davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24

but frequently treated for adjustment.
1t IS therefore made so that it can be
readily removed from the torpedo. 1t
is generally kept in a little box and
most ingenious appliances are pro-
vided for adjusting it. When in the
torpedo the ''gyro" finds it's place in
the after body.
So much for the torpedo and its
mechanism. Let us now look at the
means for launching it.
All modern ships of considerable size
are fitted with submerged torpedo
tubes-in other words, launching appa-
ratus below the water line. The two
best known systems are those of the
British Admiralty pattern and the
Armstrong pattern. Both systems are
kept as secret as possible but it may
be said that the principal difference is
that in the Admiralty tube the bar or
shield is run out before firing the tor
pedo and run in after firing, while in
the Armstrong tube the torpedo and
shield go out together and the shield
returns automatically as soon as the
torpedo has gone.
In the Admiralty tube the torpedo is
elected by compressed air-that is, the
The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24

tube may be looked upon as a gun and
the torpedo as the shot A charge Of
compressed air is introduced and shoots
out the torpedo. In the Armstrong tube
either cOrdite or compressed air can be
used.
All the japanese ships above 5000
tons are fitted with the Armstrong sub
merged torpedo tubes. and the Rus
slams also employ this tube.
Small vessels. such as torpedo-boat
destroyers and torpedO-boats. are much
too small to carry submerged torpedo
tubes, so they are provided with
''above-water" tubes. These are very
simple apparatus, consisting of
smooth tube into which the torpedo is
placed and from which Ii is elected
again by means of either compressed
air or cordite, usually the latter The
torpedo is shot out into the air and
falls into the water. where il quickly
picks w it's depth under the influence
Of the balance mechanism and horizon
tai rudders. and it's direction from the
gyroscope and vertical rudders.
None of the torDedOes now being used
in the Far East are of the $50 atmos-
phere pattern, but they are all fitted
with horoscopes and are capable of
ranging 1000 yards.
The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24

tablishes the tract as exempt from war
and secures the institutions to be
founded there from any form of in
Vaslon whatever. In return for this
international action the Red Cross, true
10 It's purpose, will prepare the place
Tor such possible emergencies as may
arise In the future of nations Primarily
the place will not be set over exclu-
slVely for the establishment of hospi-
tails to care for wounded soldiers, but
VIII also embody a large plan to secure
to Red Cross workers from every quar-
ter of the world permanent home to
which they may retire to be cared for
during the remainder of their lives, out
of the funds of the Red Cross Society Of
the world.
In donating the tract to the Red
Cross DR.. Gardner suggested that it
would make an admirable location cor
the American storehouses, invalid
homes, hospitals and nurse school
supply depot of the Red Cross in this
country This suggestion has been
approved by the Red Cross officials.
1t is abundantly supplied with the
The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24

purest water and numerous streams
ripple among the hills. Its perfect
drainage, high location and sufficient
transportation facilities make it an
ideal place for extensive public insti-
tutions. Hospitals and homes for in
firm and unfortunate nurses will be
established by the Red Cross and the
officials of the society who have view
ed the place declare that no better site
could be obtained anywhere for such
purposes.
The tract will contain many build
ings when the plans are fully carried
out, for, besides the hospitals, cottage
homes for nurses and storehouses,
there will be a fireproof building, in
which will be stored all the trophies,
keepsakes and souvenirs presented to
the Red Cross, in all parts of the
world.
DR.. Gardner presented the tract Of
land to the Red Cross as a thank Of
fering to humanity"
AT present the tract is under the
charge and superintendency of DR..
Gardner, who has been selected by the
The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24
THE MARVELLOUS TORPEDO

