The record-union., 1893-04-01
THE FLYING TORPEDO.
Most Terrible Engine of Warfare That
Has Yet Been Invented.


Some test experiments in the throwing
OF projectiles from the dynamite cruiser
Nesuvius were recently made off Port
Royal, 5. c., with very interesting re-
suits. The projectiles used were eight
ieet long, ten inches in diameter, and
| when loaded weighed 5l5 pounds. The
body OF the dummy proiectile was a spi-
rally-Welded cylinder, into which the
| base and head were screwed, and these
were also connected by an iron bar in the
axis OF the cylinder. The base was of
| cast IRON, and carried brass band on
| whlch were number of wings curved
| so as torotate the projectile as it passed
through the air. The sabot, or gas
check which occupied the center of the
ten-lnch shell in the titteen-inch gun,
was also attached to the base, but in such
manner as to fall Off, as a rule, as soon as
the prolectIle left the gun. The head was
also OF cast iron, and carried as wing
pieces" number of blocks of wood care
fully fitted about it, and centering the
forward end of the projectile in the axis
of the bore. These blocks flew off helter
skelter as soon as the proectile left the
gun. In the live projectile the cylinder
| IS drawn-Steel tube, and the head and
base pieces are of brass, and are not con-
nected by bar as in the case of the dunn
my. The head contains the fuse and pri-
mer OF dry guncotton, and also has Il
number OF piungers fixed about it SO as
| to explode the primer by impact.
The flight OF the projectiles. as it ap-
peared TO an observer stationed near the
| target, Is thus described by an eve wit
ness, Lieutenant y. \. Ackerman of the
U. ;. 5. Philadelphia:
I'VE are anchored a few yards from the
line of fire, mile away from the low
lying dynamite cruiser. signal has
been holSted at her yardarm warning the
the observers to stand by. They have
acknowledged 1t by displaying their wig
| wag flags. The cruisers signal is then
| hauled down, after which those of the OBJ
| servers are also doused as they severally
/ announce their readiness. All is ready
Suddenly we perceive a white cloud
about the bow Of the Nesuvius, and then
from this bursts forth a round black OBJ
ject, which, as it rises out of the mist,
shapes itself into long, thin cylinder
| Higher and higher it mounts until, near
ing the zenith of its flight, the cylinder
| becomes ball apparently moving so
| slowly that one almost fears its momen-
tum will be expended and it will at any
moment plunge headlong downward.
1T has now reached the highest point
OF its flight, and at almost the same in
stant the ear is saluted by rafting,
crashing sound, as if all the boiler facto-
ries in the country had concentrated the
pandemonium of weeks into the supreme
effort of a second. 1t is the sound of the
! discharge, which travels nearly twice as
fast as the projectile, and which in the
clear spring air of Port Royal is heard
! quite as distinctly mile away in the
| line of fire as on the vessel itself.
The flying torpedo has now for Sec
onds seemed almost stationary, poised
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 perceptibly, and soon
the fact dawns upon Us that this black
| object is coming onward at tremendous
rate. 1t grows larger, and OH the down
ward branch of the trajectory again
elongates into cylinder, the rear end of
which seems to wobble or reyolve in a
small circle around the line OF flight,
Now a kissing sound is heard. The pro
jectile seems to hasten-it is descending
rapidly-straight towards you. There is
no doubt now as to its carving far
enough. In fact, it seems impossible to
avoid that. We realize that here is a ter
rible engine, free from ali restraint, be-
| yond control. 1t has a destiny of its own.
We don't care who sighted the gun, or for
what range the valve was set. We only
hope that we shall have luck; that the
black thing has not acquired intelligence
and decided to hurt us. with q malicious
purpose. But now a glance along the
cylinders side is reassuring; it will pass
! on one Sldei IL SeeIllS 10 TURN away more
and more, until, with a musket-like re-
port, it enters the water, throwing up a
lofty column of spray. A second later
and the black oval head pierces the wa
ter thirty yards further on; the torpedo
leaps high into the air, and turning, por-
poise-like, with graceful precision, dives
head first into the water again. There,
after last mighty. struggle, its onward
rush is checked, and it sinks to the bot
tom. The length of time of flight has
been just ten and three-quarter seconds.
1t has come six times as fast as the fastest
railroad train; fourteen times as fast and
five times as far as the fastest automobile
torpedo; fourteen times as fast as the fast
est torpedo boat; twelve times as fast as
the fastest running horse. Moreover, it
carries an amount of high explosive pow
er equivalent in rending effect to two OF
the largest Whitehead torpedoes." ."-Har-
per's Weekly.