davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

scale at the Royal Laboratory at Wool wich and at the Whitehead factory at Portland, about 5000 having been issued to the navy. 4 few months ago the manufacture of torpedoes in England was abandoned, and the English ad- miralty now imports it's torpedoes from the two European factories, one in Ger many and the other in Plume, Hun- gary. The Brooklyn, Plume and Ger man factories are the only places where Whitehead torpedoeS are now made.
 The new American Whitehead not only has the power to blow up any ship afiOat, but it's intricate and delicate mechanism makes certain it's path un- der the water. The variations from it's course are so slight that it can be fired from the launching tube with the same confidence in it's ability to reach the target as when the seacoast artillery man fires a steel shell from a heavy gun. The torpedo is built of steel in the shape of a porpoise, with a big double bladed tail. Ready for firing it weighs 1160 pounds, but it's weight in the water is but a half pound. It's length is about 16 feet inches; it's greatest diameter 17.7 inches. It is assembled in four sec tions-the head air flask and immersion chamber, after body and tail-all fitted together with sleeve joints and held to- gether by joint screws. The walls are made of the finest forged steel, to re- sist the enormous air pressure. Bronze bulkheads separate the sections. Near the after end of the air flask is bulk head of the small immersion chamber. The after body is also divided into two compartments, so that in all there are five compartments within the torpe- dos she'll
 Compressed air is the motive power. This is contained within the air flask, hollow forged steel cylinder nearly half as long as the torpedo slightly tapering at the ends. with dome shaped heads screwed and soldered in each end. On shipboard this flask is filled by an air compressing engine, and the pressure attained is 1850 pounds to the square inch. The flask is tested for pressure of 2000 pounds. This great pressure so congresses the air that the weight of the ten cubic feet in the flask is 69.19 pounds.
 The engine consists of three cylinders radiating out from the propeller shaft like a three-leaf clover. The cylinders could be carried in ones overcoat pocket, but they have a combined power of thirty horsepower.
 Between the air flask and engine Is a reducing valve, operated from the ex- terior. This valve is balanced between a spring tending to raise 1t and the pressure of air on the top tending to seat 1t. By screwing a crank the spring Is compressed, and the pres- sure of the air admitted to the engine fixed for the run. The highest speed
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

The English paddle-wheel sloop Ob- eron was rigged up as an experimental torpedo-boat and from it the first Whitehead was launched in English waters. The target was the wooden corvette Aigle surrounded by netting fifteen feet from the ships side and reaching twelve feet below the sur face. The first torpedo fired at her dove under the net, suddenly shot up- ward again. striking the ship and blow ing big hole in her bottom. The ad- miralty officers had not expected this result, but it led the English Govern ment to pay $75000 for the right to manufacture Whitehead torpedoes at the Royal Laboratory. Before the Aigle had sunk second torpedo was fired at her. This one struck the net ting and inflicted no damage
 No Government would now spend a cent for torpedo which could not be depended on to reach the point aimed at. The maximum effectiveness of a torpedo in an attack on battleship is reached when the torpedo strikes the vessel amidships, well below the heavy side armor belt The explosion drives in the arn1or at it's weakest point, eX- plodes the boilers and nearby maga- zines and insures the sinking of the ship. Struck near the water line, a heavy battleship (while the havoc wrought would be terrif1c) might be able to keep above water for hours and do effective service in an engagement.
 The Ting Yuen. one of the battleships of the Chinese fleet at Wei-Haf-We at early dawn on February 5, 1895, was attacked by the Japanese torpedo flo- tilla One of the six Whitehead tor pedoes fired at the Ting Yuen and Tai Yuen struck the former in the stern near the water line. The torpedo toro a big hole in the arTnor, and, although the water-tight doors and compart- ments failed at the critical moment, the ship sank very slowly and her gum ners sank the assailant, killing all of her crew.
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

