Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-10-31
EARTH TORPED0ES.
An Invention Which is About to ReyOiu-
tiOniZe the Art OF War.

EARTH TORPED0ES.
An Invention Which is About to Revolu-
tiOniZe the Art OF War.
Particulars concerning the earth tor
pedoes which were lately tested at
Thur have been published by the
Geneva papers. The result of the ex-
periments was considered so satisfact-
ory that the Swiss military authorities
have advised the federal council to
purchase the right of making the tor
pedoes and the secret Of their construc-
tion from the inventor, Lieut.. Feodor
Won Zubowitz of the Austrian army.
The Zubowitz torpedo, according to
several high military authorities, is
destined to effect partial revolution
in the art of war, especially of defen-
sive war 1t renders possible the lay
ing, in very short time and by COM
mon workmen, of a series of powerful
mines, any one of which can be made,
as circumstances may require, either
harmless or arranged in such amanner
as to be exploded by a shock, train
of gunpowder or an electric wire. In
fifteen minutes sixty men can furnish
with these torpedoes line 1000 yards
long. The system, moreover, offers
great advantages for strengthening
the outworks of permanent or tempo
rary Notifications, barring deGles, pro-
tecting an exposed flank, reinforcing a
barricade, covering a weak detach-
ment or defending a line of retreat.
The perfection of this engine Of de-
structlon occupied Lieut.. Zubowitz
seven years, and it is said now to have
all the properties which such an inven-
ton ought to possess-certainly of ef-
feet, cheapness, simplicity of construc-
ton and ease of manipulation. After
a series of searching experiments it
was warmly recommended by the en-
glneer section of the Austrian military
commission and was used with success
during the late insurrectiOn in the
south Of Dalmatia. On. one occasion
ten men completely barred, in seven
teen minutes, the pass of Han with
fifteen torpedoes. In appearance the
torpedo is sort of square shrapnel
The charge is explosive Trautzel gela,
tine, and by means of simple interior
mechanism, can be burst either above
ground, under layer of earth or
under water. The torpedoes are made
in series corresponding with their
charges, which range from four pounds
to 100 pounds, and are classed respect.
lively according to the use for which
they are destined, as torpedoes of OBJ.
servation, of contact and of percussion
The two last named sorts are meant tC
be exploded by the enemy--involunta-
rily, of course. The contact torpedo
may be put in any place where its ex
istence is not likely to be suspected
in an abandoned carriage, placed across
a road, behind a door or a gate which
has to be opened, the mere remol al Of
the obstrcle being sufficient to cause
the explosion. Thepercussion torpedo
Is hidden few inches beneath the
soil or in drain, and eXplodes readily
under the weight of a number of men
or the pressure of a vehicle or the
tramp of horse The four pound
torpedoes are for instant use, and
being easy of transport, may be taken
almost wherever troops can march
Twenty-Five of them can be packed on
one bat mule. A single torpedo Of
this caliber will break up an ordinary
road to its full width, and three OIL
four torpedoes along road are sutli-
cient to render it impossible. They
pulverize everything within a diane
ter of seven and break everything
within a diameter of thirteen metres
from the centre of explosion. They
may be buried under four or five cent
imetres of earth without detriment tC
their destructive effect. 1t is only the
larger engines that can be buried
deeper than this without impairing
their efficiency. Up to distance Of
three kilometres explosion can be
produced mechanically without tht
aid of electricity, either by design OF
the part of the operator or involunta-
rily by some act of the enemy. As
touching the time required to place
these torpedoes under a layer of eartf
five centimetres thick, it has beer
found by actual experiment that il
fifteen minutes sixty men may SOW ii
this way one hundred and twenty en-
gines in three OF four lines over ont
square kilometer of ground, thereby
rendering it absolutely impossible. A
regiment that would attempt to marcl
over it would be simply pulverized.
Bear Instead of Bishop.
An amusing anecdote is told by tn,
famous naturalist. Brehm. in lectur,