The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-12-15

NEW York Times, November Is.

The first public exhibition of the
destroyer" and its method of war;
fare was made yesterday afternoon at
the HObOken wharf in the presence of
distinguished party of gentlemen.
This exhibition was under the aus
pices Of the Delameter Iron Works
Co., who constructed for Captain Err
lesson the experimental vessel and its
armament. The Starin tug civilian
Fletcher" carried over to witness the
trial a party which included among
Others Gen. u. s. Grant, Secretary of
the Navy Hunt, Gen. T.. f. Beale,
Chief Engineers LOring and Hender-
son, U. ). Navy; Ensign Ridgley
Hunt, U. 3. Navy; Gen. Anson q. Me-
Cook, member Of Congress; Col. J. J.
McCook, the Hon. Thomas Murphy,
S. w. Knevals, former law partner
Of President Arthur; Abner l.. Train,
Captains Cuverville and Decamps, of
the French navy; Col. Blondel, of the
French artillery; S. w. Taylor, Capt.
Ericsson's private secretary, and Geo.
Fl. Robinson, representing the Della
meter Iron Works. The "Destroyer"
Is craft Of iron whose hull, even US
she lay light upon the water, was al
most entirely submerged. When ready
for service but little of the hull would
be above water. The house, which is
situated well astern, Is Of iron, but no
attempt has been made to make it inn
pregnable, as with the house entirely
shot away the destroyer" il just AS
seaworthy and capable of performing
the work required of 1t. Below the
house 1t Is as well protected as any
armOred vessel aflOat. Its dimensions
are 1870 feet long, IL feet deep and IL
feet wide. These unusual proportions
are to give her high rate OF speed,
and rs her lines are exactly alike in
both directions she can move ahead or
astern with equal facility. The sim
pie horizontal engine OF 1,000-horse
power resting on surface condenser
Of about 8 feet square, the hydraulic
ally controlled rudher, the novel steer
Ing apparatus, and the torpedo gun are
all below the surface of the water, and
as they are protected by arm0red
plates Of improved construction, with
y special device to protect the machin-
cry from shots fired at the exposed
portion or front Of the boat, her inven-
tor asserts with confidence that she IL
indestructible save by sunken tOrpe-
does or boats of her own kind. A
frigates launch Is larger than she, yet
the frigate itself in a contest would be
wholly at her mercy, for the immense
craft could not be handled quickly
enough to get out of the way of the
little death-dealer no more than can
the ponderOus elephant escape from
rihly annoys 1t. The armament Of the
to 81 Il t.A
just Dbove the keelson, In the forward
paryOf the boat, and its muzzle opens
directly into the sea, being protected
from the rushing In of water when not
In use by u permanent valve hung by
an elbow joint to the stem Of the ves-
sel, and which is opened or closed by
u piston operated at the breech of the
gun. Ready for use, this cigar-shaped
torpedo consists of three parts. The
end which carries the firing pin Is of
brass, the pin itself being Of steel, and
Its end cup-shaped, so that its edges
will cut into whatever object 1t may
strike and thus be driven back so rs
to explode the illuminate cartridges
which explode the dynamite placed in
q chamber just In the rear, which, In
the size Of projectile used yesterday,
Is to contain $40 pounds Of dynamite,
the largest charge ever placed in All
explosive. The remainder Of the tor
pedo is the customary hollow air
chamber Of iron or copper, and to the
exterior Of the rear of this are fastened
fins or flanges which steady the flight
Of the missile through the water. In
order that the temporary value In the
guns muxzle may not explode the
torpedo as Il starta on its Journey
hole three inches In diameter Is left
In the wooden valve, and covered only
with q thin sheet of rubber OF sufficient
thickness 10 keep the water out OF the
gun. Between tie projectile, as II
rests IN the gun ready for firing, and
the breech-blOck, Il an air chamber,
where the explosive material to an in
ventOr claims that II will do even
this. In the experiment made yester-
day . dummy projectile wae used;
that Is, one made Of wood and with no
torpedo In It. This was discharged
from the cannon by use Of twelve
pounds IT giant powder at target net
Of Manila rope aud wooden Stats 800
feet distance. The muxxle was six feet
six inches below the surface, and the
pr,jectiIe passed through the target
Ave feet under water, and appeared on
the surface 100 feet farther In shore,
aud rode on the water ut cOnsidera-
BILE speed for aO feet more, making q
distance 0f ono feet travelled In all.
Tho prjectile, which was % feet and
. inches In length, travelled through
the water to the point oi appearance