The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-06-14
MILITARY AND NAVAL. +.

An addition to the German navy was tiade May
is by the launch, at Dantzc, 6f the last crtiiser
corvette Arcoha, which took place IN the presence OF
Gen. Won Caprivi dhe chief ofthe German Admiralty
gen. ,Jacnmahn naming the vessel The Altoona is
sister ship TO the Alexandrine, launched III Febri
ary last at kiel and Is Of the following dihensicns
Length between retpends,lars g iiietsts ssI
ment, 2,aIc tons. She is built of iron ahd steel
throughout, and has double plankinR OF teak,
completely lifted up and ftly armed viii be 10
meters (somewhat over 10 feer forward and 8
meters 40 feet inches) aft. The vessel ls divided
heads, the two largest ones containing The engines
and boilers, she, will have two coinpoufd engines,
SSne Il q p Se h kss s by
together 2,i0o horse power. steam will be sup
piled by eight cylindrical boilers, four to each en-
estimated speed Of the Atcona Is between IA and IS
knots 90 ~ iniles) an hour, She will be ARMED
with d2 iscentiieter tSss inches and two s7:cent-
noichkIss guns. she will also be dtied with
launching apparatus for Whitehead torpedoes.
London Times.
For year OF SO past experiments have been car
red ont to test the extraordinary powers claimed
for a new torpedo Invented by MIR. Brennan, a
young Australian, and offered by him to the British
government. The Admiralty granted to the lnven-
tor the use Of cassment on the Upper tier oi Gar.
was erected outside the fort, with tramway rum
ming down to the sea beach. With these advan-
tageS anu ample sea room IN 'front.' the preliminary
trials have taken place, and the mechanism has
been 80 far perfected as TO admit of an olcia In.
spectlon. This has proved so satisfactory that the
Admiralty have already agreed to adopt the torpedo
as part OF the national armament According to
report the inventor is to Have very handsome re-
ward, and various sums, ranging from 100000 to
Gl00,0 are mentioned, while II Ia positively az
serted te has been paid cl0,O0O on account. The
new torpedo which is OF the aggressive class, is
altogether distinct In principle from the Whitehead,
the Harvey, or any other system known In the SER
vice. In the many trials which have taken place
In public machine something like the Sec
tion OF boat has been seen TO descend to the
waters edge by means OF a carriage on the tram
way and plunge into the sea, through which 1t
has shot at marvellous speed, estimated by some
observers at lty miles an hour. 1t principles have
now, however, been explained without reserve to
generally throughout the navy. There will conse-
quenty be no longer any attempt TO keep the secret,
and may be explained that the torpedo is impelled
BY steam engine, which Is stationed within the
fort, and acts upon 1t by winding In very rapidly two
wires coiled round reels within the machine. As
the wires are Independent of each other and actuate
different propeers, the torpedo can be steered from
the engine with great accuracy 1t Is even practica
bic to stop the messenger In full night and send It on
again, but this is thought to try severely the endur
ance OF the wires, which as thin as those OF a
brd-cage. Jets light are produced by s0ine chem
cal agency, and are simply to Indicate the position
they are visible only to observers In rear. Travel
Ing with very little of Its body above water, II would
scarcely be seen by an enemy until too close for
sistance or escape, and as Its speed Increases the
harder is pulled the last part Of the journey
always be the fastest.-London Times, May 2S.