The Elbert County tribune., 1907-07-11

Engines Would Mean Liberty of
the Seas"-Demonstartio of Their
Fower.
New York.-Prophecy rests in every
line of book yellowed by a century
in which are set forth the views of
Robert Fulton on the submarine war
fire of the future. Attention has been
called TO the old volume just at the
time. when tests of under-sea craft
, are in progress. under the direction
of the United States navy. Hardly
an element exists of the art of attack
and defense now used in that warfare
beneath the waters but was recog-
Dized by the genius to whom the
achievements of steam navigation are
Que.
Coincdent with the celebration of
the centenary of the day on which
,aRobert Fulton's first steamship trav-
ersed the waters of New York harbor
his almost clairvoyant insight Is yeri-
fed. The volume in which he out
lines his plans is entitled Torpedo
War and Submarine Explosions, by
Robert Fulton. Fellow of the American
ed States Military and Philosophical
Society,"
1t was printed in 1910 in this city
by VILLAIN Elliott. of No. ia Water
street. On the title page, serving as
text are the words The Liberty of
the Seas viii Be the Happiness of the
Earth" Long before steam and cleo
tricity were used as motive power
for craft these words were written.
Not only did the inventor foresee
practically all that would come to pass
in warfare, but-by a hundred years he
anticipated the arguments which are
now being made by the advocates of
peace against the use of the subma-
rine vessels.
Were he here to-day face to face
with the members of The Hague peace
conference he would be in a position
to meet every argument which they
might make against employing craft
Which. by sending out torpedoes, deal
out death unseen.
To President Madison.
His pamphlet is in the form of an
unofficial report directed to James
Madison, president of the United
States, and ito the members of both
houses of congress" In its opening
pages Mr.. Fulton invites them to fol-
low the origin and progress of torpedo
warfare in order that they might form
a correct judgment of the propriety of
adopting it as a means of our national
defense"
He speaks frankly of the difficulties
and e.nbarrassments which he had
undergone and gives the impression
that he realizes that the campaign for
the adoption of such a method of war
fare will be beset with obstacles of
every kind.
Although he does not mention 1t in
this work. he never was able to put
into practice the far-reaching schemes
for the building of submarine boats
which he had in mind. His proto-
type of the craft which are now be-
ing tested was called the Nautilus. 1t
was refused in turn by the govern
ments of the United States, of Great
Britain and of France.
Il believe that it is generally known
that | endeavored for many years to
get torpedoes introduced into practice
which, though unsuccessful. gave me
the opportunity of making numerous
very interesting experiments on
large scale, by which / discovered err
rors in the combinations of the ma
chinery and methods of fixing the tor
pedoes to ship, which errors in the
machinery have been corrected, and l
believe / have found means of attach
ing the torpedoes to a vessel which
will seldom fail of success. 1t Is the
result of my experience which | now
submit to your consideration, and,
hoping you will feel interest in my in
vention, beg for your deliberate pc
rusal and reflection"
Desultory efforts to use torpedoes in
naval warfare had been made as early
as the sixteenth century. but no mill
tary or naval authorities even hun
dred years ago believed 1t would be
possible to introduce SO irregular
plan of sea fighting.
His First Experiment.
Robert Fulton was working in Eng
land under the patronage of two no.
blemen when. after much negotiation,
he induced some of the authorities to
witness his torpedo experiments. The
first of these was made on October 15.
1905, upon the brig Dorothea. and II is
described in full in this remarkable
pamphlet.
Its first illustration represents the
brig being cut literally in two by the
tremendous explosion which proceed
ed from the torpedo which had been
devised .nr the eXneriment.