Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-11-18
Mlisftllaneons.
THE HIDDEN TERROR OF THE SEA" AND
It's FRIGHTFUL POTENCY.

When the Confederates called electrici-
ty to their aid their tOrpedoes became a
real terror, and the wonder is that the
Federals did not lose 10 vessels where
one was actually destroyed. 1t is no
wonder either, when one comes to under
stand what difficulties confronted the
Confederacy whenever anything out OF
the ordinary line was demanded. In
building a ship at New Orleans the
anchors had to be sent from Charleston,
some of the bolts IRON Richmond, and
other things were forwarded from Will
minpton, or had to run the blockade from
Liverpool. II was as much Of a task for
the SoutherDers to make torpedo hold
ing 600 pounds OF powder as it was for
the Federals to plate a gunboat. II she
had had the wealth and conveniences Of
the North, no Federal gunboat could have
passed UP or down her rivers, or anchored
on her harbors. She would have planted
a hundred Of the monsters where she ac-
tually planted one.
In December, 1862, as the gunboat
Cairo was steamIng up the Yazoo river to
attack the works at Drumgool's Bluff, she
ran afoul of an electric torpedo and was
sent to the bottom in six minutes. That
river. for the space of a dozen miles. was
defended by these monsters. The torpedo
itself was nothing more than demlJohn
full of powder. anchored three or four
feet below the surface. The float was a
log, and this was anchored or held in
place by a rope running to the banks of
either shore. By pulling or slackening
these lines the torpedo could be held at
any desired distance from the surface.
Anything striking the lines on either side
sent the galvanic spark straight to the
powder.
Had battery OF six guns been dis
charged at the Cairo and all the missiles
struck in one spot. the damage could
hardly have been greater. A hole large
enough to back buggy into was torn
open 10 her bows. all her heavy guns up
set on their backs. the boilers lifted of
their beds, nearly every man knocked
down and several severely injured, and
there was not time to save thing before
she went down in rs feet of water. Thus
in six minutes. at less than $50 expense.
the Conlederates destroyed over $500. 900
worth Of Federal property and cleared the
river of much dreaded gunboat, besides
sending forth warning which made the
remainder of the fleet timid for weeks.
On several other occasions on that same
river Federal vessels had narrow escapes
from following the Cairo TO the bottom,
and the topedo-terrOr prevented many
movements which might have been made
at night.
Mobile Bay, at the time of Farragut's
attack, had at least a dozen torpedoes
planted in the channel, and although only
one exploded. the consequences were ap-
palling That was an electric torpedo
suspended by two buoys. As the IRON
clads moved to the attack the Tecumseh
ran aft al of this torpedo. Ii seemed to
the Confederates who saw what followed
that she was lifted 30 feet high, accom-
panied by such mass of water tina. it
seemed rs If she was about to sail away
in water-spout. When she dropped
back the shock must have shattered her
into sections. tor she went down like n
cannon bali. Every gun was overthrow.
most of the crew knocked senseless, and
at least u third of the bottom of the craft
was torn away. Four-fifths of the crew
went to the bottom with the Tecumseh,
many of them dead before the water
closed on them. 1t has been asserted
that the Tecumseh carried torpedo into
the fight to use against the Tennessee. and
that this monster doubled back under her
bottom and exploded. Farragut makes
no mention of any such torpedo in his Of
fetal report, and the Confederates who
planted the Internal machine in the chan
mel saw the Tecumseh lifted just as she
reached the spot.
II was calculated by confederate author
tiles that the torpedoes planted in Mobile
Bay alone destroyed SO. 100000 worth of
federal property and 4S0 lives. Some
thing like fifteen vessels altogether were
blown up and totally destroyed, and out
of this number three were first-class iron
clads.
Dozens OF chimercal plans were pro-
posed Tor the destruction of the blOckad-
ing fleets and there were many dismal
failures. One was to string torpedoes on
long rope suspended by buoys, and let
the affair drift down across the bows OF the
ships. This might have worked in mar
row river with a swift current. but it was
failure in the harbors. The line would
foul or be carried to one side. or in some
manner render its freight harmless.
Scores of floating torpedoes were sent
down with the tide in hopes they mi ght
inflict damage. but in only one or two in
stances did they pay for the wasted pow
der On one of the Western rivers n fed
eral gunboat one day fired into one OF
these floaters. and. though pistol-shot
away from it. the explosion shook the
vessel until she groaned. and flooded her
decks with muddy water.
Later on in the war both North and
South made use OF torpedo fas-
tened to spar. which projected from the
bow of the boat and could be exploded
from inboard at the right time. The spar
and its heavy weight in the water was Il
terrible load on ship. and only in few
instances did the invention meet with
success.
Shortly after the new Ironsides had
had taken her station before Charleston
the confederates bought the torpedo boat
which now lies in the Brooklyn navy
yard among the relics. The Devil" as
it was afterwards known. was baby
monitor. showing scarcely an inch above
the surface and carrying no smokcstack.
When sighted from the deck of vessel
it was mistaken for fish. A confederate
naval commander named Glassel ran this
boat out of Charleston one night with a
torpedo and spar at her bow, having
only men enough to work her. The boat