The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-12
TORPEOOES AND MINES
How These Explosives Are Used
in Warfare.
THE CIVIL WAR
Great Goodness and Courage Necessary
Il Operate Them-some of the Pecu-
liar Inventions Used During
the Civil War.

The use of torpedoes and mines Is as
old as g~unpowder almost. In Motley's
Rise Of the Dutch Republic we read of
q great and destructive torpedo. But the
great war between the states Of America
known. The poverty and isolation OF the
Southern confederacy in its struggle
against overwhelming power compelled
US to resort to torpedoes in a degree never
before known In war. Our whole territory
was drained by great navigable rivers.
which, but for torpedoes. would have ex-
posed our people to ravage and ruin.
The efficiency with which we used this
defensive agent may be estimated by the
reports of torpedo work performed I'm
four years of war. They show that no less
than S. invading vessels were destroyed
by torpedoes alone. Mobile was continu-
ously under attack by the federal fleets
for the -four years of the war, and 10 men,
of-war were sunk by our torpedoes. None
were sunk by cannon shot. although some
of them were shot through by over 20
ten and eight-inch shot. Wooden ships
nave more endurance thar ironclads.
They are far more buoyant and can be
sufficiently plugged under fire to endure
until opportunity of complete repair is
afforded.
Mobile bay is a beautiful sheet of wa
ter, but, as a sailor said to me one day.
at is too much spread out" Its whole
extent, however, was permeated by chan
nels, which gave passage to ships of con-
siderable tonnage and were easily de-
Tended by torpedoes. Many patterns of
these were used, perhaps those con-
structed of beer kegs being the most re-
liable. The kegs. after being thoroughly
made alright. were tapered on on each
end by a hollow COM of copper to the
shape of a boys fishing cork. A bursting
charge of powder was poured into Ii Hnd
sealed up, sensitive primers were then in
troduced which would explode upon slight
pressure. The torpedo was anchored to
a mushroom anchor, so as to float two or
three feet below the surface. The pressure
of any boat passing along that channel
would explode the torpedo and blow a
hole in her bottom through which a horse
and cart might pass. Such was the report
of the federal who was. employed to raise
the wrecked federal vessels after the war.
ON the whole these were the simplest, as
they were the most effective, torpedoes.
The electric torpedoes depended upon
apparatus liable to arrangement and fire.
quently failed to act at the proper mo-
ment. General Beauregard had an enor-
nous one prepared in Charleston harbor
with which IL was proposed to destroy
the Ironsides whenever she should enter
the harbor. She came and passed over the
mine. but no explosion occurred. After
the opportunity had passed IL was found
that the wire which was to convey the
exploding spark had been destroyed by a
cart which passed along the beach.
In front of Mobile Z had the palisades or
columns of piles removed to enable our
own vessels to pass freely and safely; In
the gap thus opened lay a boil
re with many h~undredweight OF gunpow-
der, which by an electric battery con-
nected with the adjacent fort could be ex-
pIodad Whap an anemv'S shin ghnIld mass
over, but no enemy's ship ever came near
there.
Torpedo boats of various devices were
invented and tried. Most of these were
iron steamers. cigar shaped. The crew,
always volunteers, consisted OF three men.
Volunteers were always ready for such
desperate service i'm the confederacy. one
engineer. one fireman and the captain or
pilot. who stood in the open hatchway and
directed the boat, which bore a torpedo at
the end of a spar some 20 or 30 feet long.
This being guided against the side of a
vessel below the water line would sink
her.
The successful execution of this work
required great GOODNESS and courage and
1 doubt IL in any war of any people in
any age were such Illustrations of these
manly traits as are to be found in the tor
pedo history of the Southern confederacy.
/ shall try to relate some of these, but
having only my memory to rely upon, /
fear i can do but scant Justice to these
brave spirits VINO have done their work
with no reward but their self-respect and
the appreciation OF comrades. We have not
even the names of these heroes.
In Mobile bay during the investment of
that city, the Yankee %gunboats closed in
their lines to keep the surer watch over
our movements. One night a young Louis
ianian contrived a spar torpedo with
which he swan out several miles alone