Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1889-04-13
sELF.MovlNo roRpeooEA
Our Navy to Have y supply Of Them for IN
New War Shlps.

move this reproach upon our enter
prise. and the torpedo chosen for the
use Of the navy Is an American inven-
tion. that OF Captain Howell The
Hotchkiss Ordnance Company has en-
tered into contract with the Navy
Department to manufacture first in
stallment Of these torpedoes. but the
agreement furnishes a fresh illustra-
tion of the time required to prepare
any part of our system OF attack and
defense, since it allows twenty months
for the delivery Of thirty torpedoes
and ten launching gears. The manu- |
facture will be carried on in this cOun-
try.
The element of size fixed in the tor
pcdo is its greatest diameter, 143
inches; but its length may vary from
81 to II feet. and its weight from 42S
to 453 pounds, provided only its inter-
ior space will store wet compressed
gun cotton equal to ia per cent OF
the total weight of the torpedo. The
stipulation is that it must have range
of ut least 400 yards in still water. and
| must travel this distance ut an average
speed of not less than 224 knots
per hour. In other words, it
would pass over this minimum
range of 400 yards in about
half a minute. Then, as to its accu-
racy. 1t must not deviate within this
range of 400 yards more than fifteen
yards to the right or left of the point
aimed at, nor more than two yards
above or below the depth fixed for its
running. These results must be shown
by the torpedo when discharged from
a vessel running at speed as great as
lS knots; and they are to be had not
only when it Is discharged ahead or
astern. but even when fired abeam at
that speed. Some of the torpedo
launching gears are to be furnished
expressly for use on the broadside.
These specifications contain these fur
ther requirements:
When launched from height OF four feet
from the water surface after the first 9j yards
run, the deviation in the vertical plane from the
depth for which the torpedo was set shall not
exceed two feet. The initial dive shall not ex-
coed y feet, measured from the surface of the
water When launched from the height of II
ter the first 100 yards run, shall not exceed two
feet as before, and the initial dive shall not ex
ceed 25 feet. measured from the surface OF the
water The submerging apparatus shall be ca
pable of ready adjustment, so US to cause the
torpedo to maintain any desired depth, subJec,
TO the above conditions,
Taking all these guaranteed quail
ties into consideration, there is good
ground for believing that the new tor
pedoes introduced into our naval SER
vice will be equal in efficiency to the
famous Whitehead, the invention o.
All English engineer in the Austrian
service. Immunity from premature
explosion while being loaded and
handled is required by the con
tract. and the torpedo is to
be so fitted as to sink to the
bottom at the end of its run, or, If usei
for exercise and practice. to come tt
, the surface in order to be easily recov
cred and used again. Before any tor
, pedo is accepted it must have its fly
!. speed. without showing signs of weak
ness In short, the Government take
care that it shall have something t.
show for its money in this new addi
ton to onr naval devices.
Besides the new ships which are t,
be fitted with torpedo tubes, we shall
soon have two vessels intended who'll,
; for torpedo warfare. One OF these i
, the little Stiletto. which was recent.
;, purchased from the Herreshoffs; Will
y the other is more important vesse
built expressly by the same firm as ;
torpedo craft, at cost of $82, $50. Sh,
is to have "a length of 1873 feet, bean
:. of l44, and mean draught OF II littl,
), over 81 feet. Her displacement vii
:. not be above 100 tons. Her speed viii
= probably be % knots, produced by yer
!, tical quadruple expansion engines
= This vessel will carry no less thai
y eight tubes for automobile torpedoes
besides pair of 6-pounder rapid fir
guns. So at last a beginning has beel
> made in the construction both of NOV
> ing torpedoes and of fast torpedo boats
II We are much behind foreign countrie
> in this particular, but If the types Sc
II lected prove satisfactory. as they nov
- promise to be, energy can duly max
: up for the me devoted to experimen
y and deliberntion.-Was Cor
Il N. Y. Sun.