The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-08-04
A THING OF THE NIGHT
The Dark and Deadly Mission Of
the Modern Torpedo.
ALMOST HUMAN IN ACTION.

and Depth and Steers Itself TO Its
unsuspeoting Prey - Diabolieal In
Its DosSed Dissemination.
Unseen and unheard, the torpedo is q
thing OF the night The gun an.
nounces Its presence with thunder ana
flame, but the torpedo steals silently
from the side of an unseen craft. and
only those who released Its deadly
energy know that the missile IL on Its
way.
Look at II lying upon the deck. the
FURNISHED body gitterlng In the sun.
1t Is hard TO believe that an object
only sixteen feet long and weighing
1000 pounds contains sufficient locked
up force to sink battleship OF many
thousand tons displacement and cause
the loss OF hundreds Of lives and mil.
lions Of dollars,
And yet there Is suggestion OF ire
mendous force about the cigar shaped
body that looks so threatenlngly solid
and strong. Indeed, the torpedo at
once attracts and repels the observer,
having much the same effect as a
beautiful snake.
Deadly as are Its powers. child
could prepare the weapon for Its muir
derous task. Nowadays simplicity Is
Synonymous with implements OF war.
and mans ingenuity has made II rs
easy to kill our fellow men as to shell
the proyerbial peas. So everything
about the torpedo works automatically
Unlike other marvels of machinery,
1t is not even necessary to press the
button. The torpedo presses the but
ton for itself. From the moment II
enters the sea 1t Is freed from human
interference 1t sets itself In motion,
regulates Its own depth below the sur
face and even steers itself with GER
tainty that Is almost human.
You can see the steering as you
stand upon the deck by watching the
double line of bubbles which mark Its
course, bending first this way and then
that. but soon steadying into an un-
swerying line straight to the distant
target
There is something diabolical In the
dogged determination with which this
mass OF metal refuses to be diverted
from its goal.
The little rudders In the tail are al
ways working, keeping the head point
ing on Its path. One might well lmag-
Inc that diminutive man were secret
ed within those shining walls, SO accu-
rately is the missile steered
Strange as 1t may seem. this devilish
ingenuity. for 1t is nothing else. owes
its being to child's toy. Think OF the
incongruity! The most deadly weapon
the mind of man has ever conceived
owes its practical existence to a mag
ic top" primarily designed to amuse
children.
But such is the case, for here again
we find the wonderful gyroscope using
its we'll nigh human intelligence for
sinister purpose.
This terrible ingenuity, however, has
one great advantage, and that In
peaceful direction. Practice can be
carried out effectively and without
danger For this purpose the "war
head" containing the charge Is replac.
ed by dummy" filed with wood to
bring it up to the exact weight.
Three buoys are usually moored
mile or so away as a target. and the
torpedo seems to spring from the YES
sci like living thing, eager to reach
the center buoy.
Two rows of bubbles streak from the
ship in an ever Iengthening line. The
center buoy heaves slightly as they
pass. and several hundred yards far
ther on the bubbles suddenly cease as
a silver head protrudes for a moment
from the sea
Then. with engines at rest. the shin
ing body heaves gently up and down.
consciously waiting, as 1t seems. for
the boat TO tow 1t back to the ship.
More than this. lest it should be over
looked in heavy sea the torpedo
breathes spiral Of smoke and fame
into the air to show the seekers its
whereabouts.
Harmless, as we see, In practice.
but think Of Its powers In war-dead-
ly certainty of action, human intelli-
gence added to superhuman powers
working in secret! At any moment a
verltable "bolt from the blue" may
shatter a great battleship from stem
to stern.
Imagine the terrible uncertainty of
1t all-night following night Of anxious
watching long hours passed peering
into the darkness to see If black
craft Is lurking In the shadows! Every
speck dancing before tired eyes con
stitutes a menace to the weary brains
behind.
And then when fears are lulled, since
the danger never comes and vigilance
is relaxed gentle heaving, the pre-
lude to deafening roar. and the split
ting Of steel plates and the rushing of
water. brilliant flare in the dark
ness, the cries Of men on the verge Of
death. and the work is done
Afterward silence. while the mantle
Of night closes round again. and under
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