which is literally the brain of the tor
pedo; and the tail Indeed, the torpe-
do is by no means unlike a human
body. for in addition to its brain it has
it's lungs in the shape of the air cham
Der and its heart in the form of the en-
Eine-room. And very tough lungs they
are, too, and very stout heart it is.
for the little engines develop no less
than As horsepower.
The charge of explosive in the head
has varied a good deal with different
patterns or makes of torpedoes, but
it has never been less than 125 pounds
or more than $50 pounds. The lesser
charge would probably either disable
or sink a ship, however large; while
the greater charge would, if properly
exploded, almost certainly cause her
to sink al once.
The charge is fired by a percussion
arrangement which is safe" until the
torpedo has Travelled for a certain dis
tance. The violent blow with which
the point of the torpedo would strike
a vessel is enough to fire the primer
and charge by means of a simple rod
or striker impinging on a detonator.
The safety gear to prevent prema-
ture explosion only consists of a screw
nut on the striker, which is fitted with
small blades like a screw propeller,
which screw back the nut as the tor
pedo passes through the water, and
so allow the striker to have play
enough to strike the detonator.
The air chamber is made from a
steel forging; its walls are three
eighths of an inch thick, and after
having been machined as a hollow
cylinder the ends are screwed in and
soldered to make them air tight. The
forgings for these chambers have to
be most carefully made. and have to
pass elaborate tests.
The capacity of the air chamber
for an eighteen-inch torpedo is about
ten cubic feet, but for the latest $50
atmosphere torpedo this capacity has
been increased to about eleven cubic
feet. In other words, the process of
charging an air chamber of ten cubic
feet to 100 atmospheres means that
all the air in a.room ten feet long,
ten feet broad and ten feet high is
pressed into vessel ten feet long,
The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24

one foot high and one foot broad.
The balance chamber was in the
first days of the torpedo often called
the secret" chamber because Mr..
Whitehead only allowed the secrets Of
its mechanism to be explained to those
who signed paper promising not to
divulge what they learned. The
secret is now so well known that it
is no breach of confidence to ex-
plain that the mechanism consists Of
a combination of hydrostatic valve
and pendulum which controls horizon
tai rudders in the tail of the torpedo.
The hydrostatic valve is supported by
springs against the pressure of water
due to the depth at which the torpedo
is travelling, so that the depth can
be regulated by increasing or dimin-
ishing the compression of the springs.
With a fast-running torpedo the
pressure on the rudders themselves is
so considerable as to render it neces-
sary to use an engine to work them
The balance chamber combination of
hydrostatic valve and pendulum, there
fore, operates small valve in a servo
motor engine, the piston of which
moves in obedience to the valve, and
in it's turn moves the horizontal rud-
ders. The servo-motor is worked by
compressed air, and is to the torpedo
what steam steering gear is to a
steamer The engines are triple-cyl-
inder. single-acting, they run.at about
1900 revolutions a minute and develop
about IS horsepower.
The Whitehead torpedo could be ad-
justed to run a fairly straight course
from fixed launching apparatus; but
1T was not very reliable under the con-
ditions which must prevail in warfare,
when it has to be fired from a moving
vessel. Therefore, until recently, it was
generally considered that 400 yards
would be about the correct range at
which to discharge torpedo against
an enemy. Under these circumstances
there is but slight wonder that up till
the present war very little execution
has been done with torpedoes. The in
vention of the gyroscope, however.
completely altered matters. A gyro-
scope for steering torpedoes was sew
eral times proposed. but it was left to
The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24

levers the action Of the piston is COM
municated to pair Of vertical rud-
ders. Before launching the torpedo
the clock spring is wound up by hand,
which action also locks the gyroscope
wheel in a certain plane. When the
torpedo is launched a lever is thrown
over. an act which admits the air from
the air chamber to the main engines,
and at the same time releases the
clock spring mechanism. This sets the
gyroscope spinning at a very high
speed, and, having done so, releases it,
so that it is left spinning freely. 1t
will therefore resist any motion tend
ing to change the plane in which it is
spinning. If the torpedo swerves to
the right or left the little air valve
opens in the direction necessary to
move over the vertical rudder to cor
rect the DETECTION. 1t is only when
the torpedo has assumed the direc-
ton in which it lay Immediately be-
fore launching that the vertical rud-
ders come "amidships."
The ''gyro" is a delicate instrument
and has to be not only carefully kent
The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24

