Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-17
LIEUTENANT HALL,s TORPEDO.
An Automatic Fi-h-Like Machine of
which Great Things are Expected.


which Great Things are Expected.
Lieutenant NJ. E. Hall, United States
Navy, who, for several years, has been en-
deavoring to perfect fish torpedo, has one
now nearly completed at the Eagle Iron
Works in Buffalo. The Courier describes
it as twelve feet long,in three sections, and
REINFORCED by four longitudinal girders to
give it strength In the extreme bow there
is capacity for a charge OF seventy pounds
OF gri.powder This is fixed by means of
a primer of illuminate of mercury. A
plunger projects in front, having two
crossed knife edges constructed so as to act
when the torpedo strikes vessel at small
angle The ordinary torpedo in such case
would simply allow the projectile to glance
off without exploding. The plunger breaks
the screw that holds the spring firing appa-
ratus, thus releasing the firing pin which
explodes the charge by striking the sensi-
tive primer of illuminate of mercury. On
the bow there are two automatic fins used
for steering. The generator is composed of
q series of tubes that hold gas and vapor at
1000 pounds pressure. The middle section
consists of plain cylinder fifteen and
half inches in diameter, and in this the
generator is contained. The fins are worked
by small engines, whose valves are auto
matically controlled by power derived from
the generator. whose great pressure, 900
pounds to the square inch, has only been
obtained after incessant labor and innu-
merable experiments, many OF which were
failures. The after section of the torpedo
contains the propelling apparatus, consist
ing of Gardeners patent three-cylinder
engine which works two screws by gear
ing. These screws are two-bladed, and re-
volve in opposite directions. Their pecu-
liar feature is that the blades of one screw
are each at right angles to those of another,
thus enabling screws of large diameter to be
used as inner blades of the screws revolving
in the same space.
The three different sections of the torpe-
do are screwed together so as to make wa
ter-tight Joints. The projectile is so con-
structed as to dive and keep certain depth
by means of the automatically controlled
pins in the bow and the diving rudder in
the tail. Two tails tend to keep the torpedo
upright and regular, inclosing the screws TO
prevent their being fouled by any floating
object, such as seaweed, etc. On the top of
the eath-dealing machine are three hand
holes covered by plates-one giving access
to the apparatus which controls the fires at
the engine, the other affording access tothe
diving rudder. The engine is inclosed in a
steel case, which slips into its place in the
torpedo and is there held by three bolts so
that it can be readily removed for examina
ton or repair if need be. Attached to the
engine is governor, the invention of Mr..
Gardner, foreman of the Eagle Works.
This governor controls the engine so as to
give uniform rate of speed while working
under VARYING degrees of pressure.
The great advantage claimed for the new
torpedo is its straightness of course. The
undulating motion of the ordinary torpedo
! frequently causes the machine to drive I'm
der without striking its object. The new
one, it is said, can be aimed more directly
and certainly at the precise spot where it
will have the greatest destructive power.
Another advantage is in the distance trav
ersed. The ordinary torpedo has range
of about 700 yards; the new finny creature
speeds along to the extent of about mile
and half or 400 yards. The engine is
the only one made in this country at all
suitable for the work contemplated. and
the patent for this part of the apparatus is
vested in the Eagle Iron Works Company.
Without any special tests or appliances. it
is nothing short of wonderful how eff
GENTLY the new torpedo in all its parts has
been completed and now nearly fitted to-
gether. 1t will shortly be put to the test in
Lake Erie. The whole apparatus has a
bouyancy of fifteen feet, and it is computed
to be able to blow into smithereens the
largest vessel afloat.