New-York tribune., 1905-07-23
AUTOMOBILE TURPED0ES.
The Kind Used III Nearly al Nod.
ern NQlTes.

one of the torpedo experts of the Navy De-
partmcnt. who under the regulations 3 not per-
rnitted to discuss sucn matters in the news
papers, says:
The automobile torpedo. that Is to-day most
highly developed and now in use in nearly all
modern navies, is the Whitehead. There ara
several different sizes Of this weapon. but ths
tvpe in common use is about fifteen feet long by
eighteen inches greatest diameter. IL IS cigar
shaped and has a tail very like that OF a
fish The shell is Of steel The head or front
end. contains the explosive chaTge-gun cotton
with it's gun cotton primer and fulmi1ats os
mercury exploder. which is made 70 act By
means OF pistol or hammer driven back upon
the exploder through impact upon the target;
that is when the torpedo strikes against ships
side under the water. Next in rear Of the head
is a compartment. or flask containing the COM
pressed air used By the engine as a motive
force The section in rear Of the air flask en-
braces the regulating and steering mechanism.
the engine and the TAIL with its horizontal and
vertical steering ruddeTs-
Upon the condition and adjustment OF the
engine and the controlling mechanism OF ths
torpedo depends It's successful run when prop
erly launched in the water Once adjusted and
launched, il passes beyond human control and
all the actions Of its engines and regulating
mechanism purely automatic. Naturally.
from all the functions it has TO perform, this
mechanism must be dellcateiy adjusted, and is,
comparatively speaking, complicated.
the torpedo is lau-ched-that Is, fired from
torpedo tube. This tube is made OF plate steel
of sufficient thickness to withstand destruction
or injury in service. and Is usually mounted to
deck track, or circle, SO as to point
the torpedo in an approximately correct OF con-
venent direction for launching. The torpedo is
loaded into the tube through the rear-breech-
end OF the latter. 1t is launched by means OF
a compressed air charge admitted 70 the tube
in rear Of the central part of the torpedo by
the explosion OF small charge OF SmOkaless
powder in a cartridge chamber attached 70 the
trlh no vrn C1 1-A
sufficient 70 eject the torpedo from the tube az
low velocity into the water. AS il passes out
Of the tube a latch in the latter opens the con-
nection between the air flask and engine and the
prOpellers revolving with great velocity by
the time the torpedo reaches the water once
there the torpedo takes certain initial diye
and passes under control Of its automatic depth
regulating and steering mechanism adjusted
previous to the launching.
"It must be clearly understood that properly
adjusted automobile torpedo takes up its course
under water and runs in a straight line As a
matter Of record, the depth regulating device Is
wonderfully efficient, and little no diversencs
from the set depth is to be noted The gyroscops
has been applied in recent years with great
success to bring the torpedo 20 and maintain
il in it's course III the horizontal plane. There
fore it will be seen that though the automo5is
torpedo is a very wonderful piece Of auromatc
machinery. il Is not human in that il has
will 70 change It's direction and pursue meet
its enemy If il is excellent torpedo il goes
exactly where il is sent and nowhere else
Through design, an automobile torpedo can %
used often it is wished for practice, bur
once launched in battle its career for good or
bad is over.
1.-The next thing is the range Of the torpedo
The best of those in use at the present day
have a theoretical range of about 1900 yards,
which distance IS covered at a speed of twenty
six to thrty-two knots hour. that is they
would make the distance OF 500 yards in
and three-quarters to one and a half minutes
approximately. The average range for the large
torpedoes in service at the present time does
not come far from 200 Yards. however
with a speed of about thirty knots, while ir
fs
ese torpedo boats had toTpedOes OF consider
ably less effective raEge-SpO 10 iGOQ yards.
Their destroyers prOba bly, carried tOrpedoes Of
the average range and speed given above Such
torpedo should cover the range Of 1000 yards
in one minute.
From this it will be seen that a torpedo must
be launched within 500 TO 500 yards depend
ing upon the type OF torpedo used OF the enemy
TO nit his ship It will also be seen tha, for
reasons OF surprise, to reduce the chances ot
damage from gundre in case Of discovery. and
for escape, the boat carrying the torpedo should
be fast-capahle OF nigh speed TO attain such
speed the construction or torpedo vessels mus
necessarily be very light They are not capable
Of even slight resistance to gun fire. and a one
FOUNDER automatic gun is powerful enough 10
put the best OF the torpedo boats or GsslrOysrs
out of action in few seconds When il is
Gerstood further that rapid fire suns OF four 20
six inch calibre are fired to-day with the great
est effectiveness as regards hitting. at the rate
OF eight to ten rounds a minute, and se.ui-aItO-
matte and automatic guns siN TO one FOUNDERS
hre from twenty to fifty rounds a minute in the
same way, and at ranges very much greater
than the greatest ranges possible for present
day tOrpedoes. and that this means a bar-
tleship can hurl some hundreds OF proj~~iIes
In one minute at torpedo boat or hCtilla ot
them long before the lattcr get within torpedo
range If seen, IL is evident enough that day at
tack by torpedo vessels is simply Out Of the Ques-
tion. and is so conceded by even the most fo0l-
hardy.
Attacks on clear nights should be equally
1Utlfe- This restricts The use Of the torpedo 70
those conditions Of weather : a rule which
aulHlt OF some chance OF surpriSe-falilDS Snow.
ram mist. fog, cover of the land, etc These
condftiocs, while essential 90 a0proo G c~e I-r-
GueouE accompanied by wind and rougn or
heavy seas, uDf9VOrable 10 the Successful Is
charge and yum OF the torpedo. ."-t tWashiustca
Star