most serviceable and right swagger in
the bargain. And they do cover up
such a multitude of sins, You can get
off al every station. investigate to your
hearts content and impress the way
side natives with your tTig appearance
and ten minutes later display a woe
fully rumpled waist and a belt that
fails to make all connections.
Other than this, it is delightfully."-
light and airy for every day wear and
you will soon discover after walking
miles in a day that the costume whose
weight is nil is the one that will be
your prime favorite. Again. for even
ing wear this self-same cloak will be
a great convenience and even if it is
unlined, you viii find it plenty warm
enough.
Fast transportation. fine living and
an abundance of pretty frocks cost
most woefully. and after all is said and
done, is one any the better-off for it?
You can't see any more and as a rule
you are not any happier. and it is a
piece of absolute folly unless you count
your dollars as the majority of people
count their pennies The travelling bee
mas SO lilIeSleQ the country LndL IL mas
but a case of CAD from one place to
another. glancing here and glancing
there and seeing just as little as pos
sible.
But If you really want to see the
fair and are not too proud to take mod
est accommodations you can do il
cheaply and well. Don't try to live at
a hotel and be on hand for all your
meals, for nine times out of ten you
will find yourself blocks away and as
hungry as bear at meal times. Get
an official list of private houses and
doubtless you viii be much more
comfortable, for at least you will be
out of the hustle and furry and can
rest and sleep in peace.
Breakfast, to the majority of Ameri-
cans. is not what il used to be, so il
you do not feel equal to the task OF
running out to coffee. buy an alcohol
lamp and invest in a bottle of alcohol
and you can have tea or coffee and
rolls without the least trouble. to say
nothing of saving twenty-five cents or
more You may consider saving such
a small piece of money not worth the
while, but when there are dozens Of
attractions it amounts to Just this
the more you save the more YOU NAV
see and it is presumed that your trim
will be taken for that purpose and that
alone
The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24

~ HE famous Whitehead torpedoes,
The most terrible engines OF de-
struction that have ever been in
4 vented. are manufactured in
Austria. from where they are supplied
10 nearly every. country in the world.
Great Britain and Russia are the ex-
ceptions. although the French. Ger
mans, Danes and Italians make a GER
tain proportion Of torpedoes at home.
and even the japanese. resourceful in
this as in so many other directions.
manufacture q few for themselves.
Though there are many types of tor
pedoes. yet the standard dimensions
may be taken at a diameter of IS
inches and a length of Is feet inches
for all ships-of-war except torpedo
boats, and these carry tOrpedoes hay-
ing a diameter OF Il inches and length
of Il feet 10 inches. The Russian torpe-
do has a diameter Of IS inches and is
1s feet long.
As with ell ships-of-war and wea-
pons. improvements are being con-
tLdlLlg lldQe IN lle " nlleneaQ lOrpe-
do, and ceaseless experiments combined
with the application Of untiring ener-
gy and the hienest skill have made the
present-day torpedo the beautiful and
marvellous weapon that il is. The i'm
prOvements are in the direction of
speed and in the tOrpedo's range Of ac-
tion. The speed chiefly depends upon
the pressure at which the torpedo can,
in its air vessel, carry the compressed
air which is used for propelling il
through the water. Until quite recently
this pressure did not exceed Toe atmos-
pheres (about 1900 pounds per square
inch); but Messrs. Whitehead have
now produced a new torpedo in which
the pressure is to be no less than about
2250 pounds per square inch.
A torpedo is constructed in the fol-
lowing parts: The head. which incloses
in war time the charge of gun cotton
or similar high explosive; the air cham
Der. which is about eight feet long: the
balance chamber. Tor regulating -he
depth at which the torpedo travels: the
engine room, the after part of which
now contains the wonderful gyroscops,
The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24
.PhQTOS

an Austrian engineer named NJ. Orby
10 invent the mechanism by which the
gyroscope could be made practicable.
so perfect is the "gyro" now that if
a torpedo be launched in a certain di-
rection it will maintain that direction
to the end Of it's run. 1t is this little
instrument which has made long-range
firing with torpedoes practicable.
The gyroscope is to the torpedo
what the fiywheel is to a watch. 1t
consists of a wheel about four and a
half inches in diameter, with heavy
periphery. This wheel can be engaged
with mechanism attached to a strong
clock spring. The wheel is in a gim-
bal frame, and on the frame is a small
lever which controls a tiny air valve.
The air valve can admit pressure to
one side or the other of piston in
a cylinder, and by suitable rods and
The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24

