Connecticut western news., 1881-08-03
A TORPEDO BOAT.
A Little Machine of Wonderful Pro-
 portions.

Considerable interest is felt about New York city relative to war craft built by the Delamater Iron Works, and about which there is considerable mystery. The proprietor of the iron works dis closed his belief that the boat was for the Fepians. He says:
 "Some time before the boat was fin ished MT. Archibald, the British Con- sul, called on us and had long confer ence as to the probable destination of the boat. He was very much exercised over the matter, and gave it his person al attention. He asked about the pro- portions and workings of the boat. We said that our contract with the inventor restrained us from giving him many of the points, which might become public and could not be patented there after ward. However, we gave him these facts:
 "The boat is thirty-one feet over all, is six feet six in diameter, shaped like 8 cigar, driven by screw propeller by petroleum oil engine, and is made of riveted iron plates made to stand 300 pounds pressure to the square inch. MT. Archibald was obliged to retire on the death of his son, and MT. Pierrepont Edwards succeeded him. MT. Edwards, who is convinced that the boat is intend ed for Fenians to blow up English ves- sells, became even more interested in it than his predecessor. However, it was almost impossible to learn anything, as the Irishman was such clever, happy go-lucky fellow that he baff1ed all detec- Gion.
 "We finished her in April, and in May Holland took her away. First she went to Hoboken. Speculation and cu- riosity were rife to see what he would do with her, but he artfully made her fast, and let her entirely alone till the curiosity had died away. Then he made an experiment. He got into her, and went under water, and stayed there about an hour, steamed about, and came back again. I got this information from man who was on the grounds. was also told that MT. Pierrepont Edwards was on the grounds, but have no proof | of it. We'll on the Fourth of July he again went down in her, and, as near as I can learn, has never been heard from since. Mir Edwards feared that she had been slowed in the hold of some ship and taken abroad. This is impos- sible, though, as there are only two der ricks in the city that could lift her and properly lower her away. We own both derricks. One is on our dock and the other is on our lighter, the COX. She couldn't have been lifted by either of these means without our knowledge, so she must still be in port. She is 8 8 torpedo boat, and could be tremen- dously effective in sinking vessels.
 cit has been a queer proceeding from the start. We entered into the contract with caution, but if the thing is to be used for this underhand warfare, we will always regret it.''
 Superintendent Miller, who has charge of the Delamater Iron Works, said yesterday: He was very pleasant gentleman, that Mr. Holland-so full of fun. He wouldn't tell what he was going to use his machine for though, under any pressure. He had 8 young engineer with him too. The machine, am told, was a complete success. A man in whom have every confidence told me of some experiments that were startling in the extreme. He says, for instance, that she was under water four hours at one time, and travelled seven miles without rising to the surface on another occasion. I can hardly credit this, though l admit that she might easily stay under for, say, one hour. She was driven by engines run by petroleum oil
 The power was estimated at about twelve horse power, and she could make six miles an hour when submerged, with a moderate pressure. There was room inside for four men, and the ap- pliances for working the torpedo were manipulated, of course, from within. She was regular torpedo ram.
 "Many stories have reached me as to the probable destination of the boat, but none that can be credited. She is an undoubted success, if l can trust two eyewitnesses. She was we'll built,
 and could stand a heavy pressure, and I believe a man would be tolerably safe in her for 8 short time below the sur face. It's hard for me to believe that she went seven miles under water,
 though, for that is wond erful thing"
 "Do you think she was built for the Turks?"
 "That was the impression at first,
 but it gradually wore away. Then it was said thatshe was for the Russians, , but that, too, wore away, and at last the 7 men settled down to the one belief" , "And you"
 "I don't eel competent to give an ! opinion. Sle was built for a certain } purpose. Sle is a dangerous torpedo
 ram, and if ihe is as successful as I am e told she is, would create terrible havoc f among vesseB when she could dive un- A der water anl stay there several hours, l. while she sht about at will.''
 # "When dl you see her last?" f. "I have nver seen her since she left
 our dock to % across the river"
 A Sun reorter found the torpedo o boat mooret to the northern side of Q Bergen's whff in the bay, few hun V. dreh yards northwest of Judge Van . Brunt's resience. Only about 8 foot v of it, paintd dull lead color, was ' visible abov the water, resembling
 somewhat tn back of an infant whale.