New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-05

mines which have been carried to a higher
state Of eflicenCj al this port than at any other
possibly in the country. for the particular rea-
son that # is the principal port Of entry. and
again because 1t has been the centre OF expert
mental operations There are three lines or tor
pedoes that any enemy must meet and over
come. There are the skirmishers first These
are torpedoes skilfully placed In zgzag line
along the channel SO as 10 offer points or con-
tact at every foot of the hostile advance. The
torpedoes anchored to heavy steel plates
sunk to the bottom and are connected py
cable system 50 that they can be fired singly or IN
groups by electric apparatus, or by contact
This matter Of contact. too II must be UNDER
stood Is not the contact TO produce conclusion
or the explosion Of a cap The torpedoes are
noated sufficient depth 10 do just niue
more than meet the hull OF deep-drauBht
vessel Some Of them contain 100 and some or
them 200 pounds Of dynamite. they are so
poised as 10 float exactly upright. II STRUCK
bv a passing vessel they are. Of course. inclined
10 one side on the top OF each there Is a Dulp
containing mercury. and floating In TINS Is Il
little ball Of steel As the torpedo lnclihes 10y
contact with passing snip. the mercury sil"'S
T. one side and the steel ball settles DOWN
upon the points Of magnet The circuit Is
completed with the electric battery. ana me
next second the angels say Good mornlnS
to number Of gentlemen who moment pc
fore thought they were going to storm New
York. These are the skirmishers
THE MAIN TORPEDO LINE.
Next is the main torpedo line, which is worked
by blind buoy system. The torpedoes are all
attached by cable and to the cable are attached
buoys at equal intervals. or at irregular inter-
vals as the scheme Of defence may appear most
suitable These buoys float always about three
feet below the surface OF the water Whatever
the state Of the tide In these days n modern
Improvement "a f. known. torpedo boats nave
long projecting booms out over the DOW
and giant shears which 60 shipping their way
ahead of the boat cutting intersecths wires
and cables and anything else that rams 70
their lot e. sever. The shears strike the anchor
cable e the buoy and Strdightaway thrr" Il
what a modern torpedoist would call sur
prise party" for the buoy l. ahead or the game.
II has been 80 anchored that the unluckE BOAT
or shin sevcriug the cable is right over the tor
pedo. The cutting of the cabl" completes the
connection and another crew ind salt water
mixed with their Sr1S
In addition t. those two masterful systems OF
defence with torpcdOes. there l. the judgment
line This is made up Of tOrpedoes anchor. "a
here and there I'm odd places. TO be fred at the
will of the operator in me concealed gallery
on shore When he thinks a vessel is about
right as 10 position. ne touches key. That IS
all He presses the button, the torpedo does
the. rest The torpedo for the main line weighs
nearly ak hundred pounds. 1t * merely a bulo
Of steel and iron 50 poised as 10 float upright,
and within Is the charge Of dynamite. 1t would
seem that = family arrangement or this char-
acter is pretty likely to contain within Itself
the elements Of self-prOtectiOn. and II is just
the kind ~ a family arrangement that the en-
gineer CORPS have been studying out for some
years and perfecting at W!llets Point lhere'
too they are educating the men who are To act
as cxpcrt operators IN time to come. The res
ervation Of about one hundred and fifty acres
is covered with buildings arranged Tor the spe-
cal work the officers and men have to perform
OF the many. perhaps the electrical Dudhg
is the most interesting L. the curious observer
Not much Is sad about tests. and particularly
scant Information IS given out regarding com
pleted details II anybody on the outside wants
to hrd where the torpedoes are ne can discover
.rpfr