The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-14
SEAMS TORPEDO DErENsEs,
Peculiar Feature In the Reliance
Placed Upon Mechanical Mines.


Golfers Weekly.
In the torpedo defense OF her coast, Spain
has simply copied the English and French
systems, with few changes to suit her
geographic features. She depends prIn-
cipally upon strong land defenses. supple
mented by distractions and submarine
mines. In the more important harbors.
regular system OF defensive torpcdoes is
| employed. High power rapid ERE guns pro-
tect the observer and firing stations, and
sweep the lines Of approach to the sub
marine mines; while powerful searchlghts
reveal the presence Of an enemy's vessel
at night The submarine mines are planted
in grand groups of forty nine each, oc-
cupying three parallel lines al a dlsiante
OF 300 yards apart. Several large mines
In the rear form reserve, which covess
the open spaces In the lines ahend and can
be fired at the will OF the operator
The total length Of front projected by
each grand group is 1900 yards. Automatic
mines without circuit closer buoys, are
in the FIRST line. These contain from eighty
TO one hundred pounds OF gun cotton or cx-
plosive gelatin, and are hrcd IN contact
with ths sides or bottom OF vessel. Inc
second and third lines consist OF automatic
mines with circuit closer buOys. They COM
tain from 200 TO 500 pounds OF gun cotton.
The service OF the three lines aud reserve
is unnecessarily complex, owing TO the
fact that both ground and buoyant mines
are found in the same grounp
1t requires FIVE officers and 104 enlisted
men to operate single grand group In
the larger harbors several groups are
planted peculiar feature OF the Spanish
system is the reliance that is placed upon
ft,an l,atn Is1I A pf
these are always kept on hand. and as
they can be planted quickly aud easily all
Of the unimoortant harbors can be rem
dered safe from attack In comparatively
short time These mines contain heavy
charge OF gun powder which, burning
slowly, Instead OF detonsting, acts IN Inn
mediate contact with the bottom OF yes
sci The mechanical mine is so called from
the fact that the explosion is produced by
purely mechanical means. The mechanism,
consisting OF buoyant case containing the
charge Is fitted with seif-acting primer
for igniting the explosive when the tor
pedo il struck OF passing vessel, AbeIs
chemical fuse il the one fitted TO all OF
the Spanish mechanical mines. Mathieson's
model has been adopted as the regulation
case, though In an emergency any suitable
vessel may be used.
The Spaniards employ steel lined with
cork for their Minis cases. Though tn.
combination gives great strength ana
lightness The use OF cork diminishes the
destructive effect, This is counterb ,Ianced.
however. by lessenIng the danger from
sympathetic action. thus rendering II more
difficult for hostile vessel to clear pas
sage by countermining. The form 81 case
Is rather international In character. and
consists OF the conicaL the hemisphefical
and the cylindrical. In the around nine
they have adopted two French tynes; one
is a cylindrical body with truncsted con-
teal ends. and the other q hemjsphericsl,
The buoysnt mine case II 81 the Dutch
type and conicsI IN form. Il y ol tripIe
steal With intermediate layers 81 CORK