Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-04-10
The Torpedo-Boat Alarm.

Among the vessels which are author
lied to be constructed for the navy in
the bill presented in the senate is one
ike the torpedo-boat Alarm, designed
by Admiral Porter Henc. = brief de-
scrlptlon of the Alarm, which has re-
Gently had several Improvements COM
pleted, will be of interest. The Alarm
was designed rs crGi>in torpedo
boat, carrying bow-gun, an attended
Tor service not only in riyer>. bays, and
harbors, but along the sea coast; in
TACT ror use under any OF the conditions
OF literal warfare, and her dimensions
ana form were peculiarly adapted by
the designer for that purpose. The
nun IS OF iron and the forward portion
below the water surface forms s species
OF tube for, the support and maneuver-
ing OF the main torpedo spar, which is
capable of CARRYING and sustaining the
reaction OF a torpedo of such size that
its discharge in proximity TO the hull
OF the largest vessel could not fail to
prove instantaneously destructive. The
spar is operated in the hold of the yes
sci by proper mechanism.
Above the water surface the forward
portion of the hull is recessed, and the
principal gun is placed close to what
appears to be the stem, over which it
fires in the straight-line direction. The
bow OF the hull above the water surface
IS protected by armor plates one and q
half inches thick, which is an efficient
defense, as the vessel has the power
under all circumstances of either adj
vance or retreat, of keeping bow on to
Toe, whose shot would consequently
be detected under q very acute angle.
The gun has no carriage in the ordi-
nary meaning of the term, the hull
itself acting as the carriage, the gun
being movable in only the fore-ani-aft
direction on slides, and depending for
training on the steering screw, which
IS also the propeller. Owing to this
mode of supporting and using the Gun
the Alarm can be mounted with one of
the largest size. The vessel is thus
not only q torpedo-boat, but gun
boat, solving the important problem
OF carrying the maximum gun on the
minimum hull and having q direct fore
and-att fire, with capabiIity of prompt
and accurate aiming in azimuth not
Obtainable by any other method.
The length Of the vessel on deck is
141 feet; her extreme length is 173 2-1O
feet, and length on water line 172 feet;
extreme breadth, % feet; hight from
bottom of keel plate to top of wooden
deck Il 7-10 feet; displacement $50
tons; weight of hull, 800 tons; weight
of armOr, 10 tons. The hull is Of iron
and armored on the upper portion of
the bows with iron plates i inches
thick, extending from the deck to lit
tie below the water line. There is no
wooden sheathing coppered, no spars,
no rudder, and no keel. The lower
portion of the bow at the bottom of the
hull is carried forward into q beaker
snout fifteen feet before the forward
end OF the water line. This beak car
ries the spar or pole to which the tor
pedo is affixed, which spar is run out
and in horizontally from the vessels
hold without the exposure of the men
working it. The hull has a double bot
tom which, when filled with water, in
creases the drauoht from 10 feet to II
feet l inch. There are two horizontal
compound engines of the tandem type,
which gave the vessel developed
speed OF 8 knots an hour on a recent
trial trip.-M Y Herald.