Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1898-04-22

experiments in submarine mining and
turned his attention to steam naviga-
ton 1t is a remarkable fact that Full
ton planned system Of torpedo war
fare upon which very little improve
ment has been made today. He de-
vised four classes of torpedoes-buoy-
ant mines anchored in the channel to
be defended. and exploded by contact
with the hull of an enemy's vessel; line
torpedoes, to be set adrift and fouled
by the cables of a hostile fleet at an
Choir; harpoon torpedoes to be dis
charged from a gun and fired by clock
work after being attached TO a vessels
side. and block ship torpsdoes, to be
carried on long spars projecting from
boats bow and exploded by contact.
All these devices except the barpoon
torpedo are included in the modern
system
Colonel Samuel Colt, inventor of the
revolver that bears his name, was the
next American genius to take up the
study Of torpedoes, and the first to in
troduce electricity as an ignting agent
for the explosive charge. After years
of experiment he blew up brig under
full sail in the Potomac river, April
10, 1843. 1t was a wonderful demon
stration for those days, and has never
been equaled since Colonel Colt oper-
ated his electrical battery at Alexan-
dria, five miles away from the spot
where the brig was destroyed, feat
which the government engineers at
Willet's Point have yet to undertake
with the same success. The secret
believed to relate to a method Of max
ing a vessel telegraph her own position
died with him.
When the civil war broke out Amer
lean inventors were given an oppor-
tunity to demonstrate on a grand scale
the important part which the torpedo
can be made to play in maritime war
fare. During the last two years OF the
war the federal government lost seven
ironclads, thirteen wooden war YES
sells and seven army transports, and |
had eight more vessels seriously in |
jured. The confederates lost four YES
sells by their own torpedoes and the
Albemarle, a fine new ironclad which
had proved a terror to United States
vessels. The destruction of the Able
marie was accomplished by one of the
most daring exhibitions of bravery
ever recorded in history, and served to
place the name of Lieut.. William B.
Cushing in the long list of the worlds
heroes. Cushing was only Fl years
old.
Cushing asked for permission to de-
stroy the Albemarle while she was tied
up to the wharf at Plymouth in the
Roanoke River. The permission was
granted and ON the night of Oct. n,
1864, with a crew of thirteen officers
and men, he steamed up the river in
a little launch. A long spar projected
from the bow of the launch, at the end
of which was torpedo. A string, one
end of which was tied to the trigger
Of the torpedo and the other of which
was in the hand of Cushing, afforded
the means of exploding the charge. At
full speed the launch dashed at the
ronclad, and when within twenty
Yards it was discovered that a Gordon
If floating logs surrounded the ship as
| protection against such an attack.
The little launch darted out into the
middle of the river, Cushing gave or
lers to put on all steam, and then he
urned her once more toward the en-
my. The speed was so great that
when the launch struck the log she
lid over A volley of musketry sa-
uted the daring crew as Cushing pulled
he string, and then a mighty column
f water shot up in the air. A few
minutes later and the Albemarle was
n the bottom of the river. So was
he launch. Cushing swan down the
liver and escaped, and the rest Of his
rev was captured w. H. M.