The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-02-22
TORPEDOES AND THEIR WORK
Desc riptioi, of Modern Devices OF
NavalSwar Munitions

NavalTWar Munitions.
New York. Sep. 22-The use of sub
marine explosive device as a means of at
lacking warships is at least one hundred
and twenty years old. Although they did
not then bear the name ''torpedoes. they
were tried, or, at least. II was proposed
TO try" them, inEAmericau waters early In
the Revolutionary war. In construction,
power and operation, however, these mis-
chievous agents have been much improv-
ed during the last thirty years.
Torpedoes may be roughly divided into
three classes: % Those which are sta
tionary, being moored i'm harbor or
along coast for defensive purposes; GU
those which are fused for attack, travel
several hundred yards and are controlled
by electric wires from station on land,
and so those wbichUare both propelled
and steered by self-coptained mechanism.
Sunken mines may be fired either auto
matically, when a vessel coming into har-
Dor strikes a submerged receptacle. an
chored. but trying 10 float, or by the vol
untary act of an operator on shore VINO
is keeping watch and who manipulates
an electric current running through the
wires that are connected with the device
Torpedoes are now looked upon as of
equal value with land batteries in harbor
defense; and In time Of war, when an at
tack is anticipated, There may be more
stationary torpedoes' Hidden under water
than there are available guns at any crit
ical point. 1t is important, of course. that
a careful list of these submerged devices
be kept, so that when the period of dan
ger has passed they may be removed.
For effective action, however. II Is de-
sirable TO carry the charge as high up In
the water as possible, and TO adjust the
buoyancy of the torpedo 10 the strength
of river and tidal currents, so that the
latter will not depress it too far. At the
same time, il will not do to have the tor
| pedo or its connections show above the
surface at slack water.
Gen. Harry l.. Abbot. of the United
States Engineer Corps, who was IN charge
of the WiIIets Point torpedo station, on
! Long Island Sound, in an article I'm
"Johnson's Encyclopedias" Celebrates two
/ general styles OF submarine mine. One.
designed for shallow water. has the case
/ lie on the bottom Of the harbor or chan
mel The other. intended for deep water.
is of the buoyant type. The explosive
used in these is dynamite Wires from
a shore station admit a current OF cleo
/ tricity. and q ''circuit-clOser, actuated
by the vessel when il touches the tor
pedo regulates the current. A change in
] the Npln1ne OF the tltGiGICHN lkIilttS the
4 fuse, which is embedded i'm the dynamite.
4 The electric fuse is superior 10 percussion
caps and triggers. because when tor
pedO has been stored for long time the
igniting mechanism may be tested to see
If il is in working order. An electric cur.
rent. too feeble TO heat the bridge" in
the fuse, may be sent through it with
perfect safety, and delicate instruments
/ will reveal it's passage.
int loH he
launched in pairs. long rope connecting
them. and to drift down against the OBJ
iectof attack. This plan contemplates
. the rope getting afoul of the ships an
Choir cable, in which case the torpedoes
swing around and come alongside. The
torpedoes are provided with vaned
wheels which are actuated by the tide.
. BY the revolutions thus set up. screw is
turned. and thereby ii trigger inside is
released. A pin being driven against a
/ guncap fires the charge. This sort of
torpedo can be thrown overheard quiet
~ from a row boat. which has first
( reached 4 convenient position on the up
stream side of the ship TO be attacked
The automobile. or fish torpedo takes
. care of itself after il is once launched.
This is the kind of projectile which is
carried on the torpedo boats and naval
vessels. When fired. ii is elected from a
special tube. called a launching tube.
The best-kpOwn torpedoes Of this type
bear the name of Whitehead and Howell.
One is English and the other American.
/ The Whitehead is propelled by compress
ed air stored in the torpedo. The How
ell carries a big fywheel, which is set in
motion at tremendous velocity. just be-
fore the launch, by connection with an
engine outside. Both of these torpedoeS
have automatic steering devices. and
both carry explosive charges of wet gun
cots, Ngl fit~aI ftsa erfr "
of dry gun-cotton contained in water
tight receptacle. Automobile torpedoes
often have a speed at starting of thirty
five knots.
In addition to the primer of dry gun
cotton In the nose of a torpedo. there is
also one of illuminate Of mercury. which
is fired by a pin or other mechanism.
This feature of the torpedo. generally
called the fuse. is often an elaborate con-
trivance. \ variety of such devices have
been invented. They should be so con-
structed that they cannot fire the charge
by accident nor prematurely. and yet
shall not fail at the critical moment
The launching tube in the Whitehead
system opens under. water. and is there
fore guarded with a sluice door. which
excludes the sea. The torpedo is thrust
In from the rear. a door Is closed be-
hind 1t, and then water is admitted so as
to force the torpedo out without defect
ing it from the proper course. In the
Howell system small charge of common
powder is used to eXpel the torpedo, and
the tube opens above sea level.
Automobile torpedOes are usually
J launched from small, fast boats. These
craft and torpedo-boat dcstroyers de-
velop higher speeds than other naval YES
! sells. from thirty to thirty-five knots be
ing considered the regulation gait nova
days.