The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-11-22
TESTS FOR TORPEDOEs.
PRAcTiciNo WITH THE MOD
ERIN WEAPON OF WAR.
Zach Torpedo IL FIRED 81 . Submerged Target
aud Its Course and Behavior a. Carefully
0sssrvsd-rt IL yery Danger.
Gus Operation. q

the foremost rank OF interest and yet
very little Is known OF its pecullarlties,
especially OF those OF the German
torpedo. Its greater danger does not
lie in the fact that IL is an engine OF
destruction. but In the power TO direct
1t with fatal certainty. This 10 accom-
plished by treating the torpedo to a
certain extent. as II Ii were living
creature, its character aud peculiari-
ties being observed. and the results OF
these observations being recorded in a
list OF particulars. 10 which those In
command refer when firing. Especial
attention is paid to target shooting.
and keeping careful record of the
results obtained; and besides this. the
torpedoes just from the works are test.
ed as TO their mechanical correctness
with view TO regulating them.
Ia our article OF to-day. says Ueber
Land und Nicer. we treat very inn
portant factor In the life OF the tor
pedo 1.-The practice ground. with all its
interesting details The celebrated
firm OF "Schwarzkopf" which. as is
we'll known. supplies half the world
with torpedoes. has two practice
grounds OF this kind. one in the harbor
OF Kiel. aud the other near Venice A
third one. which was built on the
same model at Yokohama. now belongs
10 the japanese government
"A practice ground OF this class con-
sists OF two parts connected by rail
road track, viz. the machine house,
which contains all the machinery
necessary for the regulation OF the
torpedoes. and the shooting place pro-
per. TO this leads a bridge. which ex-
tends sufficiently far over the water TO
give the torpedo and the pinnace en-
ployed In the operation the required
depth. At the head OF tho bridge is
the trestle. the under part Of which is
arranged for the reception OF the tor
pedo tube. while above, on The plat
form. is little house for the en-
gineers.
We will now follow the very inter
esting detail OF firing. which is by no
means as simple as the firing OF guns.
Let us begin by placing the target,
which consists OF float about rs
meters long and meters wide. car
rying breastwork on the side toward
the practice waters. The supports Of
the breastwork are / meter apart, and
thus serve TO measure the course OF
the torpedo In relation 10 the center
OF the target. which is marked by u
stake carrying one OF the usual round
disks. On the float there Is also a
kind OF sentry box for the protection
OF the target man or guard.
The preparations for firing consists,
first. as we have said. In placing the
target The pinnace tows il about 400
meters into the bay. the correct posi-
ton being obtained from the bridge
by means OF sextants. and then IL Is
secured In place by four anchors cor
ried out from the four corners by u
boat When the float is firm the tor
pedo Is brought out OF the shop along
the bridge on a truck 10 the crane. by
which IL is swung out to the loading
frame.
Here IL Is filed with compressed air.
This operation. which can be detected
at a distance by peculiar singing
sound. consists of forcing compressed
air-by means OF pump located In
the shed-into the torpedo through u
small copper tube. The supply OF air
Is regulated by man at the mano-
meter. while IL is cut of by another
man who stands by the torpedo. Then
IL is launched. pushed In front OF the
firing tube. and Is finally raised and
pushed into the tube. which Is closed
and lowered TO depth OF two meters.
The torpedo is now ready for firing.
Tho torpedo is propelled in part by
the impulse given 10 IL when fired
from its gun and In part By the com
pressed Dir with which 1t is charged.
which acts on the propeller at the
rear OF the torpedo.
The red flag. which means "clear
the way" is now raised above the com
mander's shed on the bridge. and the
man on the target and those on the
pinnaco which is lying on the star
board OF the target answer with their
flags. As soon ms the signal has bsen
returned. the commands ready" aud
then go follow. aud the torpedo Is
Hut I'D. -
the shrill. boarse cry OF a beast OF