The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1898-03-06

ernment which had outliyed its useful
ness and heen condemned to death, was
once used for experimental purposes. "A
charge Of explosive used in the torpe
does was attached to the animal tail
and fred by an electric current. A pho
tograph of the mule as the charge OK
plpded showed its body standing with
sui bead or tail, and the camera caught
Yhead in full while it was flying
n the body
Dmportant experiments We're made
fith an old schooner Belonging to the.
kQyernment. The vessel was anchored
tctly 661 feet from the shore, where
= firing apparatus was located in a
Fifty pounds Of mortar pow
Aaced three feet under water
from the sohooner's bow,
Foharge'of powder was an
fleet under water and 20 feet
from ne stern. Men were on the vessel
when both charges were fred. The
eh fhe bow sent the water 2 feet
IL and at the stern sent up
p feet in height. The flag on
tli "a topmast Of the schooner was
81 feet above the waters surface.
After. that test was made it was de-
oided to destroy the vessel with charge
Of mortar powder Two charges Of 80
pounds each were suspended amidships,
ten feet apart and three feet below the
vessel hull. The charges We're sub
merged seven feet and the total depth
II water was Is feet Both charges were
flred aB9fho same moment and they
threw up column of water that meas
ured rs feet. The vessel was just 533
feet from the firing casemate and the
camera that took the picture for sthe
governments IT'S This schooner was
complet zo5en in two by the dis
charge, and both parts Of the hull were
badly wrecked The camera caught the
vessel as she shot upward and was about
to fall into many parts.
In the museum at Willet's Point are
many samples Of different types Of tor
pedoes used in tho last war Some of
them were made of small kegs the ends
Of which were built out until they
looked like big floats Of the shape Of
those made of cork and Used on fish
lines. Other torpedoes resemble huge
skyrockets. These were planted in
shallow places and would be discharged
if vessel struck them.
There is also in the museum a collee-
ton Of iron shells and copper shells
that look like big spinning tops. These
arc an torpedo cases and have at times
been plantekseoff Willet's Point to test
their lastiIrnS qualities. One Of them
was taken up after being in the water
five years. 1t was covered with sea-
weed barnacles aud nussels to. the
depth Of more than q foot. When. this
grqF
w 100 90 in perfecs
One Of the most curious
affairs IN the collection is Confederaro
floating torpedo 1t is composed Of
wooden box about four feet long, shaped
something like coffin. In one end is a
tin case with hollow tin tube leading
Up to the other end Of the box. This
floating torpedo could be loaded and
fuse run through tho tin tube. The fuse
could be set on fro and the torpedo
launched WHOM tho tide was running
toward the enemy's vessels. Many Of
these torpedoes fi0atod alongside of YES
sels and remained there until they ex-
plodcd, doing considerable damage
Extensive preparations are being made
both in Fort Schuyler and Willet' Point
to make it interesting for the ships Of
an enemy trying to reach Now York
through Long Island sound. The two
forts are located at the western end Of
the sound, and no vessel could easily run
the gantlet Of their combined fire.
Should an approaching warship with
stand the projectiles of the many big
modern guns mounted at both forts she
would come to grief when she tried to
cross the lines Of torpedoes planted.
These batteries Of torpedoes and sub
marine mines are so arranged that they
can be fred from either shore. Should
the wires leading shoreward on one side
be cut or destroyed by an enemy the
mines could be exploded from the other
side.
Years Of study and experiment have
been devoted to perfecting the plans for
protecting the sound approach to New
York, and it is asserted that it would
be utterly impossible for even feet Of
vessels to pass the two FORTS
Both have been strengthened in re-
cent years, aud it would take long
time to destroy them by bombardment.
These strongholds are also we'll pre-
pared to prevent capture by land force
should one be landed by an enemy. The
engineer corps at Willots Point has for
years been experimenting with mines
underground, and it is asserted that an
approaching column Of either infantry
or sailors would be blown into eternity
before it could reach either fort New
York Herald