The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-04-29
THE FLYING TORPEDO.
The Projectile of the Vesuvius in its
Flight Through the Air.

Flight Through the Air.
The flight of the projectiles, as it
appeared to an observer stationed near
the target, is thus described by an eye
witness, Lieutenant A. A. Alderman,
of the u. S. S. Philadelphia:
awe are anchored a few yards from
the line of fire, mile away from the
low-lying dynamite cruiser, A signal
has been hoisted at her yard arm, warn
ing the observers to stand by. They
have acknowledged it by displaying
their wig-wag flags. The cruisers signal
is then hauled down, after which those
of the observers are also doused as
they severally announce their readiness.
All is ready. Suddenly we perceive a
white cloud about the bow of the Nesu-
vius, and then from this bursts forth a
round black object, which, as it rises
out of the mist, shapes itself into a
long thin cylinder. Higher and higher
it mounts, until, nearing the zenith OF
its flight, the cylinder becomes ball
apparently moving SO slowly that one
almost fears its momentum will be eX-
pended, and it will at any moment
plunge headlong downward.
at has now reached the highest
point OF its fight, and at almost the
same instant the ear is saluted by rattl
ing, crashing sound, as if all the boiler
factories in the country had concentrat
cd tl, ,o,,lo,,, a., yaf.Gc inf Ihf
supreme effort of second. 1t is the
sound of the discharge, which travels
nearly twice as fast as the projectlle
and which in the clear spring air o
Port Royal is heard quite as distinctly
a mile away in the line of fire as on The
vessel itself.
"The flying torpedo has now for sec
onds seemed almost stationary, polseC
like some great bird high in the air
1t seems sure to fall short; it is too low
to carry far at that apparently SLOW
flight Still, it does not fall percepu
bly,, and soon the fact dawns upon Il
that this black object is coming onward
at a tremendous rate 1t grows larger
anu Ol lHG NOMhNdlu DldllNh VI VIN
trajectory again elongates into a cylin
der, the rear end of which seems t,
wobble or revolve in a small circl
around the line of flight. Now hiss
ing sound is heard. The projectll
seems to hasten-jt is decending rapid
ly--straight towards you. There is n,
doubt now as to its carrying far enough
In fact, it seems impossible to avolo
that. We realize that here is a terrible
engine, free from all restraint, beyonC
control. 1t has a destiny of its owr
We don't care who sighted the gun, o
for what range the valve was set w
only hope that we shall have luck; tina
the black thing has not acquired int
ligence and decided 10 hurt us, with
malicious purpose But now a glanc
along the cylinders side is reassuring
it will pass on one side; it seems t
turn away more and more, until, wit
a musketlike report, it enters the waite
throwing up a lofty column OF spray
A second later, and the black, ovi
head pierces the water thirty yards fu
Their on; the torpedo leaps high int
the air, and turning porpoiselike, wit
graceful percision dives head first int
the water again. There, after la!
mighty struggle, its onward rush
checked and it sinks to the bottom
The length of time of flight has bee
just ten and three-quarter seconds.
has come six times as fast as the taste
railroad train; fourteen as fast and fiN
times as far as the fastest automOb
torpedo; fourteen times as fast as tt
fastest torpedoboat; twelve times as ia
as the fastest running horse, Nor
over, it carries an amount of high e
plosive power equivalent in rending c
feet to two of the largest of the Whit
head torpedoes."