The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-13
UNCLE SANS TORPEDOES.
88s OF Them Now owned by the Navy Depart
ment ana More Coming.

One Of the journals that exhibits remarkable
fecundity in the production of news which, for
good and sufficient reasons. is bound to be OK
elusive. said the other evening that the Navy
Department had placed orders for 900 auto
mobile torpedoes, to cost ss2, 900 each. At the
works OF the +. w. Bliss Company, in Brook
Ign. where the Whitehead automobiles are
made. nothing was known of tho alleged order.
The United States Navy is very deficient in re-
spect of its equipment Of automobile torpe-
does. but the deficiency is being rene
died by gradual additions to the stock.
The navy now has 1874 OF the Whitehead torpc-
does, which are relied on principally for use on
the torpedo boats and battleships. OF this nuln-
Der 225 are OF the smaller and 100 OF the larger
size. The former carry n charge of $50 pounds
OF lamp guncotton. and the latter 500 pounds
OF the same explosive. The larger size was
never made for our Government until last year.
The meagreness of this supply of Whiteheads is
manifest when it is known that England has
several thousand of them in commission. besides
a large stock in reserve.
OF the 1874 Whiteheads possessed by the navy
1874 are now at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and
the works of the F. W. Bliss Company. being
fitted as rapidly as possible with the Aubrey
gear"-a new steering device that wonderfully
enhances the effectiveness Of the torpcdocs.
The appropriation OF $25O.oOo ON account of
hihbO oiS" VEINS ~ ""o i'hihis
hand with this dovice. The Whitehead torpedo
modern mechanical skill. Fired from tho
e scfpod OF boat "a snip Il must SF trG and IT'S rs l sSsH at ct a a
set Depth maintain that depth throughout
its run. and automatically steer itself both yer.
tically and horizontally. The motive power is
compressed air, which is stored In u reservoir
and automatically admitted to the engine by
the engagement OF a catch as the torpedo leaves
the tube. The device for bringing the torpedo
to its set depth after the initial dive. and for
complicated. The vertical rudders are operated
BY a pendulum, which is moved by ndiaphragm.
water. and the varying water pressure as the
torpedo tends to rise above or sink below its set
depth is the force that operates the mechanism.
The torpedo as made without the Aubrey
gear" il stored horizontally by rudders that
work automatically; The torpedoes thus guided
ton than In their vertical government. OF
course there Is more leeway horizontally than
testing Whiteheads without tho Aubrey gear
has been that they should not vary more than
zontally from the centric OF the target at a
range OF 800 yards.
curacy horizontally. IT. IS the Invention, OF an
Austrian, and was promptly taken up by our
Europe had proved It's value. II Is based on tho
principle Of tho gyroscopo; A small but heavy
brass wheel y hung on jewelled bearings in
level and the original direction of It's axis, like
u ships compass. This wheel ~revolves at n very
high rate OF speed. 1t 10 set crosswise OF the tor
peHo body, its axis having the same direction as
the axis Of the torpedo. 1t is only necessary TO
aim tho gyrosCope, AS IL cannot change It's direc-
ton while the wheel Is in motion, and forces the
torpedo to Its own direction II the latter swerves
out of It's proper course. This Is accomplished
by means of n catch on the Ryroscope, which,
when the torpedo Is detected, opens IL valve, nd.
mitting compressed air to a small piston which
operates tho rudders. Since this device has been
applied the Government has raised its standard
OF requirements. and the maximum horizontal
variation allowed In torpedoes equipped with it
il three yards.
II is probable that further orders for auto
mobile tUrpodOes will be placed by the Govern
pany. which is expended on by the Government
for this work. LAS facilities for turning them out
very rapidly.