motion, characteristically remarked Never mind; if I meet him again IT make lord of him. D
 The first commodore of the young American navy was Captain John Barry. In the spring of 17S1 he was hailed by a British ship on his way from Havana. To the inquiry as to his identity he replied; "The United States ship Alliance, Saucy Jack Barry, half Irishman, half Yankee; who are you?''
 Not the value nor the command of the whole British fleet could tempt me from the American cause" was the heroic reply of Barry to Lord Howe in ITS when he offered him 15,000 guineas and a commission in the English navy to join the royal cause. Equally heroic was the reply of the cantive American sailor, Nathan Coffin, when asked to enter the kings service: Hang me, if you will, to the yardarm, but do not ask me to become traitor to my country"
 Com. Stephen Decatur was one of the very bravest men that ever walked the quarterback. His famous toast at a public dinner in Norfolk. Va, in 1Sl6, "Our Country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong" would, if he had never said or done anything else, have won him inn mortality.
 The destruction by him of the frigate Philadelphia in the harbor of Tripoh was declared by Lord Nelson to be the most bold and daring act of the age" Decatur was as generous as he was brave. 'I cannot" said he to Cap tain Garden of the Macedonian, as he offered to surrender his sword. take the sword of a man who has so bravely defended his ship, but I'll thank you for that hat" This was in the 1872 war, and the reference to the hat was reminder of a bet between the two officers, made previous to the outbreak of hostilities. in regard to the fighting powers of their ships. At the first fire the Macedonian lost her mig zenmast Hearing. a sailor remark to one of his mates that they had made a brig of her. Decatur added: Take a good aim, my lads. at the mainmast, and well make a sloop of her.
 To the hail of a squadron of Algerine pirates, while cruising in the Mediter- ranean of Dove andite?" ("Where, are you going?'D, Decatur from his lone CtWhere I please"), and they let him go.
 Toward the close of the 1912 war De- catur, in command of the President was chased by a large squadron, all of which, with one exception, the Endy- mion, he outsailed In the emergency he conceived the daring design of cap turing that ship before her sisters could come to her assistance, and, hav- ing scuttled his own vessel. which was injured at the time, sailing into port on his anticipated prize. His speech to his crew on that occasion is unique. My lads,' said he, that ship is com ing up with us. As our own ship will not sail, we'll go aboard of them, every
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

the turning of the fan until it rests on
 the firing pin.
 When the torpedo strikes the firing pin is driven in detonating the cap, the illuminate of mercury, the dry gun cotton, and then exploding the 220 pounds of wet gun-cOttOn, This SyS- tenn of explosions is made necessary by the nature of the gun cotton. This high explosive, one of the most power fuI destroyerS ever evolved from the chemists laboratory, is exploded with difficulty. Were the war head simply loaded with wet gun the impact of the head against a ships armor Even dry gun-cotton might not explode. Gun-cotton on shipboard is always kept wet. It is more difficult to eX- plode, but more violent in It's acton Dry gun-cotton is about the only thing that is sure to explode wet gun-cotton, and dry gun-cotton is exploded by a mercury illuminate detonator. The lat ter is easily exploded by a cap, and in simultaneously expands to 25OO times it's original volume. The sudden pressure explodes the dry gun-cotton. The war head is never used in times of peace. Instead a blunter practice head of steel is used. It is ballaSted by filling 1t with fresh water
 The prototype of the wonderful ratio war engine. Pushed overheard by an impulse rod, sent forward by compressed air, the iron fish darted off like porpoise at play, shooting straight forward for a moment, and then. suddenly swinging around like a boomerang, it dove down deep, explor- ing the bottom, and often ran it's nose into a mud bank. Again 1t shot up- ward and skinned along the surface, leaving a ribbon of white foam in it's wake. But in spite of it's cratic move ments and it's small charge of explo sive, the first Whitehead was regarded as a terrible engine of war. Its very imDerfectiOnS worked in it's favor.
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

A British captain, meeting Porter, flung out an answering signal to this effect: God and couitry, British sail ors best rights. Traibrs offend both" The belief in Englandiat the time was that the crews of the American ships were all British deserers. Porter an- swered his enemy neX day with a fresh signal flag: "Ged, our country and liberty! Tyrants sffend them!'
 When the Constitutin, under the command of Commodore Hull, engaged the French frigate Guerliere draInat- ic scene was witnessed tn the QecK or ..Old Ironsides." As the Frenchman' guns began to thunder out, NL1eutenant Morris, second in command aSheu du1 : if he should give the order to Fre.
 Not yet replied Hull.
 Nearer and nearer came the TWO ShlpS. Again Morris asked for the oIder, ana again came the answer, Nol .eI- few moments later, high above lhe roar of the guns. as the Constitution com niateIv Covered her enemy, Hull's voice rang out: Now, boys. pour + into
 The Guerriere was literally torn to pieces. "the blood of the killed running out of her scuppers, says naval ms torian.
 The dashing Preble, during a cruise in the Mediterranean, ran across an other ship It was night, and he could get no reply to his hail. This coIIoquy followed:
 Preble-I now hail you for the last time; if you don't answer I'll fire a shot
 Stranger-If you do I'll return a bfoadside.
 Preble-I should like to catch you at that. I now hail for an answer. what ship is that? esty's S4-gun ship of the line Donegal, Sir Richard Strachan. Send boat on board.
 Preble-This is the United States A. gun ship Constitution, Captain Edward Preble, and I'll be - if I send boat on board any ship. Blow your matches, boys
 We were at peace at the time, and the two captains suspected that each was a pirate. They lay to during the night. Explanations followed in the 1-ornlng, when the British ship proved to be not the formidable Donegal, but the S2-gun frigate Maidstone.
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

