Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-09-18

tcct they could discern in the waters of
the river. The affair was known to the
Americans as 3The Battle OF the Kegs, {"
and gave them infinite amusement, sew
eral comic poems written on the occasion
finding wide popularity.
The idea of the torpedo, however, was
not to die. A Frenchman who had
served in America, ON his return to
Europe took back with him the recol-
lie ton of Bushnell's invention, and
manufacturing several torpedoes, offer
ed them to Napoleon. About the same
time, all English officer who had served
on the ship Cerberus, which Bushnell at
tempted but failed to destroy, offered to
the British Ministry torpedo somewhat
similar to that constructed on the
Frenchman's plan. Napoleon rejected
with disdain the idea of using torpedoes,
as unworthy the civilization of the age,
while the British Ministry. equally chiv-
alrous, declined the offer made them,
alleging, however, an entirely different
reason. ave should have every dis
senter praying and working against us
If we should resort to the use of such
Internal contriyances. Chivalry was
not then dead in the world, and men
| still believed in giving their enemies a
chance for life.
| The prejudice was not entirely re-
moved ten years later, when war broke
out between England and the United
States. Robert Fulton, conceiving that
he could render his country service by
destroying the vessels of the enemy,
prepared and built several submarine
boats for the purpose of working the de-
struction of an unsuspecting foe. But
such means of warfare were regarded
then much as the men of the present
day look upon explosive or poisoned
bullets. and Robert Fulton's offer was
declined. His boats proved failures. but
it is due to the American authorities to
state that the practicability of the thing
was fully believed in, and that the re
fusal to use Fulton's submarine vessels
was entirely on sentimental grounds
Progress in the science of human de-
struction and the use of explosive shells
did away with this prejudice. The main
object in war was acknowledged to be
the humiliation of the enemy's force
with as little expense and risk as pos.
sible. Mines on land had long been en-
ployed, and the difference between
blowing up wall or fort and blowing
open the hull OF a ship was too thrilling
to cause serious qualms even to the most
scrupuious. BY the middle of the
century military men of every nation
were fully reconciled to the use of sub
marine mines, and were willing to en-
ploy them under any circumstances
where they might be useful
Torpedoes or submarine mines were
first used with decided advantage by the
Russians in the Crimean war of 1854.
Russia had an extensive coast line to
defend, the allied fleet was, of over
whelming strength, and the Russians
considered themselves justified in pro.
tecting their line by any means posi-
BILE; hence they laid submarine mines in
every harbor, and several ships of the
allied Sect suffered severely from this
unexpected mode of attack.
In the civil war of America the mon
OF the South found extensive employ
ment for torpedoes Their coast line
was enormously long, there we're few
forts, and the guns were neithe; numcr.
! Gus nor good. Having plenty of powder