The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-11
LIVE TORPEDOES ASTRAY.
YET ORLEANS ANXIOUS SINCE THE
BLOWING UP OF THE MEIGS.

Nineteen of the Floating Mines Guarding
the Mouth of the Mississippi Lost,
and 1t Is Proposed to Cease the Search
for T~hem-Major Quinn's Reassurances.
NEW ORLEANS. Sept. 10.-The destruction OF
the United States steamer John r. Meigs. with
q loss Of six lives. by q torpedo. near Fort st.
Philip. has.alarmed the people living along the
lower Mississippi. below New Orleans. and the
owners OF vessels engaged in the New Orleans
trade. especially rs Major Quinn. who has
charge OF this lighthouse district, has forward
ed q recommendation to Washington that the
work OF taking up the torpedoes guarding the
approach to the harbor Of New Orleans be
permanently abandoned. because Of the great
danger involved. and that the nineteen tor
pedoes still floating or grounded somewhere
In the lower Mississippi be left to take care OF
themselves.
A great deal was expected OF torpedoes and
torpedo boats in the war with Spain. but. as Is
well known. they fell far short Of expectations.
Strange to say. the only vessel to be destroyed
by q torpedo was the Melgs. which was blown
up by one OF the very torpedoes 1t had itself
laid, and the only lives lost were those OF the
crew OF the vessel engaged in removing them.
From this 1t might be argued that the torpedo
Is more dangerous to those handling 1t Than to
the enemy against whom it Is directed.
n IIlOIOukh lhNCobibA bAOA VI W Ai'fdS Va NNS
explosion that sunk the Meigs. 1t has. OF
course, been In Testiguted to some extent al
ready. but with the most unsatisfactory re-
suit. Lieut.. Jeryey, who had charge OF the
work, and all the other experts who were en-
gagged In it-they were skilled men from the
torpedo station at Willets Point-declare that
the torpedo ought not TO have exploded. Tho
torpedo had been ~grappled by the Meigs and
was being slowly raised. 1t was within a few
feet OF the surface Of the water when there
was n low boom-not an explosion like the
firing OF a cannon. but quiet and subdued.
The boat shivered and went down a few min
utes afterward. Those who witnessed the ex-
plosion could hardly explain what had CO.
Cured. The explosion 30 demoralized the
men engaged In removing the torpedoes that
not one OF them can be induced to undertake
the work again.
There are evidently great differences In tor
pedoes-some 60 of easily. some with great
difficulty. During the war several naval ves-
sells ran against Spanish torpedoes without
injury. and the general notion was that tor
pedoes could not be exploded by mere con-
tUct, but only by an electric current or cap. On
the other hand. the Meigs torpedo went of
when 1t was being most carefully handled.
and was apparently exploded from the slight
jar 1t received in being taken from the water.
Inc JOTpeuOob dIOnR tno lOnoI p1ioolSblppi.
intended to protect New Orleans from u hos
tile fleet. we're laid in May under the p~ersonal
supervision OF MAJOR Quinn: There were ntty-
four In nil, most Of them Immediately below
Forts st. Philip and Jackson, so that a hostile
feet IL IL stopped to take them up would. be un-
der the lire OF the forts. They were retained In
position Ivy wires attached 10 Duoys, and were
connected with the shore by electric wires. 50
that they could DO exploded from the shore II
AN enemy approached. An open space was
left In the middle Of the river for the pas
sage of vessels. This was to lie closed when
ever q warning came from Port Eads or amy
OF our coast stations that a hostile vessel or
feet was approaching.
act location Of each torpedo, but when the time
that this chart was worthless; That few Of the
1t was further discovered that the approach
pedoes. and Major Quinn wi. report 70 that
effect. In the case OF ANOTHER war some
other means Of pnoteeting New Orleans and
river viii have, TO DO found. TorPedoes do
well at New York. Galveston, and other ports.
and there was no dittleulty In locating them
when peace came or taking them up: but these
other torpedOes did nOG have the mighty Mis-
sissippi TO contend with-lts swift ana yio-
lent current, its burden OF sand ana nluu. Inc
wires which held .he torDedOes in position were
snapped by the river In It's fury or buried UNI
der d0posits OF river sAndi and Wien qhs
AstSS went over y pAmoVS the torpsdoSS hs