New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-14

o. warfare until now. japanese torpedo boats az /
that time sank three Chinese war vessels. the I
Tins Yuen. Ching Tuen and LAT Tuen. Since /
China did not rate frst-caEs military power, I
hcRCrer 81 not felt that the test was slguif- I
can Both the United States and spain had thor
ougllI- modern torpedo boats in Cuban waters n 4
tSs. but neither az them experimental with tho
missiles for whose use they were designed. Moth
tng further was learned therefore until last week
STU the possibilities there realized had been fore
Hsen and had caused much uneasiuess. Admiral
Coulomb ~ the British navy. reflected the secret
sears OF many excellent authorities when IN 1855
be wrote as follows in The United Service Re-
Eev': 'It-the increased proIulsive power OF coal
%has 10y ADDING to The speed cf the torpedo boat.
Fea'IE strengthened The threat OF that instrument
o. way against the battleshiq. and may not impos-
Gby destroy that type
The tdea Of blowing un an enemy's ship with q
charge % powder placed under her is much more
than hundred years old. A Colonial patriot
Day5 Bushnell. proposed thus 10 destroy a British
tessel De New-NOrk Harb0r in 1776 Bushnell de-
signed a crude submarine craft Tor use Ia that
work nfcUty was experienced by his agent
Ezra Ice. n aflxing the torpedo 10 the shin how
eve. and she escaped. During the Cly1l War one
G. two successful attempts were made by carrying
the torpedo Cut at the end n spar ano ignitng Il
BY electricity.
Thco came The Usvigahle torpedo. This was
eigar shaped metallic object containing machinery
for It's propulsion ana charge II some explosive
~ The front END In some Of the carly designs an
electric motor drove the screw the current being
supplied through wire from the shore. This wire
~cle Boz previously cooled up inside the torpedo
az stretch out when the latter was moving The
fuddcr could be controlled from land. too. bv
eerffl0a. meaus. and deviation from the original
eo4'se amounting 10 ~ or go degrees was thus
mao practicable. ia the Sims Edison design the
eeI'h or submcrgence was regulated by suspend
M tront and rear from q tiny noa;
pr o. r.rsrrra -r.T
emu independent - land by supplying motive
po"'T of another Kind. one man stored quantity
@ compressed ca~50aic acid there, ans used Il 10
ecia'te an engine Another introduced a heavy
by"heel 20 which. tcst before launching st was
FoIl5ta 20 impart "a high rotativ5 velocity by
p-fi-e ueele:su. Fully lap0 revolutions "a min
nc aeilo be- secured. Iu that way enough power
Va io os stored 20 drive the torpedo few hum
Nea ieei These and otEer projects were te-led
more or Tess extensively by the naval authorities
pu' u was fua-ly decided that The Whitehead de-
ttN was the best n at. This employed com
pressed all to drive Tire screw and also mad tlrioue
u 1'i.sn Tor keeping the torpedo from chaarir-
is direction or level after being launched
1-'nof was a captain ia the Austrian navy
-no1sh the dimensions OF Whitehead trrpadoes
-, somewhat tde standard OF The United States
l., oI diameter 90 the thiclcst part OF IS
80, - lcrgth % about q or Is feet. The ex-
cAsrEe consists q guncotton which IS al
:, 90 "eI 10 prevent accident The weight
a. .'-'ee employed by different nations IS not
- -t rarely falls below $50 POUNDS OF OK
Z" pounds. Tie standard ror tho Tinted
'.'' long ago vas 10 pounds C.fv about
--a Hs' British or German hrue. ,r-s
$ - '"Ieaofs Tor Jsqan 90 which the charge
A. --'ls ~ is not unlikely that some or
p. employed iD the recent euEa cement ar
- '..i. Russia ,s reported 90 have favorallv
g.. mo adoption o. 200 pounds. Dire-tly in
- '-e wet ru1cott1n is a dry primer of
~, '7 material and small quantity q fulmi-
g. i--e' curry, which serves IS a detonator when
i... - struck sharply By the firing pin. The
A. ~ l-o'-is from tho nose OF the torpedo. and
'- ID when hits any solid object
-. pressed ai- which o7,rates the propeling
s.ne'F is supplied under "a pressure OF 1000
. I'D ne square --ch and the walls q the
- are tes-.l 90 stand l7oo pounds. A Few
aeo Lle distance which would be traversed
~ '-at Impulse was COO or SD yards The best
'i,-a toryedoes have n range OF nearly or
g ~ yards. o- over half mile j. possible.
'sA hey are launched when the torpedo boats
"lcA closer than that 70 their targets.
'iie modern torpedo is SELF propeInC. Il IL
.essasy only 20 start & on It's way with a gentle
- -, torpedo tube ls a horizontal cylinder. only
- longer than the missile, and shielded at the
- enc by a simple vulve designed 10 keep out
80 q gate or doo-. at the rear end opens for
me admission Of the torroao A Vigorous puff OF
essed air effects the launehrg after the
q t1c boat
Nowadays nearly al big warships have three
- torpedo tubes. but IL IS doubtful II they VIII
- prove Fervfceable For real work much
tnalier ara much Faster craft are needed The size
ipedo boats has undergone some curious
gee Their original function-theoretically az
ssahs-"as coast defence. II hardly thought
- they would ever be employed outside the
.arDors OF the country which owned them They
wee meant 20 resist invaders not Cor asgrsssioa-