The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-06
!. CAPT. CHAs. "A. M'EVOY. 4.
Ills Important Conncctio1 With
the Confederate Navy.
r.alinr M T.Dn Times. Dlsphtch:

Il : ID IS Ii. . 10 ID .
Editor of Tie Times-Disph tch
sir.-1 have been surprised to note ~
\ ,o,,r recent and timely communications
and editorial comment or the torpedo
II now so much In evidence, the absence III
(. I'M connection Of IA name which had
very considerable ppotntnence mere uur III :
the, war; moan that OF Captain, Gila'les
"A. Mc1voy. Si4
CAPTAIN Mc15voS Ind been a resident, Q, OF
Tichmond for some years prior 70 VIZ
war, and was early interested III matters mater
military, II | am not mistaken, ho ny VIE :
a member or the famous old company
!, or5fbc First virginia He was Il Erca {
Il Tavorite with his associates, and many
did Richmond boys will recall MN WITH
plens,ire. and remember his inNelllloll u
:. n cartridge. which was subsequently useo
in the Confederate army.
i, do not recall under what clrculn-
stances Captalr Mc15voy was az detaeheu "
the navy, but 1t was fact that nc
held a lnastership iii that branch 81
service. or possibly q higher grade. For
some time he was associated with INC
naval ordnance department "ncre ne
it.nrned his attention mostly to eXplo-
d sivcs a. Commander Brooke, am sure,
will bear witness to tho skill ard origin.
nifty OF Captain McEvoy ana ms ze -,
In the service. Though i speak OF MN
Z III tho living.
81 The evacuation Of the city caught Cap
tain McEvoy down with typhoid FEVER.
Almost as soon as he was ab.esto travel,
lie returned ~ lJnglard which was Inc
country OF his birth. Very soon aiter
getting there he became Identified WIN
I the manufacture of submarine batteries
X ard torpedoes. Eventually he. II had i'm :
.portnnt contracts with both tho British
" and Russian governments. and became
an authority on submarine Appliances.
When the great development Of INC APP
pl!cutlon Of electricity as substitute
& for fuses and such contrivances was
perfected. Captain McEvoN showed hlin7
self cminertly accomplished In this de-
partment. He was an officer In large
establishment in London, and sat upon
fhr board With several noble lords, l
visited this establishment in Southwark
some years ago. It was built under ore
Of the great arches OF the bridge over
p which tie railroad runs into CharlhE
y Cross station. Si
whilst CAPTAIN McEvoS had kept In
y touch with Richmond through tho news
papers, he had seen very few of its clti-
s zens since his leaving the country Cor
seuuently he took great pleasure III SoitS
over scenes and events in his career IN
Virginia. and especially those during the
war period. | happened to mention q
SUSPICIOUS lntllNluuulE Nl'll Nl'S'ii = ,thAi'Nr
IN contact some time III 1864. and found
out that Captuin McE,voy had had an
experience with the same party which
the readers of your Confederate column
s. may find Of Interest. & III ~
# The Individual who hayl thus risen In
+ lie memories OF us both was Signor Orazio
lingo. an Italian, a native OF Venice.
Tie came into my acquaintance through
tfnr order to show him such maps OF
Z f|burlestop ha rh,,r IN the OOSScS-
sion of the department of engineering.
] found him n person of strong German
type. but with the exubernnt manner
moro commoE to the Latin race. l had
a good many interviews with him later
y lie did not seem to me to be profoundly
interested in the maps Of Charleston ana
Mobile hurbors, and after q week or ten
days ceased his visits However, was
directed by General Ciilmer to send him
ira cings OF the harhors referred to.
But to Captain McE;yoy's experience
with the Same party: He claimed to
! have invented a compound which, on eS-
slplosion, would asptyxiate all living or
tranisms within a very considerable rn-
dius; certainly that of the deck Of q
large ship Now. many exploiters Of
had turned up at the ord
narce department and clamored for en-
pcriments with their specially death
dealing inventions and chemical COM
pounds. One ] remember we'll. 1t was
OF the utmost simplicity Of construction,
and given the necessary contingencies,
would surely provo efficacious. II con-
sisted of ii cast iron fac smile of lump
of coal, but hollow. The cavity was to
be filled with powder tho aperture SOL
dered up, the iron varnished and pow
dered with coal dust, When thus treated
: 1t was absolutely ndistinsuishable from
Il lump of coal, especially of that sort
A 4 v1f .k,nl