Y i you are going 10 the fair at St
Louis. pin up list of dos and
don ~" where you can see them
every time you turn around. And
having pinned them up, profit by them
In me drst place luggage is always
a nuisance. but when there are thou
sands Of trunks. big and little. ham
pers By The score and everything i'm
asinabie that can come under the head
Of bageaso. it is more than sensible
10 do without any. IN fact it is in all
probability what you would be called
upon 70 do for three or four days. so
il is quite KS well 20 be prepared.
Don't throw up your hands and call
TO heaven to witness that you can't
exist without a skirt. a hat ard an
ordinary trunk. Because you can. and
what is more t0 The point, exist very
comfortably ard present a very good
front al thai
To be sure. ingenuity is needed and
a goodiy supply Of il. but lives there q
woman who would acknowledge. even
TO herself. that she was not blessed
with more than her share of it? II
such there be. let her stand forth. for
verify. she is q wonder.
II you arc goins 10 buy a suit case
and that is positively all you viii need
get one that is equipped with toilet ar
ticles. for they are a necessity and il
is a real comfort TO know Just where
you can put your hands upon them
Some have more brushes and various
articles. but too many useless furbe-
lows only succeed in making the case
heavy 10 begin with and it is better
10 purchase the more modest one. In
ordering it. be careful to select a par
ticularly long one. for short skirts can
be folded cnce and tucked easily away
in them.
So far SO good. II you are going to
stay three weeks or a month. or even
g few days for that matter, you must
commence your pairing down in dainty,
frilly lingerie. All the ruffies take uu
needed space and if you have ever tried
10 have them laundried in a city that
was full To overfiowing. you know
something Of the heavy expense and
the decided annoyance that is always
such a part Of il.
Instead, put your pride in your
pocket and sally forth and buy three
or four combination suits Of thin cot
ton. They may not be pretty, but they
are inexpensive, occupy but little space
and cost but ten cents to wash. Tha
in itself is an important item. Three
or four pairs of cotton stockings vii
be sufficient for YOU can wash out
pair every morning and keep then
fresh and clean. Lisle thread open.
worked hose are fetching, but they ar,
perfect abomination when much
walking has 10 be done and the per
sonsl comfort that is sacrificed is mo-
worth the price Of vanity paid.
Might robes ard corset covers ar,
another important item. for they mus
be beautifully simple. Two gowns
with hemstitched band about the
sleeves and neck through which rib
bon is drawn. are not only pretty bu
have low price on the laundry list. Al
have corset covers Of the same de
scription. and il really is a paying liz
vestment. even If you are obliged I,
buy them Cor the occasion. Hahdlzer
chiefs can he bought anywhere and a
any time and II you think you reall,
need some soft white collars it would
be better TO limit yourself TO half {
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-17
LUMBER PLANT BURNS;
LOSS ESTIMATED AT 100000
,Incendiary Blaze in the Early Hours Of Sunday
Morning in West Montgomery Watchman
Sees the Torch Applied.

A fire which is still burning at $3.50
o'clock this morning has completely
destroyed the plant of the Alabama
Rift Flooring Company. said to have
been the finest lumber plant in Middle
Alabama, entailing a loss which will
probably reach 100000.
Four hundred and forty-four thous-
and feet of lumber burned.
Undoubtedly the fire was of an in
cendiary origin, the night Waterman
claiming to have seen the torch ap-
piled. The plant of the Alabama Rift
Flooring Company was located on the
south side of the tracks of the main
line of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad
Company just west of West End and
nearly three miles from the business
district of Montgomery. The plant
has been completed and in operation
less than year. The property of
the company covered four acres and
consisted of a planning mill. an Inn
mense lumber shed, three large dry
kilns, a dust house and boiler house.
All of these houses and machinery in
use were of the most t.iodern design
From the Office of the company To-
Gated near the main tracks of the
Mobile and Ohio Railroad to the ex-
IRENE end OF the LUMBER SIZED Is us
lance of probably 200 yards. There
were 100000 feet of dressed lumber
in the lumber sheds and $4,000 feet of
rough lumber in each of the dry
kilns.
Night Waterman H. g. Hall says he
discovered man in the extreme end
of the lumber shed a few minutes be-
fore the fire broke out He followed
close on his heels and the next time
he saw him was when he ran from
one of the dry kilns.
Almost Immediately. he says, flames
burst from the dry kilns. Stimuli
taneously flames burst forth from
three different parts of the lumber
She'd and in the section where he had
first discovered the marauder.
The statement of Mr.. Hall Is cor
roborated by C. L. Tucker night
Waterman for the Montgomery
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-17

