The sun., 1891-05-27
cHrLrAx xAvAb OPERATIONS.
sese Lessons Nrss the Torpedo wsrfsre
At Csidera and Valparaiso.

At Csidern s.s Valparaiso.
WASHINGTON. May 26.-The offlcial and other
detailed accounts OF the recent naval actions
! in the Bay OF Caldera and the harbor OF VAL
paradise put rather new face on these engage
ments In their relation to torpedo warfare. al
though It cannot he eaid that they have re-
versed the conclusions at first drawn.
BskinninR with the earlier fight, which took
place In the harbor OF Valparaiso between the
forts and the insuraent ironclad Blanco Enoa-
lads- It appears that II originated from an at
tempt on the part OF the ironclad TO destroy
the Mary Florence. q steam tug which the
Balmaceda Government had seized aud armed.
To avoid drawing the flre OF the forts, which
covered the tug. the Blanco resorted to night
attack aud TO the use Of tho Whitehead or FISH
torpedo. The torpedo missed the boat. but
passing onward struck q large floating dry
dock and destroyed II. The forts were aroused
and opened fire. whereupon tho Blanco hastily
steamed out OF range. That she should have
missed the tug, small vessel at best for a
war ship. under such circumstances. is natural.
although the skeptics rs to tho efficiency OF
torpedo warfare will not lose sight Of the fact
At all events the tremendous effectiveness OF
the torpedo. whom It does hit. was shown BY
the destruction Of the dock.
Tho subsequent operations In that harbor
seem to have been rather bold. with largo
price exactcd for temetity. Perhaps with tho
hope that the Blanco had been injured by the
fire OF the forts . Government torpedo boat
steamed ont at night, accompanied by the
Florence. for the purpose Of playing In return
tho 0ame OF torpedo attack. But the Banco
had with her the wooden corvette OHiggins
which discovered than and opened fire. Tho
two small vessels turned TO run back. but n
shell from the Blsnco wrecked the tug. oil her
crew perishine. and the OHiggins destroyed
the torpedo vessel. Prssumtng on their sue
cess. the insurgents EXCHANGED shots with the
s vas 80 dam ssed | that she had to s Se Withdrawn.
II s;ssss ! r. sSsss i for
iirmaiion Of the later news that the Blanco was
to NTH hsE
bo na ns
n:as whs hrhs ia
relation to the efficiency Of the torpedoe-. that
iSs sssO ws. sss Th sf q the
that there is an error In the text Of thi. docu-
mont " reported. since another despatch n I; ap-
Sos. IL sSs ans
sHad Sss sss GU 70
iSspsdSes were rsd At the SansO but only
fundamental question Of the aeeuracy Of ihs
nsh tor. sdo, In these two ,stateeEments stiI!
& not
that II hitting. they did not effectively explode.
And. after all. Il the practice Of the Chilians
With the torpedoes was only as bnd ne that
rss Ss but St f for
1t now appears from the official report OF the
good many shots before she succum bed !" and
ret she carried heavy Armstrong rifles. which
she used again.t unarmored vessels at tho
sea Rs
sol AcoDcaRua which came across the torpedo
boats and fought them. was hit only seven
IN Ehsd RS VIII 81
that 500 or 400 ahots wore fred at her at dis-
taness from LITTLE shTft q mile to little
part fired 1870 shots from her main battery be;
sides many from her Hotchkiss guns. and all
that her commander ventures to sayis that
the torpedo boats to. some extent. These
facts tend to support the theory that had
the Charleston and the Esmeralda fought each
guns. our Vessel would csrtsinIy have been The
% One more more impertsns @ fact Disclosed by tho de-
s sSIns suns: ior Wien ths HSssssr MhIeh sy
ward went f. y,si, the wreck she tcot ct.s. on.
IN unarmored tornsdo vessel from machine
the whole. II q material drawback from the
that Combat. on bat must be made 10 Consequence ot
the number Of ineffective discharges: yet 1t Is
offset to eome extent by the probable inexpeEt-
far as appears from the accounts. the Blanco
had no steel torpedo net In use.