The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-15

From Golfers Weekly.

The Whitehead torpedo, in its earliest
stage, was given the form of dolphin.
but this was afterward changed to the
cigar shape, which is at present consid-
cred to be the best for all torpedoes Of
the movable class. Its length was origi-
nally eleven feet. diameter fourteen incnes
weight S46 pounds, including the explosive
charge of forty pounds of gun-cotton The
maximum speed did not at first exceed
five knots per hour The motive power
was and still is compressed air, in a spe-
cal form of rotary engine, which was cou-
Piled direct to the propeller shaft. The tor
| pedo, as made to-day, consists of a cigar
shaped envelope of steel or phosphor-
| bronze, containing six compartments for
! the propellng, directing and exploding me-
chanism, and its motive power is COM
| pressed air under an initial pressure of
sevetny atmospheres, or 1850 pounds per
| square inch. 1t is propelled by two dou-
| ble-bladed screws revolving in opposite di-
rections about the same axis, in order to
neutralze their individual tendencies to
| produce lateral deviations, and is main
tanned at a constant depth of three feet
| from the surface by horizontal rudders
and on straight course by vertical vanes
set at an angle predetermined by expert
ment. 1t has attained lately speed of 80
knots for distance of 425 yards, and "a
description, the Whitehead torpedo may be
divided into seven compartments, viz, l.
the magazine; 2, the secret chamber; g.
! the reservoir; H. the machinery chambers
8, the buoyant chamber; 6, the bevel-
gear chamber, and z, the tail.
The first contains the explosive cart
ridge, one hundred and FIVE pounds Of
gun cotton, and the rather complicated
firing arrangement The second the inn
hit
ing advantage of the fact that pressure
under wafer varies directly with the depth.
the horizontal rudders being so controlled
that the torpedo, on striking the water,
will descend to the required depth and re-
main there throughout its course. The
third, the air reservoirs, which are tested
up to one hundred and five atmospheres
with air pressure, litharage mixed with the
flax seed oil being used to fill the distend-
| ed pores of the metal. The fourth, the
Whitehead engine, a modification of the
Brotherhood, which is now used TO drive
the screws, together with the numerous
regulating and reducing valves, piping, etc
/ The h6th, or buoyancy chamber, is an air.
| tight compartment, braced with annular
rings, which, when empty, insures the re-
turn of the torpedo 40 the surface after
an experimental run, and when flooded, in
actual warfare, causes the torpedo to sink,
II 1t has failed 20 explode or missed its
target. This chamber also carries lead bal
last to preserve the trim. The sixth COM
partment contains the gearing which i'm
parts the reverse motion to the propelers;
and the seventh, or tail, consists of two
parts the rudder supports and the rud-
ders themselves.
The Whitehead torpedo has been pur-
chased by every civilized nation i'm the
world. and has yielded to its inventor and
his associates a revenue reaching into
hundreds of thousands OF dollars annually
during the past thirty years. Each nation,
after purchasing the right to manufac-
ture has endeavored to improve upon The
original, until now there are as many diff
ferent types of the Whitehead as there
have been purchasers.