"ORPEDO warfare began during
 the American civil war, but so
 crude were the early torpedoes
 and so little opportunity has there
 since been to study the action of
 modern torpedoes in actual war that naval officers all over Europe have looked forward eagerly to a war be- tween the United States and Spain as an object lesson. That the torpedo years ago passed the experimental stage and stands to-day as the most wonderful and terrible of modern engines of war is not to be doubted, but it has had no real test of it's power. Not one torpedo has been fired in warfare by any of the leading naval powers in more than twenty years, and so great has been the advance in tor pedo construction within this time that the early tests are of little value to the present student of naval affairs.
 Since the torpedo became a machine of precision it has been used in war fare only by insurrectionists and weak nations The war between China and Japan three years ago gave some idea of the value of the torpedo, but neither it's full value nor it's place could be de- termined in that short and unequal contest between two half-civilized na- tions.
 Thirty-seven torpedo attacks have been made thus far, sinking dozen ships and damaging one other. Six as- sailant boats have been st.
 The Whitehead torpedo record only is interesting, for it is the only auto mobile torpedo which has ever been used in war and is practically the only torpedo in use to-day. The United States was the last leading nation to adopt the Whitehead, the Navy Depart ment delaying action with the hope that an American engineer would pro- duce the Whitehead's equal, until half dozen years ago the navy's imper- ative need of torpedoes forced the adoption of the Whitehead. Here is a summary of attacks with Whitehead torpedoes:
 Yio, Peru, May 29 1877-English
 launch Shah fired one torpedo at Peru
 vian ship Huascar, in motion at sea,
 day; missed
 Batum Russia, December 27, 1S77-
 does at Turkish ship Mahmudieh, at
 anchor, night; both probably struck
 booms.
 Baum, Russia January 25 1s7s-Two
 Russian launches fired two torpedoes.
 100 yards range, at Turkish ship. at
 anchor. foggy night; ship sunk.
 Valparaiso Chile. January 27, 1S91-
 Launch of Congressionalists' ship Blan- co Encalada fired one torpedo at Ball.
 macedists' ship Imperial, at anchor;
 missed.
 Caldera Bay Chile, April 2s. 1ss1-
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

is in disks. Into the nose of the torpedo is inserted a metal cylinder, reaching back some distance through openings in the guncotton disks. This cylinder, the primer, holds series of small dry guncotton cylinders. The forward cylinder is pierced to receive the detonating primer of illuminate of mercury, capped with a percussion cap. The war nose screws into the forward
 end of the primer case. When the tor pedo is launched a blow on the war nose will not explode the guncotton, but as the torpedo runs through the water little fan on the nose is revolved like a paper spinning wheel. A nut is screwed through travelling sleeve by
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

obtainable is twenty-eight knots for 800 yards. At less speed the torpedo may be sent 2000 yards. Air is admitted to the reducing valve by means of pedo is launched this lever lies flat on top of the shell, the end pointing forward When the torpedo is launched the starting lever catches under a tripping latch in the launching tube and is thrown back.
 For an instant after the torpedo leaves the launching tube it is in the air. Were the full power of the com pressed air turned into the engines by the throwing back of the starting lever the propellers would revolve like fly wheel without a governor until they were under water. Injury would result to the machinery. This is obviated by the retarding gear in the engine-room. The retarding lever, when the torpedo is launched, allows the reducing valve to open only slightly, thus throttling the main engine.
 As the torpedo plunges into the water a little fiat water tripper is pushed down, releasing the retarding lever and giving the reducing valve it's full ac- tion. A distance gear, moved by the engine, provides means for automati cally closing the reducing valve and thus stopping the engine when the tor pedo has run a predetermined distance. This gear is always set in practice, for a torpedo costing $3000 is too valuable to be lost. When the air is cut off a spring is released, forcing the steering rod forward, pulling the horizontal rudders up, and thus bringing the tor pedo to the surface. Many pounds of the compressed air being lost in the run, the torpedo naturally rises when the mechanism Is at rest
 Wet guncotton, weighing 220 pounds, is carried in the torpedo's blunt phos- phor bronze war head, double the amount carried in the smaller torpedo first issued to the navy. The guncotton
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

