The Press., 1889-01-24
THE NEW NAVAL TERROR,

There is now approaching completion for the United States government vessel which, it is predicted, will exercise as po- tent an influence in revolutionizing naval warfare as did the famous Monitor. Un- like the Monitor, however, which in her build presented features of entire novelty, the so called dynamite cruiser" Vesuvi- us, owes her importance to the weapons which she carries and to their capability for the projection of aerial torpedoes charged with enormously powerful explo- sives.
 It is not difficult to conceive that hos tile vessel approaching our coasts and en- countering the dynamite cruiser may find herself ill very disagreeable situation. True, she may open fire at range much greater than that over which she dynamite shells can be projected, but the low, raft like craft, coming, bow on toward her, at the rate of twenty three miles an hour, and showing breadth of but 264 feet, of- fers target exceedingly difficult to hit. If the deck of the dynamite ship be pro- tected by curved turtle back shield of steel five inches in thickness, as is con- templated in future construction, shot and shell fired at sharp angles may easily glance from it. To reach the hull with a movable submarine torpedo of the White head type is even more difficult still. The range of such a torpedo is only about 300 yards, so that the dynamite ship would come within easy firing distance and be fore the torpedo could be effective.
 If the enemy's ironclad awaits the at tack motionless she will necessarily have but few minutes, after sighting her op- ponent, to do fatal injury. If she ad- vances this period will necessarily be short CT still. The moment the Vesuvius finds herself within l, 1900 yards of her mark she can launch 1,SO0 pounds of nitro-g -gelatine. the explosive energy of which equals that of about 3,4O0 pounds of dynamite, or more than ten tons of gunpowder, and this can be repeated every two minutes or, if the guns be discharged singly, 600 pound shell can be fired every forty sec onds- It is not at all improbable that af- ter few of these projectiles had exploded in her immediate vicinity there would be no ironclad.
 The foregoing represents the capacity of the particular weapons of the Vesuvius for projecting the large amounts of explo- sive noted. Shells containing smaller quantities can be thrown over much great or distances, the range of projectile con- taining 200 pounds of nitro -gelatine being mile auO QalI, ana IQaL or one CO0talll ing 100 pounds of the same substance, two miles. Tie rapidity of fire depends upon the construction of the gun, which is prac- tically huge revolver. By increasing the number of chambers in the rotating breech mechanism, it is possible to fire even the heaviest shell three times per minute
 Lieutenant Bradley A. Fiske of the navy has recently discovered a wonderful appli- cation of electricity, which will prevent the effects of the ships motion upon the gun.
 The possibility of controlling the range of the projectile with nicety renders it probable that the dynamite ship will play an entirely novel role in an attack upon a harbor protected by fixed submarine tor pedoes is, she may destroy torpe- does by torpedoes. One hundred pounds of nitro-glycerine exploding under water will, it is said, destroy torpedo cases and blow up torpedoes existing anywhere with in radius of fifty feet. The ship, on ar irving off harbor entrance known to be studded with explosive mines, would anchor herself and proceed to drop shells at regular distances of 100 feet apart in Longitudinal and lateral directions. It is claimed that in this manner she could clear of torpedoes a channel 300 feet wide at the rate of mile an hour, and advanc ing into the passage as fast as she renders it safe to do so could soon blast her way
 to position from which her shells could
 be thrown directly into the city or fortifi cations