The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-08

by the writer and now in the hands of the Navy Department at Washington.
 From the viewpoint of our present kowledge. the automobile torpedo oi tne bursting charge for the destruction Of warship, is the most formidable weapon and the weapon itself, then' must to a large etxent be our our type of fighting craft which shall best serve to bring these torpedoes within striking distance of warship with the greatest rapidity and to discharge them the most rapidly and with the greatest accuracy.
 As this boat will not need to be made stable as a gun platform, not carrying cannon, 1t may be made with a view to the greatest possible lightness of con- etruction compatible with the necessary quired. except in emergency or when going into action. Therefore, the vessel should be provided with means for it's propulsion at moderate speed under action it should have a reserve power Of propulsion sufficient to send it through the water at express-train speed.
 With these requirements in mind the writer has evolved a torpedo cruiser adapted to travel along the surface of the water under steam. like the ordinary torpedo boat of the present time, but when going into action, or coming within range of an enemys fire. the boat will be so constructed that it will practically dive under the surface to a nearly sub merged position. The boat will be pro- Yided with a superstructure in the form of an upward projecting ridge or fange running along the whaleback top of the boat and which will serve the purpose of giving 1t the necessary Notation to pre- vent its complete submergence. In other words the boat proper, containing all vulnerable portions, will be deep under water. the only part projecting above the surface will be the long and narrow Notation structure. through which the smokestack and ventilators and lookout tower will pass. This notation super structure is entirely dispensable or non vital and any portion of it may De snot away without the least injury to the vessel proper.
 In the present form of Whitehead tor pedo compressed air Is used for its pro pusion. and for the period of run Of one minute about thirty horse power Is available The writer proposes to replace the ordinary air flask with en apparatus adapted to utilize new invention called motorite as fuel for the evaporation of water This motorite resembles to some extent smokeless powder in composition and does not, like the ordinary fuel. re- quire atmosphere air for It's consump- ton, but will burn right in the water just as well as iu the air. and the pro- ducts of combustion and the steam pro- duced in direct contact with the name are both utilized as motive power No boiler being required. an enormous saw ing in weight is effected.
 With the evolution of the perfected submarine torpedo along the lines indi- cated the victory of the gun over the ship will be final and complete. And since the battleship will have in this new type of enemy an unconquerable and all-conquerable foe. 1t will hasten the day when the giant battleships of the present, costing as they do. millions of dollars and requiring years to build, will be built no more. That day is not far of and when 1t arrives all the navies or the world will be as useless as last years beet tops.