Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-21
A. THING OF THE NIGHT
The Dark and Deadly Mission Of
the Modern Torpedo.
ALMOST HUMAN IN ACTION.

III Starts Itself, Regulates Its Speed
and Depth and Steers Itself to Its
Unsuspecting Prey - DiaboIicaI In
Its Dosged Determination.
Unseen and unheard, the torpedo is
thing of the night. The gun an
nounces its presence with thunder and
flame, but the torpedo steals silently
from the side Of an unseen craft, and
only those who released it's deadly
| energy know that the missile is on its
! way.
1 Look at it lying upon the deck, the
1 FURNISHED body glittering in the sun.
| tbs hard to believe that an object
] only sixteen feet long and weighing
4 1000 pounds contains sufficient locked
up force to sink a battleship of many
4 thousand tons displacement and cause
4 the loss of hundreds of lives and mil
i lions of dollars.
eeAnd yet there is suggestion of ire
mendous force about the cigar shaped
body that looks so threateningly solid
A and strong Indeed. the torpedo at
once attracts and repels the observer,
having much the same effect as a
4 beautiful snake.
/ Deadly as are its powers, a child
4 could prepare the weapon for its MUIR
derous task. Nowadays simplicity Is
] synonymous with implements Of war,
and mans ingenuity has made it as
easy to kill our fellow men as to shell
the proverbial peas. So everything
about the torpedo works automatically
Unlike other marvels of machinery,
d 1t is not even necessary to press the
II button. The torpedo presses the but
ton for itself. From the moment it
enters the sea it is freed from human
interference 1t sets itself in motion,
regulates its own depth below the sur
q face and even steers itself with a GER
tainty that is almost human.
You can see the steering as you
!, stand upon the deck by watching the
II double line of bubbles which mark its
course, bending first this way and then
4 that. but soon steadying into an un-
j swerving line straight to the distant
target.
There is something diabolical in the
|
logged determination with which this
. mass of metal refuses to be diverted
from it's goal.
The little rudders in the tail are al
: ways working. keeping the head point
!. ing on its path. One might well imag
: inc that diminutive man were secret
: J ed within those shining walls, SO accu.
rately is the missile steered.
Strange as it may seem, this devilist
ingenuity. for it is nothing else owes
: IT'S being to child's toy. Think Of tn,
: incongruity! The most deadly weapon
the mind Of man has ever conceived
:. owes its practical existence to mag
ic top" primarily designed to amuse
children.
But such is the case, for here AGAR
we find the wonderful gyroscope usint
its we'll nigh human intelligence for {
sinister purpose.
This terrible ingenuity, however, hal
: one great advantage, and that in {
peaceful direction. Practice can b.
. carried out effectively and withou
: danger For this purpose the 'wa
y head" containing the charge is replac
e ed by dummy" filed with wood Il
u bring it up to the exact weight.
. Three buoys are usually moored !,
9 mile or SO away as target, and tn,
2 torpedo seems to spring from the yes
sci like a living thing, eager to reacl
2 the center buoy.
>, Two rows Of bubbles streak from til
n ship in an ever frightening line. TIL
center buoy heaves slightly as the,
pass. and several hundred yards fan
$ Their on the bubbles suddenly cease a
]. a silver head protrudes for momen
u from the sea.
q Then, with engines at rest, the shin
q ing body heaves gently up and down
'e consciously waiting. as 1t seems. 70
the boat to tow 1t back to the shiI
g More than this. lest it should be over
= looked in heavy sea the torped
breathes a spiral Of smoke and fam
Is into the air to show the seekers 1t
q whereab bouts.
II Harmless. as we see in practices
but think of its powers In war-dea6
IS " certainty Of action. human intell
70 gence added to superhuman power
70 working In secret! At any moment
e veritable ''bolt from the blue'' ma
re shatter great battleship from ster
le to stern.
Imagine the terrible uncertainty Q
it allnight following night Of anxiou
watching, long hours passed peerin
= into the darkness to see If blac
craft is lurking in the shadows! Ever
g speck dancing before tired eyes cor
? stitutes menace to the. weary brain
behind.
u And then when fears are lulled, sine
the danger never comes and vigilanc
Of is relaxed, a gentle heaving, the pr,
u lude to deafening roar, and the spill
D. ting Of steel plates and the rushing {
9. water, brilliant fare In the darl
" ness. the cries of men on the verge {
70 death. and the work Is done.
70 Afterward silence, while the mantl
y Of night closes round again. and unde
its welcome screen q tiny craft steam
y in search Of another prey. leaving b
~ hind only few floating sparks
e, mark the last resting place of might
nt battleship and 500 human beings.