The San Francisco call., 1906-10-21
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New Torpedo Invention

~ONsUL ATwELL. writing from
Roubaix, France. tells OF new
L invention for firing torpedoes. the
work OF Jean Denissel. established
until recently as an electric engineer
At that place. He Is said to have made
a most remarkable invention for hring
torpedoes at long distances and at a
given moment. The Consul writes:
1.-TWO years ago Dr. Brauly succeeded
In utilizing electric waves TO explode
torpedoes and fougades at a distance
also TO light incandescent arc lights
and to set electric and steam motors In
motion. This wireless transmission OF
power to mechanical objects was a
great step forward in the line OF prog
ress The drawback to this invention
is the mast or pole designed to collect
the waves and transmit them to the re-
ceiving machine. this pole varying In
height according TO the distance sepa-
rating the point OF emission from the
point OF reception and regulating the
motion desired or the intended explo-
sion The pole when used for the ex-
plosion Of torpedoes becomes necessa-
rily an indication OF danger. and thus
destroys tina eficacy OF an explosive by
revealing It's existence The receiving
machines are also complicated. difhcule
to transport. easily put out OF order
and rather expensive.
Armed with the knowIedge OF DR..
Brauly's discovery and keeping In mind
It's disadvantages. Mr.. Denissel has sue
ceedad in producing an apparatus for
receiving electric waves that Is highly
sensitive and OF great precision, a ma
chine that works under ground and IN
water. at a long distance from the
transmitfer OF electric waves. without
- -.
manufactured for about SO. Is easy 20
transport and not capable OF being put
out OF order 1T Is a cube and weighs
about seven pounds. Mr. DenissePs dis
covery rests upon the application OF a
counector OF his own invention. This
connector does away with the relay
necessary to posts for the reception OF
wireless telegraphy and tslemechanisnt
now In use. 1t is. described as OF capital
Importance. as a torpedo may be ex
ploded under vessel or under q COL
umn of men from distances Of several
miles.
There will be no longer any necessity
for fishing up floating tofpedoes. or
avoiding those that have been sunk.
nor will there be any occasion to cut
wires connected with them No matter
where explosives that are provided
with the Denissel invention may be
placed. no power can prevent their ex-
plosiou at the moment decided upon by
the person manipulating the machine
which regulates the wave emissions
The new invention Is applicable also
to the direction and firing OF automo-
bile or whitehead torpedoes. This IL
an important point when the following
facts are considered:
sFirst-That five out Of ten torpedoes
in active war miss aim either BY faulty
throwing or deviation (The Denissel
invention allows for throwing them In
any direction, even backward. White
head torpedoes thus equipped could
neither miss aim nor be l0St)
"Second-That a torpedo will explode
even il it be caught in the Bullivant
nets with which large ships ars pro-
vided and cause great damage. The
whitehead torpedo costs several thou
sand franca
The DenisseI machine can send forth
as we'll as receive on land kilograms
that are a speciality Of its own and
that no other machine can intercept. II
can also communicate with submarines.
The Minister of the Navy has invited
Mr.. Denissel to furnish experimental
proofs Of his invention