The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
ToRPEDoES IN OUR WAR.
THE ELECTRIC TORPEDO SYSTEM
ORIGINATED IN AMERICA.

30 says Capt. Davidson. Formerly or tire Cen
federnte Nnvy-How the Commodore Jone.
Was Destroyed In tho James River-Ths
Case or the Harncy-The Attack on the
MiHnesOta-very TaihattVe Prisonora.
After frequently referring TO torpedo opera
lions, in his Naval History Of the Civil War;
in varying ter ns OF censlire or Of praise. Ad-
miral Porter finally dispos ed OF tho whole ques-
ton as TO the efficiency and propriety Of that
method OF warfare in the most complimentary
terms Of approval. But nowhere did he make the
important distinction that there wero two defsn-
sivo methods or systems practised during the
war-the ono ele ,trlc. especially designed and
perfected In every detail. and completely under
the control OF those operating t.: the other o
system tif 1t can be so called, OF guerrilla tor
pedo warfare. which succeeded In destroying
many vessels In tho West. but closed all chan
ncls To friend as we'll as foe. and was too unre
liable TO be adopted II as a regular service.
The distinction Is important, and II is . mat
ter OF historical Interest to know that the cleo
trio system Of torpedo defence. now adopted by
nearly every maritime nation. originated in the
states during our war. ind that the guerrilla
method is never taken into consideration MS 4
means of warfare. although It may DO again
resortcd 10 in exceptional cases.
IN I bthtcS III CneCt. IN Tic Work
Just referred 70. that tho f,onting torpedo
which destroyed the Cairo was fred by a gal
vnnic battery on the 18th OF December. 1885.
In this I am quite sure he Is mistaken. No re-
port was ever made to 'he government at Rich
rnond Of the successful use OF electric torpedocs
during the war. previous to my destru ction Of
the Commodore Jones In May. 1854. Persons
were. i,ubttess. experimenting with galvanic
batteries In the West. but the torpedoes used
against Admiral Pc-tcr's feet were known a.
contact to-pcdoes. OF which there were many
different kinds. and great ingenuity. mechan-
teal skill and sol sacrifice were shown In their
design and application.
The Importance Of knowing exactly when ana
where electric torpedo defencs was first proved
10 be asuccess IN the war il generally admitted.
Many have written uron this subject since the
war. but from want Of tri, information
haro made great confusion. and somewhat de-
p-!ved our cnuE'rvmen NJ The credit due in the
matter. for I have frenueTtlv heard abroad that
the practice originated with Russia.
Most persons In crested In navy and army
matters are moro or less acquainted with the
history OF electric torpedoes: that is. OF the
many attempts made in the last and this cen.
fury to nse them successfully In war: and that
every attempt met with failure until The civil
war IN the States. With the reasons for those
failures I am not now concerned. but ] desire TO
draw attention to The impression upon the pub
lie mind which those failures made: an impress
sion not only OF Indifference. but rather OF con-
tempt for that means OF warfare: so that the
reader of history may understand that the great
difficulty the officers OF the South had to con-
tend with In their Efforts 20 make electric tor
pedees successful did not lie SO much in do
v.sinG or Designing new. untried methods. as In
the treatment. or rather disbursement. they
-. -tat - $3.50
time and expendinp tho resources of the coun-
try for such n service BY the one. or the 'uncIyr-
lied" character RI the means by tie other.
In the fall Of 1862 [ received confidential In
ate navy 10 organize q torpedo department for
defence aud o~dence-under his direct authority
material. %.ep S p ?:c Sm snt r anS %st To- R make eSe
periments so as to get Into active service as soon
All knoS how limited were the resour, en- Of
the South. especially I'm such 81 lied labor and
eItraordinarr material =. n torpedo service re-
fully committed with the orders OF the Secretarr,
and the Electrical Toroedo Department. a. or.
ono OF the kind under the authority Of tbs Con-
Tolerate Government. and during the latter
part Of the war it was extended to include the
1t was a complete organization In every es-
s ssqsi ! Sar ..l. asstnT fo = e 5Sair Of otiss.. and nd men
tellirence. with relative rank and duties as.
Tie mines and their attachments were are
fnllr designed and made at the Tredecar
WorEs at RicbmGnd. according To detailed
EXP nsive and laborioua experiments were
made 20 determine the enec: of gunpowder at
S ferIss M.r ee Sesisn %. w "a ss N The Z. . ESlTsnic bat
able. and quickly brought into service, to ac-
complish which was tho greatest practical DIFF
fculty met With. for. whom ! took charge, the
means of expulsion known to us then were en-
tir"!y too crude and clumsy IN be OF practical
from the North or from Europe. at great trou-
BILE and erpens-. through the blockade. Store
houses were bnilt at suitable places for torpedo
the james River. with provisions and clothing,
In charge Of a pay mast FINALLY. III torpedo
ONCE Of the Secretary of the NAVY. Mr.. s. Il.
Mallory. formeriy Senator from Florida.
be the Importance q this Organization. / may
assert that its successtas viii be seen further
battle OF the llerrimae and MonItor. or the
employment Of RI ed ordnan-e;
, The result Of the or nn'zntioa. as Just de:
yunboat Commodore Jones In the ] lanes River,
May. 1904; by a torpedo mine made At the Tre-
fred under my immediate direction; The do.
gnnboat wa, accompanied by : powerful feet
under Admiral $. T.. Leo. The fleet had on
warned the officers that they wore on danger.
2us ground. was aware that the negro. had
thai reason had wiisc. leading sh TO t th. ,a ana ios
OIL both sides OF 'he river. bell ewing that II tho
feet cut the wires on the high left hank they
would DO content with thai and proceed, not
surpos!ng that here was a battery with miues
on Tho other side also. which was n swamp.
NV srrmise was somewhat correct, for. had
the battery alton on the left bank been occu-
pied. VIC should have heer discovered. as at
one time the ne odorr Jones was high
enough up stream 10 have ssea into the station;
abe could have been DESTROYED mon. ents sooner,
bit we we're waiting for an ironclad. The or
de-s given ON board were distinctly heard bv
US, AID IL was in coz sequence OF certain orders
that tho Commodore Jones was destroyed as she
dropped hack and over the mine.
The fleet very son1 after tho same after
nnon) rrtreated down stream. and did not re- |
turn so high ND the river 4 yain for more than q
week. the importance of which will DO seen
further on. Many valuable articles from the
wreck were picked IN. especially Official rorre-
spondenre OF importance To tho Confederate
Government. The Captains trunk. nrivats
correspondence. Bib.e, &C.. were carefully
packed up and sont at once to Major Milford
OF the United States fng-of.trucs steamer.
The simple acs Of destroying this Commodore
Jones was nor In itself NJ so much Importance
Ne the destruction nv torpedo.s NJ many other