The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-14
FIRST TORPEDOES MADE HERE
And USED in The JAMES RIVER
Despite the Study ofThis Method
Of Warfare, More Was Ac-
complished BY Confederacy
Than Has Been Accom-
plishcd for Many. 4.
Years Since.

Colonel Richard L.. Maury-, u son OF
Commodore Matthew Fontnino Maury,
has written for The Times Dispatch an
extremely interesting article on the In
vention and use 5of torpedocs, In which
y his fnther was the pioneer, and to the
perfection OF which no himself and
other brave naval officers OF the Con-
ftderacyg devoted themselves with all the
pbandon which q devotion to cause
for the causes sake can evoke. The
Interest caused by the destruction OF
Russian vessels by means Of torpedoes
X sives Increased interest 10 tho article
which is printed in fun below:
The wonderful achievements OF Japan,
with her ironclnu rams and tornyedoes,
should DO specially interesting 10 your
rCa ders. because OF tho fact that these
4 mighty engines of modern war, as sue
cessful appliances, had their origin In
Virginia, vera designed In Richmond and
were first successfully. used In the wa
s5 tors OF james River WITH them coI-
t,,uallv developed and improved by the
fertile brain Of her many clever Ulcers.
s.1d by them operated with daring and
self. sacrifice never equalled. The Conled-
erate navy totally revoluuonized naval
warfare. and. though barren OF re-
SOURCES, OF shops machinery and expert
< enced mechanics fully to avail Of the
n,any improvements and inventions they
n1adn vet with her novel system Of tor
ocdocs accom- plshed mole In Ter sew
sc,als Years than with I'LL the great ad Z
yapcamen Ioi scientific knowledge. I'm
trroye1nents ii mechanical CONSTITUTION
ard familiarly with electrical force dur
ing subsequent years, other natlol's nav Q
Il been able since to do.
In 1866 the Secretary OF the United
States navy reported to Congress that
4 the navy hal lost more ships during
tne war from Confederate torpedoes thuh
from all other causes combined. 6chart's
& History OF the Confederate states Navy
gives incomplete list OF forty, snow.
mo I rat at one time ten were destroyed
II az e'5,aas Tran three weeks and General
& Ttnins. chief OF the army topedo depart
n,ent. says that the total number was
n fiftv.eizht (. a number for In excess q
what all other nations com plred, Win
all their modern improvements and mp
Al p,;auces. have effected, during tue .of'5
+ years since passed. 49,
me, flrst ironclad ram in actual con-
flict was the immortal vlrsinni, 80 s'es ~, !.
1,sly fought in Virginia waters, con-
h struc.ed In Virginia according 20 tie
Il dcsIeng 81 lieutenant John Mercer Bro''s'
" ! 9Virrinian. born near Frederickspure,
nov q honored professor at the 5Vlls'i'td
Military institute. Her great acnlese :,
q ncpt was her victory In Hampton ROADS
cspec;ally her defeat OF the Federai IRON
clad. an invention not OF a navai Object
ar OF an American. whereby the govern govern
ment at Washington was so a aI n,es s
that preparations were made 10 CLOSE
sha pafn
tor was ordered to be careful OF hersel1'
< which she was, twice refusing the pir'
& p,nIa,s offered battle, or to leave the
.,roiection OF the guns OF the fort, ana lnll
~, secretary OF the Navy, Ignoring 1he
first army on the planet. ana Q, nass
as powerful as any afloat; called ran an
caIly upon a civilian OF New OK 1or
protection, asking him to name ms oWa
price to destroy this Confederate terror
dpsened by Brook and fought by buch.
nnan. Tatnall. Catsby Jones, rope.
HIinor Taylor Wood, Hunter Davidson,
CHARLES Sims and many another gallant
Confederates.
WERE MADE HERE.
Torpcdoes us n successful weapon I. - !.
actual war wore introduced Into the
crrreda,ote navy by Captain Matthew
=. sMaury, also OF Freder cksburg, ana
first placed by hin In the James river
Hardly had he arrived In Richmond IN
April, 1861. in response to Virginia, ca
I to her sons to como to her asslsttah 6;
II than his thoughts were turned 20 the
realization OF IS means for. the de tense
Of tho exposed rives and harbors OF
yirginln and the South. Penetratea, as
the country. was by innumerable naYiga-
ble waters, and absolutely without YES
sela to defend them, he urged that tne
most effective way to keep of the enc,
Z nv was to mine the channelways' ana re
blow I'D BY means OF electricity when ne
attempted the passage, At this TINS
there was nothing sayesa few shore bal
ter,e. to prevent any ship bold enousn
+ 10 run past them and ascend the river
smelling Richmond or any other wafer
sidn town in the South.
There was much prejudice against OF
lack OF appreciation OF this undevelopeo
svstem of defense by many Of the Con,
1ederato authorities, who considered J.
seaStac,naI and unlawful warfare, but
Cantain' Maury, urdeterred by lack OF
official support and opposition OF man y
friends, proceeded at once to demon,
strate it's sufficlency as best he cou'o