Majesty's ship, the Gaspe, sent the laconic reply to Sir James: Always catch man before you hang him"
 The lion-hearted Whipple, who, in the preceding war with France, in his privateer, the Gamecock, had captured in a single year twenty-three French prizes, voiced in that defiant answer the sentiments of all the rebels in the colonies that catching them was an es- sential preliminary to the hanging busi- ness.
 Who first raised the American flag on a ship of war is one of the disputed questions of history. John Adams claimed the honor for Captain John Manly, New Englander. Paul Jones asserted that "my (his) hand first hoisted the American flag" He was then lieutenant on the fr1gate Alfred. There were several American flags at the time, and Paul Jones does not de scribe his particular one. Some h1sto- rians think 1t was the pine tree and rattlesnake flag with the motto: An appeal to God; don't tread on me- Others assert that it was flag con- sisting of thirteen stripes, with the motto, Don't tread on me, and rattlesnake stretched diagonally across them.
 T have not yet begun to fight" was one of Commodore Jones' famous re- plies to a British captain with whom he had been fiercely engaged for over an hour, and who desired to know 1T he had surrendered. It was not Jones who surrendered when the battle came to an, end. That was the celebrated engage rnent between the Serapis and the Bon homme Richard. The captain of the Serapis having been knighted for his gallantry on that occasion by George III, Jones. when he heard of the pro-
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

The new American Whiteheads now building for the Government in Brook lyn, are distinctively American torpe- does, although made under licenses from the original Whitehead Company at Plume, Hungary, the birthplace of the Whitehead.
 At the time of the outbreak of the American civil war Captain Lupuis, an Austrian naval officer, submitted to his Government the first automobile tor pedo. It was run by clockwork and guided from shore by ropes. The Gov ernment liked the idea, but recom- mended the selection of a better motive power and a simpler means of guiding Three years later Lupuis met White head, then manager of an engine man. ufacturing company at Plume, and eX- hibited his torpedo plans. Whitehead, with the assistance of his son and @ skilled mechanic, secretly made the first Whitehead torpedo, and two years later submitted it to the Austrian Go = ernment. Externally it had the ap- pearance of a modern torpedo; it's weight was 300 pounds and it carried a charge of eighteen pounds of dyna- mite. A compressed air chamber, charged to pressure of 700 pounds to the square inch, supplied the motive power For short distances the torpe- do attained speed of six knots.
 The Austrian ordnance officers were over the torpedo, although 1t was very crude affair. The Gov ernment was too poor to buy 1t out right, but paid for the right to make the torpedo after Whitehead's plans. a year later secured the right to make the torpedo. France, Italy and Germany followed. England has man. ufactured the Whitehead on a large
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

Balmacedists' torpedo gunboats Lynch and Cordell fired five torpedoes, 100 to 200 yards range, at Congressionalist ship Blanco Encalada, at anchor, cloudy morning, before dawn; ship sunk; Lynch hit four times, but not damaged.
 Santa Catherina. Brazil. April 15, 1s93-Piexotoists' torpedo gunboat Sam paio and three torpedo-boats fired four torpedoes, 160 yards range, at Mello- ists' ship Aquidaban. at anchor, night; Aquidaban sunk; Sampaio hit twenty five times without being damaged.
 Off the Yalu, September r. lS94-Chi- nese torpedo-boat fired two torpedoes at Japanese ship Hiyei. in motion. during battle, day; no result Chinese torpedo boat fired three torpedoes, fifty yards range, at Japanese ship Saikio; no re- suit.
 Wei-Hai-wei, February 2. 1s95-Jap- anese torpedo-boats attacked Chinese fleet, at anchor, night; assailants fired upon, attack abandoned. February ,, 1S95-Ten Japanese torpedo-b boats fired ten torpedoes. 330 yards range. at Chi nese ships Ting Yuen and Lai Yuen, at anchor, dark night; Ting Yuen sunk; one torpedo-boat sunk and twelve men lost, another boat ran ashore, only one uninjured. Feb. 6, 1S95-Six Japanese torpedo-boats attacked Chinese ships Lai Yuen, Wei Yuen and Ching Yuen. at anchor, dark night; Lai Yuen cap Sfzed
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08
as Done in Modern Warfare.

of the A" Destruction hH@ Done e" Warfare
 a9
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

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The San Francisco call., 1898-05-08

EMEMBER the Maine," Com modore Schley's now famous signal of attack on the Spanish fleet, will undoubtedly become immortal in American history,
, 1898-01-05
TELEGRAMS
ST. CROlX STATION.

