The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-06-30
The New T~orpedoes.

committee, 10 dCtoilifEdhA ~ 'iA l'N
ing for an increase Of the naval establish
ment, SAYS:
1--WE have absolutely no automobile
~tortedoes. our system Of submarine
mines or stationary torpedoes has reach
cd 2 considerable degree Of perfection,b but
a hostile fleet, protected by IFS armor
plates from our shore batteries, could
with IMMUNITY, by means Of automobile
torpedoes, blast It's way through all such
distractions. We are, therefore, ALSO
luteIv helpless against an invasion from
the sea, 80 helpless that w should hest
tate to publish the fact to the world were
II not already everywhere else better
known than to the people of America"
Returning to this subject furthero on, the
same committee declared hat "the Unit
ed States has moi now a single torpedo
boat or torpedo catcher, and our Govern
ment does not own one automobile
torpedo
Now at last there is promise Of escape
from this p%erilous inetticicncy, 50 far rs
torpedoes are concerned. One trouble
has been that the leading automobile
torpedoes hitherto have been of foreign
invention and manufacture, and the Gov
eminent has had a natural desire to sup
ply itself with the products Of American
ingenuity. European and Asiatic ma
tons use the Whitehead torpedo, which
can be automatically driven beneath the
water through a distance of perhaps one
third of a mile. Captain Howell, of our
navy has an automatic invention, which,
although still not brought to perfection,
is considered by its friends 10 avoid some
Of the faults found with the Whitehead.
Admiral Simpson recently spoke of it as
superior To the latter. Then there are
the Sims-Edi-un torpedocs, of which five
for experiments and two or morc already
delivered at Willctt.s Point. In this last
device the motive power is electricity.
The original Simsor fish torpedo was
pronounced hy 4 Board appointed under
an act of Congress TO be cumbersome TO
stow and awkward to handle, but, above
all. too siow for efficiency, while the cd
blrs were also Liable To displacement.
But in these devices gains are steadily
made and now It is said that the speed
attained is II the rate Of eleven knots an
hour. while General Abbott speaks
Of one Sims torpedo movingat nine miles
an hour against an obstruction, under
which il dived and then continued its
course uninjurcd. II was already long
ago shown by the Government Board
that the float of this torpedo was practi-
callv safe against injury by the fire of ma
chine guns. althoug exposed tn such fire.
The Howell torpedo went through I'M
fortunate experiences last summer, in one
case sinking oat of sight. Its propellers
are driven bv the stored-Up velocity of
steam impaired Ia 3 heavy tly-wheel by
the engines of the team launch, The
Government Board highly commended
il for simplicity, economy of cost, light
ness. ease in handling and accuracy, but
asked more speed from it. The device,
like the others, has been improved. The
Haight-Lay torpedo was found by the
Government Board t. bc oomuch eNpos-
ed to the fire of machine guns as itS course
could he readily seen yet it was consid-
cred to cmbody valuable features for har-
Dor defense. The Berlan torpedo finds
its motive power in a gas generated by
the combustion Of rock powder, which
turns the torpedo's screw. and in addition
has a device for coupling two torpcdoes,
50 that when they first strike an Oh
stuction, the second is let fall at am angle
that allows it 10 dive under the obstruc-
ton and explode beyond against the YES
sci itself The Device of Lieutenant VI.
i. Hail has been recently described IN
the S,ua. At It's trial the other day ON
Lake Erie. the breaking Of a iiuc-coup-
ling prevented it, merits from being full
IN tested. Out of these and other recent
devices something should be found to re-
move the rrproach that we alone among
maritime powers possess no sc!f-moyfng
torpedoes. Congress ought 10 provide 1t
this session for the purchase both al tor
pcdoes and torpedo vcsscls.-N. J. San.