a
mining shaft and gallery to connect 1t with low
iaark, SO that the cables could be protected
from destruction during bombardment, as shot or
shell might strike them and cut the connection be-
tween the torpedoes and the batteries. Many our
not yet provided with these rooms gal
leries so that should war suddenly break outNaI-
though might have apparatus in
structcd soldiersthe first shot o. the enemy ght
destroy our torpedo defences. That is why the
Chief of En- sncers has laid stress neces-
sity for an appropriation for the hitting the fort
to operate the torpedoes."
torpedoes?'
Yes; to and operate torpedoes requires SOL
ders who have had great deal OF special training
The explosives used and the fuses and the OF
firing all entirely different from any other part
OF the military service. Electricity is very diff
cult agent to employ unless many small technical
points perfectly Understood. For these reasons
soldiers could not be drafted from the other
to assist the engineers in planting torpedoes
We may. therefore, make up our minds that unless
the number OF engineer troops who are kept under
instruction is much increased we shall be sure to
.aii accom- plishing what we ought to do in pro-
.ecting harDors in the next war;"
roo SMALL FORCE.
"What force would bo required to perform the
service efhcientlyY
"a minimum force OF $40 men has been fixed upon
for this service by the Chief OF Engineers. There
less than hundred and twenty men, and
their duties include the defence of all the harbors
and channels on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of
the United states. 1t is easily that the proposed
force OF $40 men does not include the laborers
sailors and boatInen who could and would be OBJ
tained on the spot in large numbers. but only tho
skilled men without whose aid could put
down the torpedoes or operate them when placed
The many sensitive and powerful agents used i'll
their construction require dolicate handling. il
serious accidents are To be avoided In Germany,
after the Franco Prussian war some thing like one
hundred lost their lives taking up the torpcdoes
that had been put down to protect the coast during
the war. But perhaps you Will understand the
question better II visit tho laboratory where
such points as can be made public can be explained
10 you"
The reporter very gladly accepted this kind offer
and accompanied tue Major TO a spacious building
some distance from the officers quarters. where ho
found himself surrounded by bewildering coiiec-
ton ol electric machines and generating batteries,
the uses aud applications of which the Major did
not think N necessary To speak ia detail. Ii was
sufficient To understand ia general way that they
supplied the electric spark which unicated the
hfu to the fuse and caused the explosion of the
terrible torpedo lying. perhaps. miles away under
The waters OF the bay.
The SECOND story devoted to models OF fuses
Eud other details. which the Major remarked would
he better understood after examination OF the
various classes OF topedoes stored the upper
floor. Ca entering the room devoted to this depart
the reporters eye rested "a varied assort-
nient OF submarine internal machines one end Of
the spacious devoted TO samples of tor
ledoes with which the chivalry of the south
stroVo to annihilaic the marine forces of their
Lr.. In he III.