New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-09
TORPEDOES IN WARFARE.
WILL THEY SUPERSEDE THE STEEL GUNS
AND SHELLS?
THE SPANISH PERAL AND THE FRENCH GYM
NOTE EXCITING GREAT ATTENTION IN
ORDNANCE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
TYPES OF SUBMARINE TORPEDOES
EXPERMENTED WITH BY THE
UNITED STATES NAVY.


Isaac Pcral a lieutenant in the Spanish Navy, and
| the success Of the French submarine torpedo-b'at
| Gymuoto have begun to excite the attention OF all
maritime nations. All Of the modern armed powers
supplying themselves with torpedo-boats OF some
type as rapidly as purchase their works can provide
England alone has spent hundreds OF thou'apaS Oh
pounds experimenting with the whitehead torpedo and
the means Of carrying it and dsclarring It. Tho
screw ran Polyphcmus has been conspicuous IN absorb
! ing the Hons share Of those expenditures. oihc"
these experiments England has built several torpedo
boats each 10 carry five Whitehead submarine 'of-
pedocs arranged for gunpowder impulse ana 70 De nc"
! by electricity.
Lieutenant jacques, Of the Navy in a paper on naval
! torpedo warfare prepared for the Senate Committee
on Ordnance i'm 1856, said Congress is hborng under
most e.cyou, If It supposcS that our torpedo
system i, efficient In truth it is wanting IN almost
every requisite Of a useful and effective system We
are s limited 90 bag OF powder or gnh-cot'oh Uru
TO the end Of short stick hoping that the enemy VIII
accidentally come enough to be destroyed by Il.
! Another officer remarked Of these torpcdocs spar
torprdo.s OH a sen going ship about as u'eiul a. Il
| Chluaman's banner. AID not nearly 80 pgacucil a.
stlnkpot,8 These officers had reference to WHAT h'A
been the result tie experiments, up to that tme' Il.
the Newport torpedo school. and the application OF
this weapon to the vessels Of the Navy. iut the
| facts now show that we not far behind ol'cI
nations i'm the development Of this weapon, and That
fine experiment, mad, by the Government have NOT
gore for uaught. with the enormous powers %.
defence Afforded by muchiue guns Of great range ana
power. torpcdocs Of great Sze' lehs'h anu "c'h"'
would be dangerous 90 h'hdi' u1u'' '' NV ~
enemy The safety OF a torpedo may be regarded III
f,t ae an utorlv unknown Qua'tl'y in naval comual
In torpedo warfare ihe greatest dancer 10 ~ ''o'
t avoid the destruction Of the torpedo vessel ITSELF ana
at the same time to De surc Of the successful eA-
po-lou Of the torpedo Lieutenant Latonr7 experience
q few years ago In DESTROY Ing the '"c'c mug "
! Io'Cho" SHOWS "D'' Il COM ., t t ,oar
! escape hr MAJ FOE ''''c ''"' '' .,t,.to, IN =
! oil the 'hIN'i"hl' ANU vas ,, .r,. rc,.,, ~
CALLING fire 'i deliberate '.' o"' ''' 49,, ,. sh,
rear iIa' H' Mus. DE- ''.''" IT., -. -. o,o,..,,
! sank. IoriunAt"N i"' II'" anu ','' =. ni
men, h- engines were strong CLIQUE" u" VIZ,
/ from Dol, enemy, and IL j. marvellous ''''' 0 '''
/ enjoy TIE glory "'"' "' 80 "''' ...-,,,,.
| THE TORPEDO BlN4 M N''''''N' '''
Arh,urh IL was NOT until the civil War that the
vast pos, Utilities Of the torpedo were ica"]e All" '9'
Goacnf Eluc, became recognized AS moan, "l wa ,'1'e
thc submarine torpedo DID not originate ln inc ba''
/ Of an Eueii,hmau, nor "A IfencAmth' H"r "'t'l.''
/ Lut 90 wac luyoatrd by an American. I'' "''-','
marine torpedo "a- Invented Nv 'lp'"' Dt',' i.,,
nell. ~ Slybrolk. Conn. lu no II ''''-'' 'i''
II copper cylinder containing twenty or "ll ,,,
Of powder and was provided VIII" ''.' 'u'
torpedo was intended ~ De r-ra ' o,r,sorc
'uh'''I'"' ''' .rno io,t wa. uropelcd by
/ the Nm'",'" - ,.,,, avn, 81 l,rrlcd enough
/ -m"l P'"''"' q, ,. ,...,,,,,t If the boat
..,,..-,,i f,r a,on, half am hour
/ -. -... r,t.~ Robert Fuion, the inventor Of
. ,.,. ,l,. v.util.. one II the most
g., .,,.,.,,.. i,,ts ever constructed aud in
,, ~, ... ,,,I., g., r.4,,ln submerged upward OF
''.. ,, ., ,,,r,.t the movement Of the boat at
,,,r Fulo,', Boa; was ci-ar shaped copper SMELL
..,... i, r,,. and calculated 70 use IN conjunction
win AN explosive torpedo. Fulton WAS IN Franco AT
r ,.,,e and pc had the cooperation Of Honhpar'''