The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-07-12

Ncw York Prophecy rests IN every
line ot book ycllJwcd By a century
in which are set forth the yi,w8 OF
Robert Fulton on the submarine war.
fare Of the future Attention has been
called to the old volume just AZ the
time. when tests Of uniCrsoa craft
are In progress. under the direction
OF the United States navy Hardly
an element exists Of the art of attack
ami defense now used in that warfare
beneath the waters but was rpcos.
nZcd by the genius To whom the
achievements Of steam navigation are
du"
Coincidcnt with the celebration Of
the centenary Of the day on which
Robert Fulton's first steamship tray
ersod the waters OF New York hlrbor
his almost clairvoyant insight is ycri.
fed. The volume in which he out.
lines his plans Is entitled Torpedo
War and Submarine Explosions, By
Robert Fulton. Fellow of the American
Philosophical Society and Of the Unit.
cd States Military and Philosophical
Society"
Il was printed in 1910 in this city
by William 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.
trcity were used as motive power
TNr
Not only did the inventor fOr"scc
practically all that would come to pass
in warfare. but b. a hundred years he
anticipated the arguments which are
now being made by the advocates Of
peace against the use of the subma
Tinc vessels
We're he here to-day face TO face
with the members of The Hague peace
conference he would be In a position
10 meet every argument which they
might make against employing craft
which. by sending out torpedocs. 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 TO the members Of both
houses OF congress In its opening
pages MIR Fulton invites them to fol.
low the origin and progress of torpedo
warfare in order that they might form
a correct judgment OF tine propriety OF
adopting 1t as a means of our national
defense"
He speaks frankly of the difficulties !
and emnarrassments 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 he beset with obstacles of |
every kind.
Although he does not mention It 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 II is generally known
that ! endeavored for many years to
get torpedoes introduced into practice
in France and England" he writes
(which. though unsuccessful, gave me
the opportunity Of making numerous
very interesting experiments on
large scale, by which | discovered err.
rcrs In the combinations of the ma.
nIipar,, nd % aNln |
pedoes to ship, which errors in the
machinery have been corrected. and /
believe have found means OF attach.
ing the torpedoes to a vessel which
will seldom fail Of success II Is the
result of my experience which / now
submit to your consideration, and,
hoping you will feel interest in my in
venton. | 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 n hun
dred years ago believed Il would be
possible to introduce 30 irregular O
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 I
his torpedo experiments. The {
FIRST of these was made on October Is. I
1905. upon the brig Dorothea. and 1t is |
described in full in this remarkable I
pamphlet. s
Its first illustration represents the t
mig being cut literally In two by the t
explosion which proceed /
levised for the experiment.
ITO convince Mr.. Pitt that a vessel S
ould be destroyed by the explosion S
{ torpedo under her bottom" writes L