The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-10
WHERE DEATH Turks.
Wonderful Torpedo Boat Being Built
for the Government.
Has No Crew and Is Easily Operated
by Mar on Shore.


Is as unique In the principle of Its opera
tion ms ID Is effective in its results. IL is
technically called dirigible torpedo, but
It Is In reality an automatic torpedo boat,
which, constantly under the control OF q
single operator, starts out, without any
crew, In search OF an enemy, and when it
has found and como In contact with him
emits torpedo charged with 200 pounds
of dynamite, nitrogelatin or other high
explosive, which explodes below the water
line of the ship attacked with sufIi icient
force to tear an enormous hole In her bot
tom and send her beneath the waves
The machine is the invention Of Lieu
tenant N j. Halpine, u. S. NJ, who has
devoted many years TO the development of
his idea, which, until now, has received
much more appreciation from foreign gov
ernments than from his own. Argentina,
Russia, Brazil. Norway, Sweden, Ecua-
dor, Japan, Chile and China all are now
carrying on negotiations with Lieutenant
Halpino for his invention. Until the pres
ont summer tho United States war and
navy departments did not regard his de-
vice with much favor, but the recently en-
acted Notifications law made provision for
the construction Of one of his torpedoes,
and 1t Is this for which bids were recently
firm.
The torpedo is long, slender, cigar
shaped affair. made of copper (or steel, II
preferred), and In this is placed an electric
motor, with storage batteries containing
sufficient power to propel the torpedo at a
speed of % knots, by means of "a screw at
the rear. There is also within 1t a reel
containing several miles of fine piano wire,
and IL Is by means of this wire that the
operator retains bis control, the wire pass.
ing out as the machine proceeds on It's
journey The operator may be stationed
where he sees ct. Holding ia his hand a
simple little keyboard, all that he need do
is TO move an inaex arm around Ii, max
ing connection with any one Of number
of little metal points, TO send the machine
ahead, fast or slow; back, put the helm TO
port or To starboard through any angle or
explode the charge. Briefly, he is enabled
by this simple keyboard to propel steer,
bring buck or discharge his weapon. He
needs no other apparatus, all the motive
power and machinery being within his
missile. He may bo on shore, on n ship
or in a small boat, or he may even put on
a life preserver, get astride the torpedo,
proceed on IL as far as he likes then Jump
off, and, holding his keyboard in his
hands, maneuver his weapon as he likes
The torpedo may be operated at any dis
tance within the range Of vision, as the
reel inside may hold dozen or more miles
of wire When the operator sights his
prey, he has but to start the machine In
pursuit, speeding UP or slowing down,
backing or steering 1t in any direction in
pursuit OF the hostile ship. When the lat
ter Is reached, the explosion may be ac-
1fr1,p II tn. On fxavNx 4
be done by means of the keyboard, or it
may be done on contact. In the lat
ter case long harpoon, which projects
from tho nose Of the machine, Is driven
back, iiberatina conical headed canister
and igniting its fuse, which burns for u
few seconds and then explodes the big
charge of high explosive, which IL so pow
erful as not 10 require actual contact with
the enemy's hull TO break it in. II IL ex-
plodcs anywhere within 90 or 80 feet, the
disturbance will be disastrous. But here
must bo described one of the most unique,
peculiar features Of the invention.
When the harpoon strikes the ship and
liberates the charge, the torpedo boat it
self Is at once backed away and returns at
the top OF its speed To its operator, leaving
the harpoon stuck i'm the ships side or en-
tangled in her torpedo net. The torpedo
proper, which contains the explosive, is
discharged from the fundamental machine,
or torpedo boat, and takes a downward
course nt an angle of about 45 degrees, but
the moment it has cleared It's carriage It Is
brought UP by a short longth of chain
connecting 70 with the harpoon. Thus, If
a torpedo net IL encountered, the harpoon
remains cntangled in 1t, but the explosive,
In its motal canister, dives down beneath
It. rises on tho other side and explodes
against or close TO the hull II there bo
no net, the harroon sticks in the side OF
tho hull attacked, the explosive diving un-
der and striking either lower down or on
the opposite side. If the harpoon fails TO
stick in the hull or be held by the net, it
makes no difference, as the explosion takes
place so quickly after the first contact that
It's work would be performed effectively
anyhow When once il has liberated it's
charge, the machine is brought back by It's
operator, new charge. harpoon and reel
is inserted, and 1t may be again dispatched
on its GRAND of destruction. Nor il it al
ways necessary TO replace the reel, as the
same wire may often be used again and
again.
The Halpine torpedo has several meri-
torious features not possessed by other
weapons used In torpedo warfare. As all its
machinery Is within It, 1t needs no fixed
base on shore to be carefully watched and
thoroughly descndcd; the. operator, with
his keyboard, may be anywhere. Unlike
other torrclocs, the machine itself Is not
destroyed aitor having been used, only the
harpoon and the explosive charge, with Its
canister, being lost Tho whole affair costs
but $1,000 or 10000, and the harpoon
and charge but Sl01, so that even should
chance projcctile from the enemy strike
the whole affair 10 would be but "A small
price TO pay for tho destruction Of n 81, 0SAs-
GOO battlcship, or even u 81 ,000 600 cruiser.
II the charge alone were lost, the compari-
son of cost would be even more striking.
AS soon as the torpedo now being built
Is completed it will be sent TO the United
States army engineers station at Willet's
Point, n. Y, and experimental with, and
II these experiments are entirely satisfac-
tory largo number will bo at once con-
tractcd for, to be used i'm connection with
the system OF national coast defense. But