New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-20
DEFENCE OF COAST CITIES.
PROFESSOR MEZZEROFF HAS i LITTLE
PLAN.
Az r1FcrRIC TORPEDO LAUNCH WITH REvoLv
ING suOI-PROOF SKIN.


S,e. The recently published letter Of Mr.
rrdon ON the need OF better coast deIences calls at
,ptlon TO most important subject There Is nO deny
,nc that all tho coast cities or this country are
entey at tae mercy of any vi the large nations with
vboll any serious diculty might arise Either France,
Encnl or ittly con,d send here warships that could
,eman seven miles out at ana easily destroy New
Work Boston or any other seaboard city, many of
these ,yarshps can throw proectes nine miles with
great ease. In peace prepare for war; is GOOD ploS-
o,hy rs we'll as economy. What could do If three or
fr of these monster ships to arrJe here and be
stationed miles from New York ana begin to bon
hard il without a moments notice even our knowing
that the ships had arrived BY what means cOuid
atom tho oombar lment The guns OF warships
would hare ttle effect the than shower
of pebbles. even If they were close up TO them. ANY
to-pedo boat existence would be sunk before she
cold get near them. Under these conditions. what
would DO the result Just that enemy would cOu
tinle till the city DESTROYED. Many Of the English
sins carry eighty guns while the arnOr is nvulner
shle against any qua in this country Some Of the
Italian ships carry guns Of lOOtons weight, that ara
abe 10 throw prOeces Of 1000 pounds ten miles. so
,at one would be suit cient destroy
New York. What have to oppose to such warships
Nothing.
IT'S wonderful that tho capitalists of the cities have
not deman OF the Government furnish adequate
protection to o aud property against any enemy that
might approach our shores: because Is telling
when dic Lty may arise and we would have no means
70 meet The danger upon Great hrayado has been
shown aoont the compressed air tOrpe TO gun. When
will tho inventor of this gun prove that 1t throw
dynamite torpe 10 miles For that and would
be necessary to the guns OF the type mentioned
above. Until they prove by experiment that the air
gun do this IL is useless for the purpose mentioned
II an attempt made carry s1ch gun steam
launch to approach nearer the enenSs ships their
guns would make quick work with both air gun aud
t,lf Ia Ina
gun carried any o: warshps. as the piercing
power Of a . 900 pound prOecte from lOOton gun
terrible and all but irresistible. According to present
modes warfare, the only TO prepare for such
emergency would he to build ships equal superior u
any Europe. Even II We had facilities TO do II, ten
years and several hundred million dollars would nc
required to build sufficient warshps To protect all
cities. Aud tbs meantlne while such ships would hs
process of construction where might cities be- Il
question to e answered.
The and only 4vailat lie plan would lie TO build
forts which would plscel lCO-ton guns, and tis
would probably require long time and much money
the warshps. But both of the question for
immediate necessities execute either foregoing
plans would neither DO honest nor economical. Why
should the pie be taxed when cheaper speeder aud
more elective he adopted by the OF
invention aided by science 1 shall point out what
consider cheapest ant most effective instruments FOR
coast defence.
Ten twenty TORPEDO launches OF the following type
ought 10 he Guilt immediately: Tncy should each
about seventy five long and twenty vide. aud
should be made OF steel the inside lined with
cork a: leas. feet The SnoIl1 bc dipped
IN dissolved rubber and ncOsel by thin iron sheen;
The mode OF oTulsion should be by set Of small
wheels placed at the bottom aad IN the middle OF the
launch. These wheels ought to be projected from
contact injury by side, OF the launch projecting
least four feet below her bottom. This would make
sort OF groove for the wheels 60 rsvolve In. There
ought TO be at least fifteen Of these wheels each
rrunns INDEPENDENTLY OF the rest Their hIages ought
10 be about feet long and two feet tcrp These
could be rrvoye 10 great sIccl By double
ine and give the launch greet speed The wheels
being So placed would be almost npi>eess woId
be impO-sOllty to Inquire item b! any irO"ctlc. The
driving power Should lie very large STEEL magnets OF
great power competent To drive the launch ~ the rate %
twenty kuois Pc Hour. TIE launch should ruo elder
requiring Her deck ought to ne tue shape ~
turtles back and GU it there ogt to ne revolving ec
wheels These ought 10 rrvp.ve above and below tue
deck and De driven by permanent magnets and at such
would be e. onward AMI thus render It perfectly
harmless Each launch should carry ten or more s:eeI
tlbcs forty feet long aud about two Inches In diameter
so arranged be easily tho front Of the drcE
u go ,o,oent il nnr,e3 no ,ar.bIu IA make
the complete, tube could DE extended
from each side OF the launch that there would be two
explosions at the same time
would all under water but two feet usl enough
"a enable tlo. inside 10 get hight aud air TINS woud
serve the d0u6c purpose OF almost rect safety from
snv proecte ami the ip-does would far under
water they would strike the warshp parts where
she unprotected and thus insure her speedy de,truc-
ton hey Ond the possibility OF doubt wlic the launch
would be nnharined.
A snail wooden mOdel, which built myself. tried
On scale Proportion % the size o the model which
was only three feet long by one wide. Tie rial wa-
mace with small dynamite orpedoes in front and the
result; all had expected. We had nailed mp rOug
little boat the purpose the Trial. win cord
drew the tiny tor. edo launch against IT, There were
only ounces OF dynamite IN the ltlc torpedo When
IL came in contact with the object there was load
exnloson and wneD the smoke cleared away here was
OF the boat To he seen know that launches OF the
OF them could he easily built year aud would not
cost I0oro than 100000 All the diving boats baye
been a failure and diving DOat or torpedo such a.
the TORPEDO launch | have described cOull
Atlantic with ease aud safety n any warship we're to
harding any other OF cities the Opeuo launch
cond reach her in forty mnutes and nave the yrslIp an
the bottom In two three minutes. Twenty sucn
launches would DO amply sufficient to guard Dur coast
invasion, and the capitalists and house and all
citizens might sleep at peace "a Tar as a lombard
Ient from any wdr-hip was concerned
Some may be disposed to look lightly at this matter
but all tnat protection against Invasion is aDsO
lutely necessary And when that point conceded
those VINO pay for this mode OF protection should
these questions: What will II cost 10 protect us SerOnd
against DvasiOn questions should DO asked and
answered ~ the taxpayers OF THIS country as they MINT
live to nd out when too late That lew sual wdrsh2s
Inen-Of-war The first consideration Is perfect
tfety and the second Is Tue cost of thai safety These
questions ought to interest the entire taxpayers of this
country but more especially the capitalists Of all the
heaviest losers in CAGE of They ought to see To
1t at once that adequate means be provided ut the
they the only places that require protection from
enemy for there Is fear that We shall be Invaded by
land Other nations beginning to see and confess
that large warships Will be thing of tue asst IA
they cannot long compete with invention and scentuc
1ew- York. Dec. 10, 1885
erTTI ING THE METROPOLITAN RANK AFFAIRo