The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-12
THE HOWELL TORPEDO.
Peculinrities OF tho Contrfvance to b
Mounted the Ships for Brazil.

PeculinritIes OF the Contrivance to be
Mounted the Ships for Brazil.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 1.-THE fact that Howell
torpedoes an American invention. are to bo
used on the steamship FL Cid. the boats Jave-
lin and Feiseen. and perhaps other vessels
fitted out at New York for the Peixoto Govern
ment. has given fresh interest to this ap.
pliance. 1t was invented by Capt. John A.
Howell Of our navy and for several years has
been In process OF improvement.
1t consists CT four sections The first at the
nose. as 1t is called. is tho firing pin. with it's
accompanying mechanism. Directly behind
that. in the second section or head OF tho tor.
pedo. is the explosive charge OF gun cotton.
with the detonator. The third section con-
tains the fly wheel and its gearing that propel
the torpedo through the water. The last Soc
ton. at the stern. contains the mechanism for
diving and the rudder The characteristic
feature Of the apparatus is it's motive power.
This, as has been said, consists OF a heavy fly
wheel. 1t is spun up by a steam turbine motor
which forms u permanent attachment OF the
launching tube. When the torpedo is placed
in this tube. the steam motor clutches the fly
wheel and spins the wheel up to q high rate Of
rotation. When the wheel is unclutched the
force thus acquired is expended in carrying
the torpedo toward the point at which it 10
aimed. The steel fly wheel is nicely balan ced,
anu GeaTeu TO TWO Suh1tS, one on eaCn BlQ0 OF
the torpedo carrying the propellers. which re-
volve in opposite directions 80 as to counteract
any tendency to roll.
The launching tube is made Just large
enough in diameter to admit tho torpedo
The latter is inserted at the rear end. which is
then closed and the torpedo is elected by tho
explosion OF a small cartridge. The diving
mechanism resembles that OF the Whitehead.
though not Identical with it. The firing appa-
ratus includes stout steel pin moved by
strong spiral spring. which drives 1t down
upon tho detonator. Precautions are taken
to prevent tho firing pin from glancing along
the object struck and also to prevent the
charge from being prematurely exploded in
the rapid passage through the water.
One Of the first points to attract attention in
this torpedo is the simplicity OF its construc-
ton. 1t consists OF only few parts. and tho
launching apparatus is easy OF manipulation.
and be readily protected. 1t Is lighter
than the Whitehead. as it carries no machine
cry for COMPRISING air Even when first intro
duced it showed excellent directive force.
which gave it the all-important feature Of
accuracy. But at that time its speed was
wholly insufficient as also was its range.
which was only about five hundred yards. 1t
will be evident that. from it's system of propu-
sion. its speed begins to decrease from the mo-
ment it is discharged. through the expenditure
of the force stored up in the fly wheel Eight
years ago it showed an average speed
OF only 15a knots in q distance OF 200
yards. whereas the Whitehead. our other
naval torpedo. had then a speed OF IS knots
through more than double that distance.
However the velocity and range OF the How
ell torpedo have been steadily increased and
when. u few years ago. in trials in Europe. tho
Whitehead had reached 20 knots for distance
a distance OF 200 yards. About two years ago
n series OF ofiicial tests took place at Newport.
Iv o be aka 10r
tract called for - knots tho average speed Of
Wits the 2 wss ay
about "a feet and the horizontal about II
feet. The torpedoes were fired from station
that time further efforts at i'm proveme nt have
been made. and this torpedo should render
sumabIy to have Whitehead torpedoes. some
although they are more widely known. They They
arc used by many Of the naval powers. and
Condell blew NJ the Blanco Encalada. In
EnFnnd Whitehead torpcdoes, which carry a
dssnso Of o0 yardso TSer 81 Service se esenc1
adopted them Tor our our navy ; . ordering 100 OF
su sPp ia only ht HSy seona
Tor ACCEPTANCE reads as follows:
ma sass 9psGo TO be 81 for Tanse o" 800 y.Tds snd
through tue launching tUur ard the centres OF tho
targets Is 10 De hot mere imam wards b" me rghtor
e!t al 400 yards ana - yarns AT NW lhrn rue limit
from drrih rNCrei Ian, he's At both ranges
The above conditions must %" ""1AihrI win each
torpedo tprrc Of CONSECUTIVE runs whcn the
tor sascAaryrd roma lIau'hIhs tube not less
rre runs is to he NJ least - iurs tOr the range Of
800 yards furta ~ To- tee made from n tube
not less than loot shove water ana ~ this run the
toruedp nI.i mass yards ~ the tho
+uUyHd Agri ana tr Erttu Is 10 NC AZ least 80 knots
for Tho rang" o 4 30 lhf"H
Under tnis contract twenty eight torpedoes
had laen accepted W to tho date OF Commo-
IN" OF nrTs will in Ike manner be accepted,
The Whitehead torpedo includes ak comnart-
mcnt-. IN" first contains tho bursting charge
and the primer. The second Is the chant Der OF
the imin"rsln M apparatus. which is Ingenious
Is cOntriyed. Tho third and fourth contain.
respectively. the compressed air and the mo-
tive machinery which IL artuates. After those
come the brvel gear which causes tho two
screw Iropellars to reyulva in opposite direc-
lions about the same axis. TO Offset tendencies
10 lateral deviation. and. finally. the rudder
and II supports. III" compressed air. as dis
Iingui-hci from the fly wheel. is u charactcr-
stlc feature OF the Whit"l" cad torpedo and its
great quality is in keeping upa high rate Of
sleed aud in having good range,
Tho Howell torpedo. However. ia tho more
ntercstiu. In connection with PeiAoto's new
leet. rs II is now tor the irst time 10 hc tested
has passed that stage ant its merits are well
tnown. In view OF the accuracy OF the fioweii
orpedoes no doubt is felt AS to their standing
he ordeal we'll and they are particularly
suited to torpedo boats on account Of their
,Om p0ERtiYO lightnobb and aim DIlcltE.