The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-07

s.ulppea Win . vo- r.rDsao Tsss.

from tie London 7Irpes.
After leaving Spithcnd. where she represented
the Japanese navy during tho rcview. the
battleship Full proceeded TO Portland In order
to carr out her torpedo and gunncry trials.
On Thursday, July 10. she left tho roads and
occupied the whole afternoon In running tor
pedoes from her new submerged tubos. Runs
were made at various speeds up to rather over
10 knots. The success OF these trials IL an
important matter, and the Full and her SIS
tor ship the Ynshima nro the only two for
Sign ships which for the present possess sub
merged torpedo tubes.
The lato war between Japan and China taught
tho belligcrents and the world at large the risk
q ship ran In carrying torpedocs for above-watcr
discharge, exposed as they must DO Ut Kept
ready to the fro OF the enemy. II either tho
air chamber or the Run.cotton charge DO hit, an
explosion, which may we'll cripple or destroy
the ship, must occur. Tho Japanese Govern
ment, guided by this experience, determined IL
possible that their future battl cships and
largo cruisers should DO fitted for the
submerged discharge. They therefore ap-
piled to Sir w. G. Armstrong. Whitworth &
Co. Nimited) for designs OF an apparatus. This
out Sporimo Il with models in order to study
the question thoroughly. The Japanese Coy
eminent were bold enough to order the SUB ab
real torpedoes to prove results, and II must %
most satisfactory to. them to find they possess
submerged tubcs which are In every way salts
factory. and in many ways surpass tho perform.
ances Of tho English tubes.
The Elswick tube 10 In nearly overy feature g
comrletely new departure. The election is pref.
erably made by means OF cordite, although com.
simple to handle, and pos essos tho great advan.
tage over tho other two systems of being, always
ready for use. Its Introduction for firing tor
pedoes as well as guns must DO considered as an
Another marked feature in the Elswick tube
1 In n automatic n III Al ~ Il nnpathla
merged torpedo room. after having prepared
CURED. Hours afterward it win only be- neces-
sary to press the firing key, when the guide or
p aett,U di sri rPstd&" and e the i shield 1eSi ned ; the
three operations following each other in
such tot Gpic Eor sSSees 81 an that they o only OCCUPY ;y
rapid election and return seem to get over the
difficulty Of vibration hilherto experienced with
set up vibrations. Again, the rapid return. helps
to clear the tail Of the toEpedo from the shelter
measure for the small detection with which the
torpedo is elected,
the Elswick tube when the ship is at rest is ffty
feet tHd,Ip per ,hG second ToInait At !. a nr shhipb,s H. speed pse5,. Of fos sII Z z Sn
higher than are used in the English system, and
yet tho maximum pressure on the %torpedo docs
not exceed thirty pounds per square inch.
trials on board the FugI. it was picked up each
end Of the day il did not show q mark or sign Of
i'll. or strain. The tube was so easily
worked that 1t was always ready to receive the
torpedo long before 1t could be secured and re
charged. On account of the small detection the
practice at a boat was excellent. Tho torpedo
Capt. Yendo, Japanese Naval Attache; Mr..
Taneda. torpedo engineer, as we'll as Capt. Miura
and tho officers of the Full, watched the trials
with keen interest. and expressed pleasure at
the satisfactory results obtained.
The Full returned to Portland Roads directly
the practice was over. Next morning she went
to sea again and successfully carried out trials
with her ten 6-inch q. I. and her smaller guns
She will leave for Japan as Soon as the hydraulic
machinery for working her 12-inch guns is com
plete.