The times., 1898-07-26
TORPEDOEs EXPLODED.
ampediments to Navigation I'm New
York Harbor Removed

New York. July 25.-Three observation
torpedoes which. with many Others. were
placed between Wilsetts Point and Fora
Schuyler at the beginning 4 the war.
were exploded this morning. Active pre-
parations for the event have been ir
progress since the latter part of las.
week
II was found when the work OF renov-
ing the distractions 10 the harbor was
oesun that many of the torpedoes could
only be removed at great risk TO the men
performing the dangerous undertaken.
ana the engineers accordingly decided
- explode the impediments to navi-
CATION
Gen. Wilson. the chief OF engineers.
Is greatly interested in the submarine
aefenses and upon learning that the
mines We're to be exploded he Informed
Maj Knight, the officer in command ar
Wiiletts Point, where the mines are con-
trolied, that he would witness rhe cra-a
ton With his staff he reported Al tbe
reservation at Willetts Point this morn
lls, and in company with Mai. Kuigh,
proceeded TO the end OF the long Gov
eIilhleht pier, which projects I5o feet into
the sound.
There was considerable DELAY 0ceasion-
ed by the difficulty of clearing the SOUND
In the vicinity OF the mines OF shipping
Boats containing guards were sent onr
III al directions to warn the masters OF
vessels 10 keep well away from the
dangerous zone.
AT H:59 o'clock the sound within 800 feet
u tAe ouoys marking the location of the
i nine heids was entirely cleared of boats
anu the signal TO fire was communicated
10 the sergeant near the base Of the for
tliications where the switch boards ara
situated. A few seconds later the va
terS IN the sound at a point midway he
tween Fort Schuyler and WfIIerts Point
arose In low. even mound. somewhat re-
sembling large wave Almost az the
same moment the pier upon which me
spectators stood. as well as the neigh
boring shore. shook with the force of a
tremendous explosion.
Following the report column of water
rose IN the air to a height obs5 feet Tha
mass OF water was fully 100 feet in di-
ameter.
For an appreciable length OF time thu
column retained its position and then
subsided, leaving the water ar what bad
been its base in disturbed condition.
Small waves continued to flow in circles
for fully three minutes after the expIo-
sion Before the water had resumed its
ordinary aspect a second and last explo-
sion took place Two large observation
! torpedoes were exploded simultaneously
and within t0 feet of each other.
The column of water raised by the ex-
plosion arose to height OF fully 50 or 20
feet and contrasted with the deep green
OF foliage on the opposite side of the
sound formed a beautiful spectacle. The
same after-efect was noted in the case
of the last explosion a. had attended the
firing OF the first mine. The water re-
mained disturbed for longer time. how
ever.
After the explosion of the last mine a
little steam launch with Dr. Jarrett. OF
the Twenty-secOnd Regiment and a party
of ladies put out and was collecting fish
made helpless by the shocks. Many OF
the FISH were dead and many others were
so shaken that they could only futter
along on the surface Of the water The
people in the launch captured more than
a hundred OF them, mostly small fry. The
big fish which lurk at the bottom seemed
TO have escaped the evil consequences OF
the experiments.
The mines exploded today are Of the
circular kind, called by the engineers sim
ply torpedOes. They are so constructed
that they may be set OF either by the
contact Of a vessel which upon tipping
them 10 an angle Of % degrees causes
the mercury inside TO complete an eiectri-
cal circuit. thus exploding the charge Of
dynamite or by wire connection with the
shore.
They float from three 10 six feet below
the surface of low water From tOday's
experiments it seemed that the deeper
set mines produced the high columns OF
water. while the shalIower ones exploded
on all sides.