Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-10-12
EARTH TORPEDORs.
An Invention which f. A bout to Rev.
OlutiOnizc the Art Of War.

Some particulars concerning the earth
torpedoes which were lately tested at Thun
have been published by the Geneva papers,
The result of the experiments was consid-
cred so satisfactory that the Swiss military
authorities have advised the federal council
to purchase the right of making the torpe-
does and the secret Of their construction from
the inventor, Lieut.. Feodor Won Zubowtz,
of the Austrian army. The Zubowitz tor.
pedo, according to several high military
authorities, is destined to effect partial rev.
olution in the art Of war, especially of defen-
sive war. 1t renders possible the laying, In
a very short time and by common work
men of series OF powerful mines, any one of
which can be made, as circumstances may
require, either harmless or arranged in
such manner as to be exploded by
shock, train of gunpowder or an electric
wire. In fifteen minutes sixty men can fur
nlsh with these torpedoes line 1000 yards
long. The system, moreover, offers great
advantages for Strengthening the outworks
OF permanent or temporary Notifications,
barring detiles, protecting an exposed flank,
reinforcing barricade, covering q weak de.
tachment or defending liue OF retreat. The
perfection of this engine of destruction &C.
cupied Lieutenant Zubowitz seven years, and
it is said now to have all the properties
which such an invention ought to possess
certainty of effect, cheapness, simplicity
OF construction and case of manipulation.
After series Of searching experiments it
was warmly recommended by the engineer
section OF the Austrian Military commission
and was used with success during the late
instruction in the south OF Dalmatia. On
one occasion ten men completely barred, in
seventeen minutes, the pass of Han with
fifteen torpcdoes.
In appearance the torpedo is a sort OF
square shrapnel. The charge is explosive
Trautzel gelatine, and by meaus Of single
interior mechanism, can be burst either above
ground, under layer Of earth or under wa
ter. The torpedoes are made in series cor
responding with their charges, which range
from four pounds to one hundred pounds,
and arc classed respectively according to the
use for which they are destined, as torpodoes
of observation, Of contact and OF percussion.
The two last named sorts are meant to
be exploded by the emy-involuntarily,
of course. The contact torpedo may be
put in any place where it's existence is
not likely to be suspected in an abandoned
carriage, placed across road, behind a door
or Il gate which has to be opened, the mere
removal of the obstacle being sufficient to
cause the explosion. The percussion torpe.
do is hidden few inches beneath the soil or
in drain. and explodcs readily under the
weight of a number OF men or the pressure CT
a vehicle or the tramp of horse. The four
pound torpedoes are for instant use, and, be-
ing easy of transport, may be taken almost
wherever troops can march. Twenty OF
them can he packed on one mule.
A single torpedo of this caibre will break
up any ordinary road to its full width, and
three or four torpedoes along road are
sufficient to render it impossible. They
pulverize everything within diameter Of
seven and break everything within diameter
OF thirteen metres from the centre OF explos-
ion. They may be buried under four or five
centimetres Of earth without detriment
to their destructive effect. 1t is only the
larger engines that can be buried deeper
than this without impairing their etfl-
cheney. Up to distance of three kilo-
metres explosion can be produced me
chauically without the aid OF electricity,
either by design on the part OF the operator
or Involuntary by some act OF the enemy.
As touching the time required to place these
torpedoes under layer OF earth Of five CEN
timetre, thick, it has been found by actual
experiment that in Is minutes 80 men may
SOW in this way 100 engines in three or four
lines over one square kilometre Of ground
thereby rendering it absolutely impossible.
A regiment thrt would attempt to march over
it would be simply pulverlzed.