New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-29

that their torpcdoes can do nothing when nets are
employed and II must be admitted. think. by all who
have followed the firing trinls. made here and In
Europe, that no ship can carry guns of sufficient size
and number sink au ircnclad in the time 1t would
that no shots cam pierce he heaviest arrnoT plating
used pass through the water and enter the ship
not In my opinion be protected against these powerful
lronclsds when guarded by metz, by any now in
use.
II is. therefore evident TINT something should be
made and soon possible, that sink these sea
monsters az once and beyond doubt IN the open seq
and In all Kinds OF weather In which her guns could
be operated and before she could arrive ut point from
cities"
As 10 tho cost OF the proposed ironcad destroyer
General Bcrdan offers TO build the boat, under spcci
ncatons which shall be satisfactory to tho Navy
Department for 81 l00OOo with premiums b be paid
for speed in excess OF twenty knots. For each ad
dltpal boat built by the Navy Department. me
Berdan Manufacturing Company Is to receive a royalty
~ 3 per cent the total cost. Compared with the
cost OF other armord vessels OF tho same general
character tho sum named an entirely moderate
aud reasonable one.
General Berdnu has within the last ten days sp
pearcd several times before the House Naval Com
mttco and the senate Comm tee the Coast Deences,
and his schme for au irOnclad destroyer has been
partially discussed in es.ch branch Of Congress. Com
moiorc Foger the chief Of Naval Ordnance, and other
naval experts. have been asked 70 make written re
port on General berdans plans, and II the inquiry
II win; Pin authorizing the eonstrnction OF the
M b aSs assnfsa So
Of their ability and willingness 10 build such boat
General Berdan planned and the head OF TINS
great shipbulldlng Arm l. ready to guarantee the
feasibility aud merit OF General Bcrdan's IDEAS.
Tie Navy Department has already arranged for
some experiments along similar lnc. which VIII I'M
doubleday help 10 establish the praciral character OF
General Berdans scheme. Tests ~ the Ericsson sub
marine gun tor longdistSnce firing under wUter, ar
expected he made shortly in New York Iarbor. and
they will go far show what and what cannot
be done With weapon Of this sort. IL In General
BeI,lan's contention that In dense and resisting
medium A. wner no firing can BE- effective except at
and flnteE The
his At longer range, where the missile has to
penetrate the water for any Improbable distance. It's
momentum and velocity are absorbed In overcoming;
the resistance ~ The water, and II has not enough
energy left enter the side Of vessel when II reaches
t. General Bordan's calculations show that shell
effect moro than thirty forty feet through water
AT the ne ssary depth to strike man ofwar below
tho nrmor line. Ws Gevicc II bringing the sub
marine charge up close TO the hun OF the vessel
haphaEard range through unfolding and inclastic
medium like water. II is the great merit In fact. OF
the Bcrdan system that II insIres uniform and un.
varying runge to which oil the other conditions OF
Dring may be easily adjusted. By the TIRE 81 an
arrrorcd deck nnd hull, aud the device of bridge
boats the destroyer is to reach the side
OF the man-of war. by means Of the buffer the
protecting net Is broken and the force Of the shock
neutrulzed. while by the automatic Arrangement the
the huh OF the ironclnd which Will insure the odc
ment Of tho entire shell within. . that part ot
the explosive power Of the Is lost by action upon
the water. With General Berian's invention In prac
defence would be greatly smplined for this country,
and II would probably remain happily simpllfed until
some new method OF building and protecting menOf war
should be discovered.