Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-12-22

| OF REMARkARLE DESIGN-rHE TORPEDO
DISCHARGED UNDER WATER FROM Gun
SUCCESS OF INTENDED EXPERIMENTS.
Since the introduction Of the torpedo in
naval warfare. very great improvements
have been made in il and experiments
looking towards its perfection have been
constant No person probably has given
more thought and study to the subject
than the we'll known engineer, Captain
John Ericsson. He has recently produced
n torpedo and torpedo boat, which, il is
claimed, eclipse all other inventions in
that line. His work is the result of the
theory laid by him before Napoleon III.
in lS54 hut he has thrown aside the use
of compressed air, substituting gunpowder
for it,
The torpedo boat is peculiarly an
American invention. The first ever known
was launched in New ork harbor in l776.
4 torpedo of very primitive model was
made by Captain David Bushnell. of the
Engineer Corps. United States Army,
which was to be attached 10 the bottom of
Il vessel and exploded by clock-work fuse.
In l717 a schooner was destroyed at New
London by a drifting percussion torpedo.
which was directed against a fiigate. but
missed its mark. In 1877, Robert Fulton
experimental with four different torpedoes
of his own inyention, in New-York, with
success. Colonel Samuel Colt. the arms
manufacturer. in 1913 applied electricity
to the firing of submarine torpedoes. Nine
iron-clads, eleven wooden vessels and
nine transports were destroyed during the
Rebellion by American torpedoes. Those
used by the Russians on the Danube were
spar-torpedoes of the same pattern as that
used in destroying the ram Albemarle, in
Albemarle Sound, by Lieutenant William
b. Cushing, United States Navy. The
Ericsson movable torpedo was expert
mented with during the summer and fall
of 1875 under the supervision of the in
ventor's agent, and full knowledge of
torpedo mechanism was obtained.
For the last five years Captain Ericsson
has been working upon torpedoes. After
many experiments lie decided to use gun
powder instead of compressed AR in the
propulsion of submarine torpedoes carry
ing destructive charges of dynamite. His
recent trials have been made with a pro-
iectile of peculiar form and Il gun OF now
el construction. This trial gun is thirty
feet in length and of fifteen inches calibre.
muzzle-loadcr, suspended under the bot
toms # two wrecklng screws. the gun be
ing lifted above the water after each shot.
by shears and suitable tackle The pres
ent projectile OF the Destroyer(as Captain
Ericsson calls his perfected inventory is
the result of the extended trials referred
to its length is 25 feet 6 inches. diameter
l6 inches, and its weight |. 800 pounds.
including $50 pounds Of explosive mate
rial. II Is made principally Of wood, and
its shape somewhat resembles q cigar.
The point or dynamite action, about five
feet in length. from the vertex to the base,
is made of copper, and a cast-iron arma-
ture is affixed to the tail to balance the
weight of the opposite end As IL is made
of wood principally, the "expermental''
proiectile. after it has run its course, will
rise to the surface, and is readily recov-
cred. For firing this projcctile Captain
Ericsson has applied to the Destroyer a
gun similar to the one used in most of the
experiments. but a breech-loader II is
a smooth bore gun, 30 feet in length, of
l6 inches bore, and is hooped with steel.
The brecch is locked upon the Dutch prin-
ciple, and when unlocked is swung upward
and over, with hinge connection for the
gun to receive the torpedo and the charge
Of gun-powder.
| DESCRIPTION OF TIE TORPEDO Vessel
The results of the first experiments
having proved satisfactory and successful,
Capt. Ericsson has built at his own ex-
peisse an iron vessel. which he has ap-
propriately named the Destroyer This
is now on the Hudson where the exper-
iments with the new torpedo have been
carried on extensively for several months.
concluded Na,-n,,,In,
Preparations are now making for steam
trial to determine the actual consumption
Of coal per mile. and to decide whether
sufficient coal can be carried to take the
vessel across the Atlantic. There is no
armament to be seen. nor anything that
gives the Destroyer the appearance Of
war vessel to an ordinary observer. unless
it may be her singular design. Tfie form
Of the hull is very peculiar, the ends be-
ing precisely alike. and terminating with
very fine wedges, probably sharper than
any other vessel Of deep draught yet
built. The length is l40 feet, depth II
feet. and beam II feet thus presenting the
unusual proportion of eleven times great
er length than beam. The leading fes-
ture of the construction is that the vessel is
provided with an intermediate curved
deck extending from stem to stern, COM
posed Of plate iron. strongly ribbed, and
perfectly water tight. This intermediate
deck sustains a heavy, solid. DETECTING ar
NOR plate placed transversely TO the line
Of keel32 feet from the bow. inclined TO an
angle Of 80 degrees. and supported on the
aft side by n wood backing feet 6 inches
deep at the base. The steering-wheel and
electric batteries for discharging the tor
pedo gun are placed behind this wood
backing. Adeck house or cabin 10 feet long
composed of plate iron. is riveted
waser-tight to the upper part Of the
hall, and its forward end comes to
the DETECTING armor plate. This cabin Is
for the quarters Of the officers and crew.
and for the officer in command Of the YES
sci. who has view of everything ahead
Of him through glass port. He steers
, the vessel and discharges the gun with
. out fear OF the enemy's guas, as he is pro-
,, tected by wrought iron armor plating in
/ front of him, sixteen inches in thickness.
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