New-York tribune., 1908-06-14
TORPEDO HITS FLORIDA
TEST DECLARED SUCCESS.
Monitor Disabled, srith Side Pierced
and List to Starboard.


Fort Monroe Va June 13.-Pierced with an
American Whitehead torpedo carrying a charge
OF guncotton. which tore large hole in her side
the United States monitor Florida now rests In
the drydock at the Norfolk Navy Yard victim
Of a naval experiment TO test the vuInera bility
from torpedo attack of watertight bulkheads
The water in the vessels hold gives her list
of seventeen inches to starboard
The test took place off Pine Beach near the
jamestown exposition grounds where the moni-
tor anchored in fifteen feet of water. The
naval officials. while admitting that the damage
done TO the vessel is serious. declare that it is
not vital. and say that the test is satisfactory.
Upon arrival at the navy yard to-day the
monitor Florida was Immediately into the
big stone drydock and the water pumped out, in
order that close examination of the damage
done by the torpedo could be definitely seen.
This examination showed that clean hole
tending from the superstructure ten feet down
the hull. had been made, and that it was twenty
feet in length. The destructive power Of TIE tor
pedo the marvel OF the examining officers.
The injury internally extended in about eight
feet at the centre. but varied from four to six
feet the margins.
The most important disclosure. however, was
the fact that the damage did not extend be-
any leakage. 1t was the opinion of experts that
without the bulkhead the monitor would have
gone down in a few minutes at the most. and
that with it she could have easily keen kept
floating indefinitely. with the occasional use of
the pumps. Whether not her machinery, etc.
below decks injured by the explosion has
not as yet been determined, but probably will
be on Monday.
After an official photograph Of the injury had
been taken for the Navy Department a large
canvas cover was lowered over the side TO cover
the opening and all visitors were barred
The test was witnessed by a number of off,
Gals including Secretaries Metcalf and Taft
Postmaster General Meyer and ordnance officers
Of the navy and army. The Cabinet off,
GERS went to the navy yard after the test
Messrs- Metcalf and Meyer made an inspection
Of the ward and Secretary Taft awaited them on
the yacht Mayfower. They left Fort Monroe
for Washington this evening. and will arrive
there probably tomorrow morning.
The arrangements for the test were carried
out in detail without apparent hitch Ad-
miraI Mason and other officials from Washington
boarded the Florida before O'Clock and gave
the final orders for conducting the test Aboard
the float anchored four hundred feet away, from
which the torpedo was dispatched, the crew were
ready for their work. Directions to fire were
five minutes later Lieutenant Babcock, aboard
the float touched the lever which sent the tor
pedo whizzing six feet below the water on its
mission Of destruction
A roar accompanied the explosion. and great
mass of water was thrown into the air. casting
shadows for some distance around. The column
exceeded in height the high mast of the Florida
Almost simultaneously there was shower OF
pieces of steel fragments OF broken torpedo ac-
companied by fine dust which scattered for fully
a third Of mile around There was a scamper
for shelter by persons on half dozen vessels in
the vicinity.
A dummy figure of a man had been erected on
the bridge Of the Florida, and although 1t was
fifty feet from the point of torpedo impact, the
shock knocked it over The dozen or more
officials and crew inside the superstructure OF
the vessel waited for few moments before
venturing out the deck to ascertain the dam
age They found that on and above the deck
the damage done was confined to bending some
OF the framework which supported the booms
holding the torpedo nets, the cracking Of several
plates the breaking of iron guy ropes and
wrenching three booms from their fastenings.
letting a net used for protecting the after part
Of the hull drop into the sea-
collision mat put against the hole made by
the torpedo kept the water out while the pumps
were working By direction of Secretary Met
calf visiting newspaper men were allowed
aboard the Florida after the test, and were taken
down in the boiler and engine room. just aft Of
the compa rtment into which the torpedo was
sent In that portion Of the ship there ap-
resred 10 be no damage. The injury done was
largely to the compartment fired into. and also
inst forward of that compartment. 1t was est-
mated that the charge penetrated six or eight
feet
During the test steam was kept up in one of
the boilers on the vessel, but for revolutionary
reasons was shut off in the pipes None of the
mines so far as apparent from hasty ex-
animation. suffered injury The l2-inch turret'
so badlv shattered two weeks ago by testing
.be11 had been covered with canvas 20 hide the
damage Splendid weather and good sea con-
ditions favored the test. There was hardly
ripple TO disturb the water.
Several months work VIII be necessary 10
again hermit the Florida to be used
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