Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-02-21
THE TORPEDO BOAT.
A MODERN ENGINE OF NAVAL.
WARFARE.
Iorpedoes are Divided Into Three
Ciasses-The Boats That Carry
Iorpedoes ana Their Euutp-
ments-The Speedy Cushing.

to the people than the torpedo boat, and
It's peculiar duty. Yet, with the excep.
ton OF some slight use on the Danube
thirteen years ago, the torpedo in ita
present form has never been in action.
On that one occasion, moreover. the
effect was chiefly upon the minds OF the
combatants. Each was in such terror of
the torpedo boats of its adversary, that
the result was achieved through feas
rather than fighting. Yet We may safely
assume that the torpedo boat may be re-
lied upon as a practicable weapon of
war
The boat al. present in use, whose main
duty is coast and harbor defence, requires
an automobile or self-propelling tor
pedo, which shall run for half mile
under water, and be exploded by con-
tact with the enemy's ship.
Torpedoes themselves may be divided
into three classesl In the first are the
fixed torpedoes, which are planted at the
bottom of the water near harbor en-
frances. and exploded by electricity.
The second includes movable topedoes,
which are dependent upon connection
with fixed base A coil of fine wire
concealed upon the torpedo unwinds as
it advances, and by means of electric in
fuence the operator can make it stop,
start, turn to right or left, and finally ex-
plode at will. The third class embraces
the strictly automobile torpedoes, of
which there are two kinds, the White
head and the Howell.
The Whitehead torpedo has been
adopted by all the naval powers of Eu-
rope. It's body, which is cigar-shaped,
is of polished steel plate, about eighteen
feet long'snd fifteen inches in diameter
midway. Near the stern is diaphragm
and small screw propeller. The body
of the Whitehead torpedo is divided
into three sections. The front portion
is devoted to the storage of fifty pounds
or more of dynamite, which is dis
charged by contact with the hull of the
vessel destined for destruction. In the
central section is a very compact engine,
which has nearly 100 horse power, and
is usually made of phosphor bronze. In
the last section lies the stored power,
which is air compressed to pressure of
1900 pounds to the square inch. Ex-
periments made in Portsmouth, England,
have established for the Whitehead tor
pedo speed of about thirty-fv miles an
hour when it is set for 500 yard flight
The torpedoes used by the English Gov
ernment are made at the Arsenal at
Woolwich on the Thames, and cost
about $500 each.
The Howell torpedo is an American
machine. 1t resembles the Whitehead,
but differs from it in its means of pro-
pulsion. It's motive power is furnished
by fly-wheel, to which rapid motion is
given Just before it is to be used. The
amount of power stored in the wheel is
astonishing, and by its force, the tor
pedo can be made to perform flight Of
nearly two miles. Great nicely Of finish
is necessary in order perfectly to balance
the machine, which would otherwise be
torn to pieces by the vibration of the
wheel, enclosed as it is in the torpedo,
and running at the rate Of 1900 turns {
minute. The Howell torpedo leaves no
visible trace OF its flight through tn.
water, and IS, in this respect, superio
to the Whitehead, whose course Is plaln
ly discernible by the bubbles Of exhsus
air which rise TO the surface. But, OIL
the other hand, the spinning OF the dy
wheel in the Howell torpedo is accom
panied by tremendous noise, cause
by the exhaust steam which is used t.
give it the requisite speed.
The mode of using the two machine
is the same. ID the side or bow Of th
vessel is fixed tube containing the tor
pedo. which, when it is on a line wit
the object to be destroyed, is projecte
by charge Of slowly buring powder, {
the release o; quantity Of conpyesse
air.
. The boats used for carrying torpedo
: are more complex in construction tia
the instruments themselves, and have r
ceived much attention from naval d
/. signers. They are divided info tn
classes. A boat which can be carried
q chip belongs to the smaller class, a,
is limited in length and displacement