Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-12-22
1 Novel Little War Shin.

NNeNi iiatt Ua t9hiHs
A New York paper says; There now
lies at the wharf Of the Delaware and
Hudson Canal company at Hoboken a
very modest-looking little vessel which
Captain Ericsson has constructed and
christened "The Destroyer" which, il
is claimed, viii make Intellectual and Of
no value for offensive warfare those ex.
pensive and heavily armored vessels,
the pride Of the navies of the old
world With this inuocent-appearing
little craft he proposes to completely
wipe out Of existence, IL opportunity
offers, the best vessels exsant, made
upon The system Of which he vas the
father.
The Destroyer is a craft of iron,
whose hull, even as she lay light On the
water, was almost entirely submerged.
When ready for service bat little OF the
hull would bc above water The house,
which is situated well astcrn, is OF iron,
but no attemp! has been made to make
j! impFegnabie, as with the house en-
tirely shot away, the Destroyer is inst
Is reaworthy and capable OF performing
tho work required OF it. Below the
house il ia rs well protected as any ar
rnored vessel a1oat. It's dimensions are
130 feet long, II feet deep and II feet
wide. These unusual proportions arc to
give her o high rate OF speed, and as
her lines are exactly alike in both direc-
tions she can move ahead or astegn
with equal facility. Tho simple hori.
zontal engine Of /, 600 horse. power rest.
ing on a surface condenser OF about
eight feet square, the bydraulically
controlled rudder, the novel steering
apparatus, and the torpedo gun are all
below the surface Of the water, and as
they are protected by armored plates OF
improved construction, with 4 special
device TO protect the machinery from
shots fred at the exposed portion or
front oi tho boat, her inventor asserts
with confidence thai she is indestruct.
ible save by sunksn torpedoes or boats
Of her own kind. 4 fri7ate'a launch l.
larger than she. yet the frigate itself in
contest wohld be wholly at her mercy,
for the immense craft could not be
handled quickly enough to get ont Of
the way Of the little death-dealer no
more than can the poadcrous ele-
phant escape from the insignili.
cant little fly fba. 80 terribly
annoys It. The armament Of The Dc
stroyer is a single gun situated just
above the keelson, in the forward part
OF the boat, and its muzzle opens di-
reetly into the sea, beng protec ed
from the rushing in Of water when not
in use By permanent valve hung by an
elbow joint to the stem Of the vessel,
and which is opened or closed by a pis.
ton operated at the breech Of the gun.
When the gun is to be fred this valve
is raised, and stands ont OF the path OF
the proiacsile How. when the valve is
raised Is tho water prevented from
rushing into tho muzzlc Of tie gun2 Is
a query that naturally arises. And the
inventor provides against this omorgen-
ey By tho use OF . sectionally con.
strueted temporary valve of wood and
rubber cloth, which tightly fits tue muz.
zle and IS placed in the gun before the
prciectile Is, and shattered TO atoms when
the torpedo starts on is erfaud of dc.
struction. "wstor must rush in when
the proiecsiie Leaves tho gun, and so
sink the vessel" says the critic as he
looks 1t the working model. Oersaialy
il would bat for tie fact that a. soon As
the proieclilo Is cred out lhs gunner
closes his permanent valve and shuts OF
the influx, which oan only b. through
tho gun itself Whist comes ia ruas out
through the brssch and drips through
grating into the biIge below. fFom
which It is pumpod ont By steam
aiphon placed At tho side OF tho gun
so lar The explanation II satisfactory
and Il Is rnado doably 20 by The initial
experiment. which showed that the
permanent vAlye 81 be closed after
tha "a i Gsed. m bns very littlo
wafer = shipped. thenvli there VIZ
strong Hhb tide running ifaetlr toward
the HIazzIn - lha TIE nf - expert.
menE.