The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-07-21
DEATH DEALING ENGINE
Man Steering Torpedo Invented
by Francis HeTrsshoH.
CAN BE CARRIED ON WARsHIPs.

CAN BE CARRIED ON WARsHIPs
To De Built of Aluminium In Sections
So That several May he carried.
Electric Motors WIN Furnish
Maximum speed OF Between Twen-
ty and Thirty knots.
A new engine for dealing death in
naval warfare, surprising mine. tor
pedo submarine and giant projectile
in destructiveness, is under construc
ton in miniature in New York city
This newest contrivance is nothing
more or less than a high speed torpedo
boat which is itself a torpedo, the bow
being filed with high explosives in
quantities sufficient 10 blow the bot
tom out OF the biggest warship atloat,
says the New York Evening journal.
1t is planned that the torpedo beat in
the destruction OF the hostile craft
against which its deadly prov is al
rected, also shall immediate itself. At
no time. however, can the loss to the
attacking force be greater than two
men, and those two viii have a fight
ing chance to escape.
When the torpedo boat which is
torpedo has dashed to point near
enough to its steel clad prey to give
assurance 1t cannot possibly miss the
mark the crew Of two brave men viii
lock the steering gear, and, with life
belts about them, leap overheard leay
ing the death dealing engine Of war
TO rush in alone at terrific speed and
blow itself and the ship Of the enemy
to fragments.
Francis Herreshoff, nephew of Cap
tain Nat Herreshoff. the celebrated
builder Of the defenders OF the Ameri
cas- cup, Is the inventor OF this new
annihilator. He contends that by the
use Of human directing agency up To
point within a hundred feet Of an
enemy's warship the uncertainty that
has attended the use Of the torpedo
win be done away with and naval war
fare viii have to be conducted on new
lines.
The cold bIooded business principle
involved in the model now being made
by Mr.. Herreshoff for submission tc
the secretary Of the navy Is that II
would pay any nation iii war to destroy
torpedo boat which cost a few thou.
sand dollars and TO risk the lives OF
two men for the certainty Of destroy
ing battleship or d cruiser which cost
millions and blowing out the lives Of
hundreds of the enemy at the same
time a minimum Of human suffering
and death and financial loss on tbs
side OF the nation attacked is the broad
principle underlying the Herreshoa
invention.
But It goes much further than that
Hitherto one OF the chief complaint
made against torpedo boats has beer
that they practically We're useless il
engagements at sea because their I'm
seaworthiness made 1t impossible fol
them to be taken far from port OF
cruises in search Of the enemy. This
feature, so aggravating to admirais
Mr.. Herreshoff also designs to over
come His torpedo boat with the dealt
dealing bows viii be made of alumni
ium ana built Ia sections, so that sev
eral Of them may be carried on any
large warship. ready for use i'll time OF
emergency 1t will require only q little
while to bolt the sections Of one oil
these fleet destroyers together and send
it dashing ON its way toward the enc
my.
one Of the most important features
Of the Herreshoff invention is that the
boats viii be equipped with electric
motors and other mechanical appliances
| which will give to them maximum
speed of between twenty and thirty
knots. There will be no smoke to cal
attention to them The automobile
| principle Of loeomOtion will be applied
and ii is expected that when one o.
these boats is undes way at full speed
toward an enemy the men behind bel
guns viii find 1t extremely difficult t
stop it with shot Oh shell or for tht
helmsman on a battleship or cruiser {
save his ship by trying 10 run away
The Herreshoff torpedo necessarily
will be much larger than the White
head. and it will be possible for it t,
do effective work at any reasonable
distance without any other craft get
ting within range Of the eaemy's guns
All that will be necessary will be 70
the crew Of two men, an engineer ant
a helmsman. to know how to run th'
| boat and when to jump to prevent be
| ing blown up themselves.
Omnfvorous Korean