The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-16
MOST TERRIBLE WEAPON.

''The great naval war wifS>bestow upon
the torpedo and its users a halo Of ro-
nance which Will eclipse entirely that
surrounding the gun and the ram.
Thus wrote navH expert some time
ago. and it would seem that his proph
ecy is likely 10 come true. Torpedoes are
divided into two classes: % uncontroll-
able. (2) controllable Glass ] comprises
projectile. rocket. drifting. and >autemo-
bile torpedces; the last named are now
practically the only kind Of uncontroll-
able torpedo employed. In nearly all
navies the Whitehead is the type
adopted; the German uses the Schwartz
kopn." which differs only from the
former in that it is made Of phosphor-
bronze instead of steel. Comfortable
torpedoes comprise spar. towing, dirig
iblc, locomotive. and automobile Great
Britain has adopted the Bremen loco
motive torpedo for coast defense only.
ard she still retains the spar torpedo.
although it IS doubtful It would ever he
used in a naval engagement
The first Whitehead fish torpedo was
produced in lSo6. but IL was a very much
less terrible engine Of destruction than
il is today IL was built Of steel, was
fourteen inches in diameter 16 inches at
the fins. and weighed Boz pounds Its ex-
plosive charge was IS pounds Of dyua-
mite. The motive power was compressed
air and charged 70 a pressure ot about
100 pounds 10 tho square inch and the air
chamber was made OF ordinary boiler
plates The speed was only six knots for
a short distance. II ran beneath the
waves. ii was independent OF outside aid
when once started. and its motive power
was superior both to steam. and clock
work. Still. it was by no means a per-
fcctly reliable weapon. and its great
fault was that II failed TO keep upiform
depth IN the water BY 1863 Mr.. White
head had invented the balance" Gambler
which has since proved a very effective
means Of controlling the depth Of the
torpedo.
The baby as the seaman calls H. y
a cigar-shaped object made II steel or
II phosphor bronze II r. divided into
compartments and in the foremost of
these is placed ia Wa time an EXPLOSIVE
and when the torpedo comes nto con-
tact with any solid object the point os
the rod Is driven in against detonator,
which explodes the charge and tears a
explosive charnIser comes the afr charm
Der: herein is stored the compressed air
which acts as tie motive power of ;he
torpedo. Behind this Is the "balanee'
chamber where the automatic steering
apparatus is nxed. Abrafts this are the
engines: these are worked by the com
pressed air from the a. cbsmber. snd
regoivss on shaft onto tie end ~
which are two screw propelers wording
in opposite directions. FuTthsst ait u
All = another hollow sir compartment.
termed the buoyancy chamber There
are four rudders. two horTizontal for
steering from right 10 left, ard two yer
teal for maintaining the propfr deg'h-
TIE 8ghltsnesd Is divided lni0 eight
sectlons: - The nriug arrangement f2i
The explosive chamber. - Tbe afr cham
Der. 90 The balance chamber. - The
engine CHAMBER. 50 ne huo5aacy cham
t,eY. a. The bessl wheel chamber. 80
The horizontal and vertical rlidders ard
propeliers-
Torpedoes aye fred ia f5sr wsys 81
By submerged tgDes. ~ b. shose-~si~r
tuEzs. - b. rsYoigiaz tubes 80 ST
boats cropping gear
The torp-do Is t4gvn out - ihe 'pae
either - corBvresseG air s1,lssniT 81
sect.d into tbe rear euS. or ~ 80 irn-
pulse ehsrEe - fs~ ounces = psoSseF.
usually coralte. The air prsrssrs Tari~s
f-ona &c rsots3s - 90 popn1s - ths
sqaars issh. azsa tbe ssow@ef eAs~se frozn
esaoez to 81 osuoes- essh-saeFgesl tst'~s
are. q eourze. tszhes be-0S the Ezi>-