The Washington herald., 1908-06-14
Big TORPEDO FAILS
70 SINK MONITOR
Florida WithstandS Shock of
Whitehead Explosion.
BULKHEAD KEEPS HER AFLOAT
Great Hole Torn I'm Vessels Side and
Compartments Flooded, but Ma
chinery Is Undamaged-COIumn of
Water Followed by Rain of Steel
Thrown 200 Feet in the Air.

Norfolk. Va. June 13.-Witnessed by a
hundred or more navy officers. half as
many Of the army. and three members
OF President Roosevelts Cabinet, the
United States monitor Florida was tor
pedoed shortly after o'clock this morn
ing off Sewells Point. six miles below
Norfolk.
The explosion OF the torpedo. White
head. charged with g2O pounds Of gun
cotton. accompanied by a mighty detona-
tion, tore a great hole In the Florida,
causing the vessel to reel and knocking
great column of water into the air for
more than 200 feet.
Fragments of steel, torn from the side
of the Florida by the force OF the explo-
sion. were hurled into the air, some Of
them for thousand feet. and rained in
a circle about the vessel, greatly en-
dangering the lives of some Of the spec
tators. Some of the pieces of steel fell
half mile from the Florida. Buildings
in the vicinity were made 10 vibrate
Capt. John G. Qulnby. commander of
the Florida. thirty other officers and
men. Rear Admiral Washington L.
Capps. chief constructor Of the navy, and
Rear Admiral Mason, chief OF ordnance.
were aboard the Florida when the ex-
plosion occurred.
Boarded by Secretary Taft.
Immediately after the explosion. Sec
retary OF the Navy Victor II. Metcalf
Secretary of War William II. Taft, Post
master General Won L. Meyer and navy
and army officers boarded the Florida
for an inspection OF the havoc worked by
the torpedo.
General satisfaction was expressed at
the experience. As was the case when
the Pinch gun was fred against the tur-
ret Of the Florida. the torpedo was not as
destructive as was expected il would be
Il was partly expected that the monitor
would be sunk. but there was never any
danger OF that. The water-tight com
partment. into which the torpedo blew a
great hole, filed with water. and the
water entered two other compartments,
but this was kept down by the use Of
pumps
Listed Heavily to Port.
The vessel took a l7-inch list 20 port
side on which the torpedo struck It,
amidship. Secretary Taft was among
those who thought that the torpedo
would be more destructive than il proved
10 be. The Secretary and many others
present expected that the Florida would
sink I'm the fifteen feet Of water IN which
II was moored, and arrangements had
even been made for floating and raising
the vessel
After the inspection OF the Florida was
over the vessel was towed back 70 the
navy yard. The three Cabinet officers
also went there on the Maytiower. There
the Florida was placed IN dry dock and
the fun effect Of the torpedo explosion
was easily observable. A great hole had
been torn in the side OF the vessel. but
its machinery was uninjured.
BuIkhead's Efficncy Proved.
Notwithstanding the fact that the tor
pedo seriously crippled the monitor the
experts believe the test to thoroughly
prove the efficacy Of the new type Of
bulkhead as a means Of defense against
such attacks as that made by the White
head torpedo. If a battle ship had been
struck under similar conditions they be-
lieYc the injury TO her would not nave
been sufficient 10 incapacitate her.
Whether to-day's ,,est will result in
the adoption of the bulkhead plan of
construction was not indicated by any of
those who witnessed the experiment.
The torpedo, guided by a trolley was
! fired at a distance Of 400 feet from the
monitor Its course could be followed
by the ripping Of the water. The tor
| pedo was fired from a specially construct
ed float, fitted with a bomb-proof roof
10 protect those aboard from stray splin-
| ters Of wood or steel.
The Maylower. with the Cabinet Off
| cials. returned to Washington tonight.