The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-12
AN OCEAN TERROR.
A Neve Invention to Disable the
Great Ironclads.
1t Is Called the Swordship. and It Is tho
Work OF a Danish Inventor-A Terri
lie Agent OF Destruction In
Marine Warfare.

Lie Agent OF Destruction In
Marine Warfare.
When the fleet of nations consisted Of
big wooden vessels Ericsson constructed
monitor armored against their shots
and able to destroy a great number of
ships without being damaged itself.
Two formidable weapons not in use at
that time-the ram and the torpedo
have been introduced. either of which
may destroy in few seconds millions
of value in armored vessels. Ships of
great size for carrying guns have there
fore been furnished with these auxiI-
iaries. The United States in it's latest
type, says the Chicago Mail, has dis
cardcd the gun and the torpedo, and In
the Ammen ram places it's sole reliance
in the spur, the vessel being heavily
armored for her displacement and of
quick maneuvering qualities. A Danish
inventor, conceiving the idea that small
rams to destroy the propeller of an adj
versary are desirable adjuncts TO feet
of war vessels, has designed what he
calls a swordship. His plan is for a
vessel of one hundred and ten tons dis
placement, intended for spelling shafts
or propeller blades or punching holes in
the bottoms of the smaller ironclads or
arnored cruisers. Its sword is more
than ten feet long and has teeth like
saw to prevent it from slipping. It's
upper point is six feet below the water
level, its lower point being f We and a
half feet deeper. The sword is carried
and supported by two arms which
should be as thin as is consistent with
strength in order not to impede the
maneuvering power. Swordships should
be furnished with twin propcllcrs,
with a balanced rudder between
them, and should have many water
tight compartments, some of which,
when action is impending, should be
filed with water in order TO submerge
the ship still deeper. The speed ought
to be higher than that of torpedo boats
OF equal power and displacemcnt-that
Is, over twenty-five knots per hour, be-
cause the swordship has no proiectiles
to discharge and her mission is to de-
stroy the larger game. The coming
towers should be armorcd and arranged
SO as to lessen as much as possible the
shock of collision. Although any kind
of propeller can be used the vancouver.
ing power is thought to be especially
improved with the two. bladcd pro-
pellers The blades are connected by
means of blade-axle which can turn
freely in the boss. The thrust of the
upper blade is greatest in ordinary pro-
Pellers, on account of the greater
speed OF the upper wake. but here its
plate angle decreases little, while the
pitch OF the opposition blade increases
in the same proportion. The maneuv-
ering CT a small sword-vessel REQUIRES
only one duty from the commander, nc.
cording to the inventor-that is that he
should be sailor.
Sitting in the conning-tower the COM
mander is able to concentrate his whole
attention upon the maneuvers required
TO rush upon the enemy and destroy
his propellers. AT distance of one
thousand feet from an ironclad big
shot would ricochct from the half-sub-
merged deck OF the swordship, and as
the distance can be passed over in
twenty-five seconds the chanee of being
damaged is little when the vessel is
protected against quick-firc guns. Sup
pose an ironclad and a sword-vcssel
going say eighteen and twenty-four
knots respectively. tho sword-vesscl
possessing several times greater ma
ncuvcrlng power. Its commander re-
quires only to thrust his hoating-sword
within the disc area of the condemned
propeller and the blades are cut off in
rapid succession. The sanguine in.
ventor says of his work: "There can
be no doubt concerning the correctness
OF this method, because complicated tor
pedoes often fail in the decisive mo-
ment, whereas a sword must damage
where it hits; secondly, the maneuvers
demanded for the application of tor
pcdoes are always impeded by q great
number of difficulties"