New York, Dee. lst.-Desratches from
tlpe East announce that the Flench flag has
been hoisted at the island at Hal Nan stu
ated between the CHINA Sea and The Gulf of
Tonquin. The Chinese authorit es Offered no
resistance.
A telegram from Shanghai states that The
Rritish Admiralty have requisitioned three
Canadian Pacific steamers ot the Empress
Line now at that port.
Washington news reports that the deplo-
matio body in that city interpret the EN-.
peror Of Chinn's proclamation regarding the
eclipse wide yesterdays bulletin) as an
appeal to the native superstition to resist
the foreigner.
Advices from Cairo announce that the
native levies have captured Osobri, the last
important stronghold Of the Deryishes be-
tween Kassala and Khaitoum. The engage.
ment lasted 6 days, tie enemy resisting
heroically.
London news reports that the Marquis oil
Hartford will probably succeed the Earl of
Aberdeen us Governors GeYeral of Canada.
English election i~ntefhqr ace announces
that Admiral Lord Beresfol has accepted
an invitation to stand as the Liberal repre-.
sentative for York City vice the late SIR
Frank Lockwood.
A despatch from tue Vienna correspon-
, 1898-01-05
PASSENGERS
CHRISTIANsTED.

OHh1SIlhNOIh
Dec. 29!h-per schnr. .'Vigilant" from St.
Thomas-Dr. j. Gordon, Lawyer Brun.
Dec. 3Oth-per schnr. 'Vigilant' for 81;
Thomas-.Cathrine Hatchett, Mrs. Moore and
son.
Jan. 3rd-per schnr. ''yigil"nt'' for St,
Tnomas-O. Finch. Premier Lieutenant
Ramsing, School Inspector Quin' Lawyer
Brun, Henry Williams, Paul Sever.
FREDER1KsrED, 4th Jan.
The U. S. Training ship "Essex" Com
mander Strong arrived here from St. AlttS
ON the End Instant. Il. L. Merwin Esq. act
ing Consular Agent for the United States
visited the ship next day and n leaving her
was rendered q salute of s guns.
lst Jany. per sloop Lima Bundorf- D. Hen
driksen and child, Anna Ludwig.
4th January per sIoop &c. Gibbs" Tor
Puerto Rico vM st. Thomas-S"muel ADO
and child.
, 1898-01-05

awe learn that the cricket match played
at Betty's Hope on Saturday resulted i'll q
decided victory for the Westeuders as against
the Basin eleven.'
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-27
lar size SOC and 800.
Real Estate Transfers.

FURNISHED by the Wichita Abstract and
Land Company. H. II. Dubois, alb
stractor.)
Henry W. Hartwig to E. F. Hart
wig, qcd, lots 81, ss and S. Douglas
ave- Mead's add. .....................-s
Kansas National Bank to Anchor Tr-
Co, qcd, 1-3 int In tract 79x411 1-2
COM Is and al IL It W Sc cor.
sw or sec 9-27-1e ..........-.....-.-...
L. D. Wilkerson to James Driscoi,
qcd, lots 40 and ~ Emporia avenue,
Orme and Phillips add.............. a.
r. W. Fletcher TO W. ]. Meyersick,
wd. ne or Sc or sec 3s-25-2e..--...... s.
Patrick O'Shea TO J. W. and George
W. Adams. wd lots 12, Il and Is,
Topeka ave, Union add ..-..-.-...... 100
4. D. Mallory 10 Fanny Rutledge,
qcd. lots and II. Cherry street,
D. W. Jones add .......-...-....-..-
Frank Brasiar TO Clark Kincaid, wd,
lots 1o2 and 1o4, Lawrence ave, blk
3. Orme and Phillips add =
! d. II. Deem to A ". Lyons, wd. lot
II Ohio ave, MatthewsOn's 3rd add S
f, ]. A Leisure 10 y. a Leisure. vd,
lots lis. rs. II and I1s Crown street,
| lots is TO IA even, Woodland ave,
" Riverside add, bIks s :, AID 2,
| Alamo add $780,. ...--..--...---..--. -