The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-05-25
TORPEDOES FOR WAR
HOW THEv'ARE OPERATED AND THE
DESTRUCTION THEY CREATE.

GunpoWter tn = Perfect Engine Oh De"-
clifton and Death--su ccessfui Types OF
Torpedoes--M odern Submarine Mines.
Torpedo warfare has been advanced to
such scientific basis in these days that
the destruction Of the Maine would have
been an easy undertaking for some
treacherous Spaniard or some unscrupu-
lous Cuban determined upon forcing
crisis between the United States and
Spain. The modern torpedo is as terri
Bile an engine of destruction as the mind
of man has conceived for the purpose OF
warfare. From the floating kegs loaded
with charges of gunpowder which Cap
tain David Bushnell set adrift in New
York harbor TO the CONSERVATION OF the
British fleet in Revolutionary days the
torpedo has advanced by rapid stages to
the dignity of a machine of the most
perfect and skillful construction, capa-
BILE of demolishing in an instant the
largest and most powerful battleship.
Once regarded as experimental devices,
the torpedoes have become recognized
weapons of maritime warfare, admit
ting of varied application.
In a general way torpedoes may be
divided Into two classes. They are ell
Their contrivances propelled through the
water so as. to strike the enemy's ship
or more or less stationary submerged
mines, each so arranged as to be set off
when O ship is over it, The germ OF
the idea is found in the Greek OF the
ancients, from which the torpedo has
been developed since the introduction OF
gunpowder into warfare. The first DEM
onstration upon grand scale of the i'm
portant part which the modern torpedo
can be made to play in maritime war
fare was given by American engineers
during the war of the rebellion.
In America and some other countries
possessing an extended seacoast the serv-
ice of torpedoes has been divided be-
tween the navy and the engineers Of the
army-the former operating Extensively
afioat and the latter defensively from
the short. While in general the line Of
demarcation between the two services
is thus plainly marked some of the
weapons, such as fish torpedoes steered
by electricity, may be operated either
from land or from shipboard and may
be used in war either by army or navy,
as occasion might offer.
One of the most successful types Of
torpedoes, and one which might have
caused the ruin of the Maine, is known
as the Whitehead. The right to use this
torpedo has been purchased by the Unit
ed States and by most European nations.
1t consists of an iron and steel vessel in
the shape of a spindle and is driven by a
propeller moved by compressed air. 1t
can be projected from launching tube
or started by hand and is capable Of
regulating and preserving its depth and
direction within narrow limits in still
water, such as the Havana harbor offers.
The latest British pattern of the White
head carries charge of $50 pounds Of
gun cotton, enough to blow any ship out
of the water.
The fish torpedo is essentially boat
| of the Whitehead class, which carries
and unreels coil of insulated wire,
! through which an electric current from
q battery on shore or on shipboard can
| be passed at will and made to control
| its motions perfectly. The boat may
| be set to move at the surface or below
| it. Her position is made known to the
operator by two small flags carried near
| the water level, which at night are re-
! placed by two lanterns, shaded in front
SO as not to be seen by the enemy. Any
| of the modern explosives may be en-
! ployed, and defamation results from the
action of mechanical fuse or a circuit
closer and battery.
There are many types of the offensive
torpedo similar to the Whitehead and
the fish torpedo but the completely OF
their construction and the large per-
centage of failures in their attempted
runs have operated strongly against
their adoption in actual service. Ii il
the defensive torpedo which has come
to be regarded as the essential auxiliary
of the land gun for the defense of har
bors. The modern submarine mine has
reached a stage of perfection which
practically guarantees the safety OF the
city which is under its protection, it!
development being largely due to the
employment of electricity as an ignitin6
agent.
| Line mines dTo usually uiIauScu W W
fred at will or automatically by thu
touch of the vessel. Two types Of cleo
trical mines are in use-the ground anC
the buoyant. The former is employed IL
comparatively shallow water and con
sists of case resting upon the bottom
: and containing large charge Of dy
| Mantle. Floating near it, but so far be
r low the surface as to be concealed from
view, is buoy carrying a circuit close
to regulate the current through fus
imbedded in the former.
The buoyant mine is designed for us
in deep water and consists of an ancho
holding in position a torpedo floating
just below the surface. The latter con
Q tains the charge of dynamite, the fus
z and the circuit closer. If desired, tn
g circuit closer may be carried by sepa
g rate buoy so placed that when touche
by outriggers or other torpedo catcher
the mine will be directly under the yes