Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-19
TO DESTROY BIG VESSELS.
Torpedoes and Torpedo Boats and How
They are Being Developed

Torpedoes and Torpedo Boats and How
They are Being Developed.
Since the War of the Rebellion the minds Of
naval inventors and others whose brains are
constantly working in the channels OF de-
struction have been puzzling over the ques-
ton of torpedo warfare, which has really come
to be about the most important topic In the
whole range of naval architecture. During
the war the torpedoes used were stationary,
| consisting of floating charges, sunken
mines, or possibly series OF charges
drifting with the current. There
! was nothing in vogue approximating the
! self propelling, or, as it is known in the YER
nacular, the automobile torpedo Ships that
we're to be blown up had to advance upon their
own destruction, although there were occa-
sions when daring spirits ventured to place the
mines under the doomed vessel themselves.
Since then, however, the inventive genius of
man has devised a scheme for propelling these
high explosives through the water by their own
force or by shooting them from tubes or guns.
This has materially increased their effective
ness by widening their range, and today the
well-equiped battle ship must be provided
with these instruments, to use for offensive as
well as defensive purposes.
THE TORPEDO BOAT.
Besides constructing a torpedo that does not
require handling after it has been launched
the fertile brain of the inventor has hit upon
the plan of building a special boat to carry
torpedoes, with apparatus for starting them
small, hght-draught, active vessels that can 60
all around larger craft and make it extremely
unpleasant for an enemy. The question of the
extent to which the torpedo can be developed
and depended upon in naval warfare is being
generally discussed, both in this country and
abroad, and paper recently written by Admiral
british M IA w or al traa
is given in the last publication Of the naval
intelligence office, gives considerable space to
this topic, besides showing what may be taken
a. the English attitude.
TORPEDO AND TORPEDO BOATS
He has great faith in the torpedo of the pres
ent day and its future development, but places
no confidence in torpedo boats. especially the
smaller types. Regarding them he says: ITO
admit that it is the duty OF the torpedo boat to
defend the battle ship is to recognize the i'm
potence of the large ship against her puny ad-
yersary, and If In order to exist the ships must
depend on the support of these satellites
We must confess that their existence
would not be justified and that
them in the future. How the torpedo boat can
contribute efficaciously to the defense of a
large ship fail to understand, and the reason
is evident Ii they keep within the distance of
400 yards from the ship they will in no way i'm
pedo boat reaches that limit, even though
heavily cannonaded, she will have fulfilled
her mission, as she will have been
able to launch her torpedo at the
striking range. If they keep between 400
and 1000 yards off they will interfere with
the fire of the ships artillery, which is much
more effcacious than that of her satellite, be-
cause better distributed. more rapid and more
powerful. IT, on the other hand, they remain
within the orbit of the ship, at distance be-
IL.
at ali. because; though barring one door of ap-
proach they leave dozen open.
THE TORPEDO.
''The torpedo, however, is certain to be much
developed. but in proportion it expands SO
the advantage of building special vessels for its
use will disappear, because the greater space
and weight required will not permit the pres
ent small dimensions of the vessels to be pre-
served, and III increasing the size of the ship
the necessity will be felt of endowing it with
those prerogatlyes which were sacrificed to the
power of the torpedo. and thus by gradual
steps the torpedo boat will be converted into
the large ship. using the new form of torpedo
under the same conditions as her adversary.
That vessel will win the day in which the best
combination has been made of all existing
weapons, but the torpedo boat will have then
become battle ship.
ITS DEVELOPMENT.
IF the question is asked, in what way and
for what reason the torpedo itself will be- de-
veloped, the reply is that the torpedo must
follow the analogous progress which led from
the 23-ton gun to that of 100 tons. In other
words, the eternal struggle between offense
and defense VIII shortly be extended to the
torpedo and the hull of ship. So long as the
torpedo was confined to small special craft of
slow speed, and consequently its power was
not 1ully shown, it was natural that naval
architects should not look upon 1t as a serious
danger; but from the moment when consider
able increase OF speed was given both to the
weapon itself and the boat which carried it,
the necessity Of providing defense against it
becomes obvious.
THE STRUGGLE HAS THUS COMMENCED.
IF the latest ships are fairly furnished with
protection we must anticipate that the torpedo
will shortly be considerably developed and
will carry charges Of 400 pounds and above,
and will probably take the form OF a penetrating
projectie discharged from subaqueous gun
Whatever increase of power may be given to it
the torpedo Will remain one OF the most formd-
aoie weapons OF the large ship, but it will GER
tainly never realize the ambitious aim Of caus-
ing the large ship to disappear. Just as the
great rise In the power of artillery led to the
entire abandonment of the old form of ship,
and from the monitor type we have
progressed to the Duilio and the Lepanto,
SO, II 1t is intended to oppose the rising
power OF subaqueous weapons by ships which
are entirely secure against their attack, we
must give up the old ideas and seek inspiration
for the constructions of the future at new
fount. Battle ships will have to be built prin-
cipally with view to resist with immunity the
attack of torpedoes and to avoid being sunk by
artillery fire. All other qualities must be salts
fed only within restricted limits; that is to
say, their measure must be determined in con-
formity with a not too great extension of size
and of cost, those qualities which have been
given up in order to secure invulnerability be-
ing assigned to special vessels
ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND.