The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1898-03-06
T0RPED0ES ron WAR
HOW THEY ARE OPERATED AND THE
DESTRUCTION THEY CREATE.

GunpoWder to Perfect Engine of DEM
clifton and Death Successful Types Of
orpedoes-AIodern Submarine mines.
Torpedo warfare has been advanced to
such a scientific basis in these days that
the destruction of the Maine would nave
, been an easy undertaking for some
tfaaoherous Spaniard or &c NE upserupu-
ious Cuban determined upon forcing a
crisis between the United States and
Spain. The modern torpedo is as terri
Bile an engine Of destruction as tho mind
Of man has conceived for the. purpose OF
warfare. From the floating kegs loaded
with charges of gunpowder which Cap
tain David Bushnell set adrift in New
York harhor to the CONSERVATION Of the
British iieet in Revolutionary days tho
torpedo has advanced by rapid stages to
the dignity of machine Of the most
perfect and skillful construction, capa,
BILE of demolishing in M Instant the
largest and most powerful battleship.
Once regarded as experimental devices,
the torpedoes have become recognized
weapons Of maritime warfare, admit
ting of varied application.
In general way torpedoes may be
divided into two classes. They are ei
ther eontrivanoes propelled through the
water so as to strike the enemy's ship
or more or less stationary submerged
mines, each so arranged as to be- set OIL
when a ship is over it. The germ Of
the idea is found in the Greek of the
ancients, from which the torpedo has
been developed since the introduction of
gunpowder into warfare. The first dem-
onstration upon a grand scale of the inn
portant part which the modern torpedo
can be made to play in maritime war
fare was given by American engineers
during the war Of the rebellion.
In America and some other countries
possessing an extended seaooast tho serv-
ice of torpedoes has been dIST&sd he
tween the navy anAthe engineers Of the
army--the former operH@ng extensively
afoat and the latter defensively from
the short. While in general the line Of
demarcation between tho two services
is thus plainly marked some Of the
weapons, such esessh torpedoes steered
by electricity nts Ne operated either
from land or froni Aipbcard and. may
be used i'll war either by army u Ny,
as occasion might offer.
One Of the most successfulS -
torpedoes, and one which mightShavo
caused the ruin Of the Ns known
as the Whitehead. The "a 4uso this
/ torpedo has been purchased by the Unit.
ed States and by most European nations,
1t consists of an iron and beel vessel in
the shape Of a spindle andls driven by a
propeller moved by compressed air. 1t
can be projected from launching tube
or started by hand and is capable Of
regulating and preserving its depth and
| direction within narrow limits in still
water, such as the Havana harhor offers.
The latest British pattern Of the White.
had carries a charge Of $50 pounds Of
gun cotton, enough to blow any ship out
Of the water.
The fish torpedo is essentially boat
Of the Whitehead class whfch carries
and unreels 4 coil of insulated wire,
through whid IN electric eurrsst from
a battery on 8 frd can
be passed st control
its motions pat may
lie set to FOR below
it. Her pcs N Ftie Known to tho
operator by two smair flags carried near
the water level, which at night are re-
! placed by two lanterns shaded in front
so as not to be seen by the enemy. Any
of the modern explosives may be en-.
ployed, and detonation results from the
action Of a mechanical fuse or d circuit
closer and battery.
There are many types Of the offensive
torpedo similar TO the Whitehead and
the fish torpedo, but the completely o!
their construction ana the largo per.
centago Of failures in their Attempted
runs have operated strongly against
their adoption in actual service. IL Isl
the defensive torpedo which has conc
to be regarded as the essential auxiliary
Of the land gun for the defense OF har
bors The modern submarine mine has
reached stage Of perfection which
practically guarantees the safety Of the
city which is under its protection, its
development being largely duo to the
employment Of electricity as an igniting
agent.
The mines are usually arranged to be
fired at will OF automatically by tho
touch Of the vessel Two types Of cleo.
trical mines are in USE the ground and
the buoyant. The former is employed in
comparatively shallow water and con-
sists Of case resting upon the bottom
and containing large charge Of dy-
Mantle. Floating near it, but SO far be-
low the surface as to be concealed from
view, is buoy carrying a circuit closer
to regulate the current through fuse
imbedded in the former,
The buoyant mine is designed for uso
in deep water and consists Of an anchor
holding in position a torpedo floating
just below the surface The latter con.
tains the charge Of dynamite, the fuse
and the circuit closer. If desired, tho
circuit closer may be carried by sepa-
rate buoy so placed that when touched
by outriggers or other torpedo catcherg
the mine will be directly under the yes
sci, The channel to be defended is
thickly studded by lines Of these mines