New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-08-19
NEW TYPE OF TORPEDO
Successful Test of Davis Projec-
tile That Pierces Nets.
HAS IT'S OWN MOTIVE POWER.
Former Objection as to Weight Over.
come by Use of Vanadium-Bores
Into Heavy Target and Has Dou-
Bile Action-can Travel 5000 Feet.

come by Use Of Vanadium-Bores
Into Heavy Target and Has Dou-
BILE Action-can Travel 5000 Feet.
Torpedo nets, such as are extensive
" used by Great Britain and which
recently at Newport were demonstrat-
ed as protection to battleships from
torpedo attack, were proved vulnera-
BILE the other day by new type OF
torpedo, an invention Of Lieutenant
Commander Cleland Davis. The trial
test at Sheep island, at the entrance
OF Quincy bay, was attended by Tru-
man 81. Newberry, acting secretary OF
the navy, and by Brigadier General
Arthur Murray, chief of artillery, rep
resenting the army.
The successful demonstration show
ed the practica bility of firing projec-
tile from torpedo which serves as a
gun after it makes a hole in the enc
my's ship. This double action Of the.
Davis torpedo characterizes it as am
entirely new departure. Lieutenant
Commander Davis. as soon as he was:
met his expectations, said to New
York Herald reporter at Quincy,
Mass: This viii enhance the value
of submarine attack as conducted by
torpedo boats, destroyers and subma-
| rfne boats. It will require a radical
change in the construction of battle
ships, making it necessary to armor
their bottoms
Former types Of torpedoes when
they strike the enemy's ship detonate
on the exterior Of the hull and by the
escape of gases lose much Of their eff
fectiveness. The Davis torpedo Is con-
trived to puncture the ships bottom,
carrying into the ships vitals pro-
jectile which detonates by time fuse.
| Such an interior explosion directed i'm
the engine room, the magazine or in
the steering apparatus quickly places
| the ship out of action.
| In exterior appearance the new tor
pedo resembles short torpedo of the
| known type It has it's own motive
power, operated by compressed air,
capable Of travelling 5000 feet. Exact,
measurements of the torpedo have not
been officially given out, but it is
about sixteen feet long and eighteen
inches at its greatest diameter. It has.
second torpedo inside, which is fred
through tube when the initial explo-
| sion tears hole in the ships bottom.
The first explosion starts time fuse,
| for the second detonation.
| Commander Davis has made expert
ments for the last two years and at
tributes much Of his success to new
element which has only recently be-
come obtainable in commercial guam
/ titles. 1t was necessary to keep the
| torpedo gun light enough to float to it's
objective and at the same time of suf-
ficient tensile strength to preserve the
inner tube against the initial detona-
ton. This new element is vanadium,
| which he uses in combination with
chromium and nickel. This reduces
the weight of the tube from half ton
to eighty pounds. The only available
deposits of this new element are in
Peru and are under American control.
The steel for the torpedo and the shell
were constructed by American CON-
! panies
Sheep island. where Commander Da-
Wis has worked out his trials, is de-
serted, low lying waste at the entrance
Of the bay. sharply eroded on the open
ocean side, so that this natural breast
work afforded spectators protection
and also complete view of the expert
ment. The torpedo was moored at q
lighter and the target foated 100 feet
to the south. The sun was bright over
the bay, which was scarcely rufled
making every detail plainly visible.
The target tank was said by its con.
structors to be stronger than section
of battleship. 1t was of three-quar
ter inch iron, with three interior bulk
heads. The metal was formerly 8
Standard Oil company tank at Chelsee
and was relic Of the confag rat io1
last April This tank was fifteen fee,
high and ten feet in diameter In the
top manhole was left open to reliev,
air pressure. Ballasted with fort,
tons Of scrap iron, the target was sub
merged eleven and one-half feet.
When all was ready the assembled
officers sought the protection of th,
sea worn bank, carrying a long rop'
, with which to set the machine going
Secretary Newberry and Commando
Davis. in tenders from the dispatcl
boat Dolphin, watched the experiment
) from the water.
"All ready, hrer' came the order
At the jerk of the rope there was vic
lent bubb1ing at the lighters side. o.
a straight line for the red tank th
torpedo bored its way, revealing it
course by a wake of bubbles. Thi
d path OF busy bubbles looked mysts
/. rious as it neared the red tank, whic
I swayed on the tide Suddenly the tan
J. was enveloped in a great splash, an
/. the manhole cover bounced from th
9 Gathering iron. Then slowly the bi
, tank sank down into the foamy waite
8 Secretary Newberry and the inyents
quickly assured themselves Of the su
ceSSful outcome They saw for RI