The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-12-01
Hev Il Is Developing IL Naval
Warfare.
uAkfs A TORPEDO SEMJleMT
The SUMMARY Inc Terror Can be Made
to roliow q snip Like .
hungry shark.

principle of wireless telegraphy Is to
be applied to the steering Of these sub
marine internal machines, and, accord
ing to those who have examined the
invention, this plan has been found to
work SO we'll that the torpedo may be
reckoned among the heaviest thunder
bolts of war, instead of being, as here
tofore, the Jest Of naval experts.
The invention consists of an applica-
ton Of the use of electric waves just
as in wireless telegraphy. which OBJ
viates any necessity for metallic con-
nection between the torpedo and the
torpedo boat. To understand the plan
of procedure, ii must be remembered
that an iron rod is sucked into a coil
of wire, when an electric current trav-
erses the spiral in a suitable direction.
The torpedo Is provided with two stats
which project above the surface OF the
water, and can receive electric waves
reaching them through the air, and
generated by suitable apparatus on
the torpedo boat. To the rudder-head
of the torpedo, are attached two coils of
wire with two cores of iron near them.
When an electric current passes round
the coils in one direction, one OF the
cores is sucked in, while IL the current
circulates in the other direction the
other core enters its spiral. Suppose
the torpedo leaves its proper course; it
IL at once righted in the following way:
Electric waves are developed on the
torpedo boat, pass through the air,
and are received by the stats attached
to the torpedo. These, by a simple ap-
paratus, are made to develop an cleo
trio current in the coils of wire. and
one or the other Of the iron cores, as
occasion requires, Is sucked into its
coil, and this movement turns the helm
Of the torpedo. When the torpedo has
reached its proper course, the waves
from the controller are stopped. The
invention will render it possible to
cause a torpedo to move in any direc-
ton almost as II 1t were possessed of
separate intelligence.
That statement Is not an exaggera
ton. The torpedo of the future will
actually be made to follow the direction
of the ship 1t seeks to fasten to and
destroy. IL the torpedo is seen by
those aboard this ship and frantic eff
fort is made to escape the direct line
Of discharge. 1t will be useless, for the
nose of the torpedo will be Immediate
ly turned by those aboard the torpedo
boat in the new direction taken by the
hostile ship. and after that, whichever
way the escaping boat turns, the tor
pedO will follow Is as relentlessly as
doom. Never was such diabolical in
telligence given to an inanimate thing
as the wireless telegraph principle will
give to the torpedo of the future. What
escape would there be for ship fol-
lowed by a shark which could by mere
ly poking his nose against the side Of
the boat send the vessel with all
aboard to the bottom? Guided by the
electric waves that are controlled by
the crew OF the torpedo boat, the new
torpedo will be Just as impossible to
shake on as the living fish.
This seems to have solved the great
puzzle that has made torpedoes as
much OF menace to those VINO hred
them as to those against whom they
were directed. Inc history OF TORPEDO
s,.. " .",,.,s ..H,, " pa. s,s. ne
,'Ipu. III, ILL., IA .Sano IN ~ rnNnS
" 1850. ~ s a., az. . .ms a." ..,.;. 1919
g.. 80 1900 .S, r.. g.. 49,,
. To-. anu SIM , .usSel, ou ~. ~. eve,y
puo .n1s mas u'nseS 10 Ss, n
n1 .Tis, n n,' v hi aeS .na. sss,s
anu Hieu onIy .ne "snes .nat me..
n W T uo n nv .Sl.y
'.o SApos In. :. s neIpeI ,Ns. y,
. .n1 .p ~ a a.,n as onoe ,es ~.
o a, y. aa .me 90 a. ,nns, 80 ass Uo. ..s
,,n, aes"anS 49, so,. en- =. TIE, p soo.oS
IT,. hos ia. 4. 90 u;sLr -. -. .,,"n,, .
,e.so, a,I,h .ornoSo as ,,h, sha. ~
,v varw racsIass "o,"mandar wo,,Id
attemnt II While tho war;oms devices
FOR GUARDING n sbin,s eide against tor.
nedoes have made these missiles nj.
most certain 10 fail in their obiect
Then again II was an easv IN dodge
torpedo when its direction once be.
came apparent. and the certainty OF
the aim was always a doubtful thinp
where the range was necessarily long
and many obstacles likely to be en-.
countered by the torpedo during Its