Lumber Company. whose plant is To-
Gated just east Of the burned propertv
and across a small swamp which Is
filled with underground. Mr.. Tucker
says he was standing in front of the
plant OF the Montgomery Lumber Com
pany when he saw flames burst forth
from three separate parts of the lum-
Der shed and DIT least 100 feet high.
Night Waterman Hall immediately
turned on the whistle at the big lum-
beS plant. and running to the office of
the company communicated with the
Fire Department in the city Fifteen
minutes later the plant was cut off
from telephone communication. the
wires having burned and dropped from
the poles.
The fire spread rapi ~, d when the
Department reached the scene the en-
tire four acres of buildings and piles
of lumber was a seething mass of
flames. In the absence Of water sup
ply. the firemen, officers of the COM
pany and workmen who had been call
Ell to the scene were completely help
less.
At a. m. large crowd was stand
ing idly by watching the cracking
flames eat up the piles of valuable
lumber Most of the buildings had
fallen in and We're shapeless masses of
ruins.
The Alabama Rift Flooring Company
was constructed by Pennsylvania capt.
talists, who were induced to come to
Montgomery about year ago by the
Commercial and Industrial Association.
]. w. Hogarth of Scranton, Pa, is
President of the company and Thomas
Palmer formerly of New York, is resi-
dent manager.
Mr.. Palmer was on the ground early
after the fire was discovered, but was
unable to give any accurate state
ment of the loss. 1t is Believed the
was partially assured
In the vicinity of the Alabama Rift
Flooring Company are other large con-
Germs. but fortunately no breeze was
stirring and the flames were confined
to the plant in which they first APP
peared.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-17
RECEIVERS ARE NAMED.
Troubles of the Virginia Passenger
and Power Company.

Richmond, Va, July 16.-The Vir-
ginia Passenger and Power Company
embracing the Richmond Passenger
and Power Company and the Richmond
TractionN Company. was placed In the
hands of receivers today by Judge Wad-
din of the United States District Court
upon petition of the Bowling Green
Trust Company William Northrup
and Henry T. Wickham have accepted
and qualified as receivers. The Vtr-
ginia Passenger and Power Company
Is capitalized at $15.000,00O and oper-
ates in, three Virginia cities-Rich-
mond, Manchester and Petersburg.
Frank Jay Gould is the majority
stock holder. The suit brought by the
George e. Fisher ror the receivership
is now being argued in the state Cir
cult Court at Petersburg, the defend
ants claiming that there Is no necessi-
ty for receivership. The exploitation
of the application for the appointment
of a receivership is that 1t is made by
the Gould interest to prevent, as they
lain, the disintegration of the proper
ties 70
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-17

been rather tame, reached a sensational
| stage today in the testimony Of M. Won
| Wymodze, the Russian consul general
at Koenigsburg who said the police
brought him over twenty-five seized
pamphlets asking him 70 speedily ex-
anime them. OF this number consul
general read only one. marking objec-
Herr Liebknecht. one OF the counsel
for the defense. asked NJ. Won wy
| modze to point out the infiammatory
sentences that had been quoted in the
pamphlet by the ministers in the Reich
stag and diet debates. but NJ. wymodxe
was unable to do so. Herr Liebknecht
continued.
Where is the sentence. Nothing can
save the throne of Nicholas from the
fate of Alexander II from bloody ven-
gcance? find nothing in the whole
pamphlet to that effect
Won Wymodze claimed that imper-
fections in the TRANSACTIONS were due
to the hurry in which he made 1t. Herr
Liebknecht declared that the transla-
tion was biased and due 10 q wish to
insert blood curdling phrases which
were NOT in the original
The president judge thereupon came
to the defense of M. Wyomodze saying
the decisive sentences were in the 9TH
err pamphlets To this Herr Lieb-
knecht rejoined:
This garbled TRANSACTIONS gave the
imperial chancellor and other minis
ter to make the gravest charges
against the social Democracy. II was
precisely the above sentence which
played the most prominent role in the
public discussion. The Judge did not
permit Herr Liebknecht to make any
further remarks on this line ana ex-
cused NJ. Won Wyomodze for the errora
In translation of the pamphlet on ac-
count Of the brief time he devoted to
the work.
Counsel Schwartz expressed aston
ishment at the. brief time permitted
M. Won Wyomodze to add words which
were not contained in the pamphlet.
He replied that this was an insinuation
that the additions were purposaly
made. Mr.. Ballod, lecturer at the Uni
versity Of Berlin. testified to the HARM
less character Of the social Democrats
pamphlets submitted to him BY the
court for examination. The trial win
continue for at least ten days.