The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-31


 engineer named M. obry to 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 direction 1t will maintain that direction to the end of its run. It is this little instrument which has made long range firing with torpedoes practicable.
 The gyroscope is to the torpedo what the fiy-Wheel is to the watch. It con- sists of a wheel of about four and half inches diameter. with heavy peri phery. This wheel can be engaged with mechanism attached to a strong clock spring. The wheel is in a gimbal frame aend 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 a piston in a cylinder, and by suitable rods and levers the acton of the piston is communicated to pair of vertical rudders. Before launching the torpedo the clock spring is wound up by hand, which action also locks the gyros- cope wheel in certain plane Wien the torpedo is launched 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 50, releases it So that it is left spinning freely. It will therefore resist any motion tending to change the plane in which it is spin TliTn da fp the right or left the little air valve opens in the direction necessary to move over the vertical rudder to correct the deflection. It is only when the torpedo has assumed the direction in which it lay immediate ly before launching that the vertical rudders come 'amidships.
 ''The 'gyro' is delicate instrument, and has to be not only carefully but frequently treated for adjustment. It is therefore made so that it can be readily removed from the torpedo. It is generally kept in little box. and most ingenious appliances are provided for adjusting it. When in the torpedo the 'gyro' finds it's placve in the after body.
 'so much for the torpedo and it's mechanism. Let us now look at the means of 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 best known two systems are that of the British Admiralty pattern and that of Messrs. Sir w. C. Armstrong, Whit worth & Co. 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 torpedo and run in after firing; while in the Arm strong 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 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 tube Tn the Armstrong tube either cordite or compressed air can be used
 All the Japanese ships above nine thousand tons are fitted with the Arm strong submerged torpedo tubes, and the Russians 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 ap paratus, consisting of smooth tube into which the torpedo is placed, and from which it 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 it quickly picks up it's depth un- der the influence of the balance mecha- nism and horizontal rudders, and it's direction from the gyroscope and yer tical rudders.
 None of the torpedoes now being used in the Far East are of the 150 atmosphere pattern; but they are all fitted with gyroscopes and are capable of ranging two thousand yards.
 "A word or two may be said with re- gard to handling torpedo boats and des- troyers In the opinion of eminent na- val authorities these are such danger to war vessels that instructions should be issued that every torpedo boat seen at night to be approaching should be destroyed, on the chance of its being and enemy. Your own boats should be given d c6untersign in the shape of some signal with lights to change every hour of the night, and the boat having made the signal from distance should stop until the ship as covered CT with her searehlight beam, and should then approach slowly.
 No ship, much less a fleet, should lie at anchor in an open roadstead, and this danger has been so well recognized by oru Admiralty that they have pre- pared a harbor of refuge at Portland Just in the most convenient place for our fleet to lie in time of war This harbor is inclosed with breakwaters except for two narrow entrances, which could be closed by booms and other Instructions, besides. being well defend- ed with guns and searchlights. At Portland a fleet would bespergectly safe from torpedo attack, and yet without either difficulty or delay it could get to sea. No one can justly attribute neg lect to the Admiralty, who are cease lessly striving to foresee every danger to the British fleet, recognizing that on it depend not only the welfare but also the very existence of the Empire. ! 1r.fy A