The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-29
TORPEDOEs IN WAR.

The present war may furnish a better
test of the value of submarine torpedoes
as a means of warfare, offensive or defen-
sive, than has yet been afforded. AS yet
the knowledge of their efficiency is largely
theoretical. for while the science of tor
pedoes is we'll understood and they have
operated successfully in many experiments,
they have not been used to any great ex-
tent in actual warfare with modern ships. A
great many harbors in different countries
are supplied with them, yet, so far as re-
called, they have never had practical test
as harbor defenses. magination invests
them with great destructive power, and no
doubt rightly SO, yet their utility in war
is not fully demonstrated. They were more
used in our civil war than in any other
war before or since, and with considerable
effect, especially by the Confederates. The
fact may not be generally known that the
torpedo as a means of warfare is an Amer
lean invention. David Bushnell, captain
of engineers in our revolutionary army,
made the first practical application of the
idea, though he did not perfect it. Twenty
years later Robert Fulton, of steamboat
fame, attempted to bring the weapon into
notice. He, by the way was the first to use
the term torpedo in this sense. He ex-
perimented with them several years, but
did not receive much encouragement either
from this government or others. About 1910
Colonel Colt, another American, of Colts
revolver fame. first applied electricity to
the ignition of torpedoes and brought the
ing the Crimean war French engineers used
it successfully in destroying the docks at
Sebastopol. This was the first practical ap-
plication of torpedoes or electricity in war
fare, and attracted wide attention. Our
civil war was the first in which they figured
extensively, and largely on the Southern
side. From an early period of the war the
Confederates showed great ingenuity and
enterprise in the use of torpedoes, using
them more Systematically and in far great
er numbers than they had ever been used
before. In October, 1862, the service was
legalized by the Confederate Congress,
torpedo bureau was established at Rich
mond, corps of officers and men were
raised and trained for the service, agents
were sent to Europe to get materials, etc.
The Southern coast, bays harbors and
rivers were soon so we'll provided with tor
pedoes as to make navigation dangerous,
and the mystery surrounding them en-
HANGED their effectiveness. By an act of
Feb. IL, 1864, the Confederate Congress ap-
propriated 100000 for the construction of
submarine batteries, and four months lat
err another appropriation of $250000 was
made for the same purpose. During the
war. according to a recent Confederate au-
thority, there were 123 torpedoes planted
in Charleston harbor and Stone river There
were 1O1 planted in Roanoke river, North
Carolina, by which seven out of twelve
ships sent with troops to capture Fort
Branch were destroyed. OF the vessels sent
to take Mobile twelve were destroyed by
torpedoes in the bay, viz, three ironclads,
two tinclads and seven transports. Alto
gether during the war there were fifty
eight vessels sunk by torpedoes, including
Admiral Farragut's flagship, a number of
gunboats, the monitors Patapsco and Mil
waukee, the ram Usage, the sloop of war
Housatonic and others of less note.
Since the civil war torpedo science has
become recognized branch of naval war
fare and the manufacture of torpedoes an
established business. Great improvements
have been made in their construction and
manipulation, and their destructive power
has been enormously increased. Yet they
have not had a complete, practical test
either as harbor defenses or means of at
lacking ships. If the Cuban harbors are as
we'll provided with them as is commonly
supposed the present war may furnish such
a test.