The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-04-17
A THING OF THE NIGHT
The Dark and Deadly Mission Of
the Modern Torpedo.
ALMOST HUMAN IN ACTION.
II Starts Itself, Regulates Its Speed
and Depth and Steers Itself to Its
Unsuspectins Prey - DiaboIical In
Its Dogaed Determination.


thing of the night. The gun an
nounces it's presence with thunder ard
fame, but the torpedo steals silently
from the side of an unseen craft, and
only those who released its deadly
energy know that the missile is on its
way.
Look at 1t lying upon the deck, the
FURNISHED body glittering in the sun.
1t is hard to believe that an object
only sixteen feet long and weighing
200 pounds contains sufficient locked
up force to sink a battleship of many
thousand tons displacement and cause
the loss Of hundreds of lives and mil
lions Of dollars.
And yet there is a suggestion Of ire
mendous force about the cigar shaped
body that looks so threateningly solid
and strong. Indeed. the torpedo at
once attracts and repels the observer,
having much the same effect as
beautiful snake.
Deadly as are it's powers, a child
could prepare the weapon for its MUIR
derous task. Nowadays simplicity IS
synonymous with implements of war,
easy to kill our fellow men as to shell
the proverbial peas. So everything
about the torpedo works automatically.
Unlike other marvels Of machinery,
it is not even necessary to press the
button. The torpedo presses the but
ton for itself. From the moment 1t
enters the sea it 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 I'M
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 its goal.
The little rudders in the tail are al
ways working. keeping the head point
ing on its path One might well mag
Inc that a diminutive man were secret
ed within those shining walls, so accu-
rately is the missile steered
Strange as it may seem. this devilish
ingenuity, for it is nothing else, owes
It's being to childs toy. Think Of the
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 again
we find the wonderful gyroscope using
It's we'll nigh human intelligence for a
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 a dummy filled with wood to
bring it up to the exact weight.
| Three buoys are usually moored a
mile or so away as target. and the
torpedo seems to spring from the YES
sci like a living thing, eager to reach
the center buoy.
Two rows of bubbles streak from the
ship in an ever lengthening line. The
center buoy heaves slightly as they
pass, and several hundred yards far
Their on the bubbles suddenly cease as
a silver head protrudes for 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 it back to the ship.
More than this, lest it should be over
looked in a heavy sea the torpedo
breathes a spiral of smoke and fame
into the air to show the seekers its
whereabouts.
/ Harmless, as we see in practice,
but think of it's powers in war-dead-
ly certainty of action, human intelli-
gence added to superhuman powers
working in secret! At any moment a
veritable bolt from the blue" may
shatter a great battleship from stem
to stern.
Ina CINE the terrible uncertainty of
1t all-night following night Of anxious
watching, long hours passed peering
into the darkness to see If a 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, a gentle heaving, the pre-
lude to a deafening roar. and the split
ting of steel plates and the rushing OF
water. a brilliant fare 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
its welcome screen tiny craft steams
IN search Of another prey. leaving be
hind only a few floating sparks tc
mark the last resting place of a mighty
battleship and 800 human beings.
Imag CINE this, and you will know the
tremendous moral force locked uI
within those FURNISHED walls Ex
change.