The Washington herald., 1914-04-09

of the United States navy. who was
one of the most active of the Confed-
crate torpedo officers. The boat car
ried a crew of six officers and men.
The hull of the destroyer was small.
and like an ordinary launch. except
that IL was partly submerged. II was
propelled by a steam engine, and car
ried its torpedo, containing hfty-three
pounds of powder. on a spar at the
bow.
After exploding the torpedo under
the Minnesota's port side, ten feet be-
low the water line. with the result OF
knocking down some of the interior
fittings, but not of crushing her plank
ing-Lieut Davidson, although fired
upon. nayigated his little destroyer in
safety back TO the James He jour
neyed back to Richmond in her with
out incident.
Mnury Torpedo Pioneer.
The attack on the Minnesota was
similar in character to one that had
DESTROYED the fine slOop of war Housa-
tonic. on February II. of Charleston.
except that the boat which delivered
that attack was a submarine
The Confederates by that attack had
ernpha sized their leadership in using tor
pedoes so thoroughly as to lead the FED
eraI commsn nder at Charleston, Admiral
John A. Dahlgren, to recommend that
the government at once take up the
building Of torpedo boats
The Confederate navy. although a navy
in name only. had fairly won credit for
introducing torpedoes in the war. It's
officers. all Of whom were educated in
the United States service, had not been
hampered by established bureau PreJu-
dices OF red tape. and mad plunged early
into experimenting with torpedoes.
On April Il 1862. the Confederate Con-
gress had passed an act which allowed
inventors OF machines for the destruc-
tion OF the enemy's armed vessels 30
per cent Of the value of all vessels de-
stroyed by such machines. The Confed-
crate Congress also appropriated at, dit-
ferent times liberal sums for submarine
torpedoes.
Among the first of the Southern In
ventors to turn his attention to sub
marines and torpedoes was Lieut.. Mat
thew F. Maury. who was formerly OF
the hydrographic office of the old navy,
and whose scientific work had made him
well known to the naval men OF the
world Soon after his retirement from
the United States Navy. Lieut. Maury
established himself in Richmond and
turned his attention to the planting OF
torpedoes in the James River. An agent
was sent to New York for insulating
wire, as there was neither wire fac
tory nor any insulating material in the
South. The supply OF gutta-percha or
India rubber was short. owing to the
blockade. and IL was suggested that all
rubber shoes be confiscated and the rub
Der in them used for insulating torpedo
wires
Obtaining materials by many make
shifts. Maury mined the James River
below Richmond. When in October, 1862.
he was sent to Europe as a navy agent.
ne turned over the fruits of his iabors
and experiments to Gen. Gabriel ]. Rains,
was soon transferred to the Mississippi
and planted torpedoes in the Iazoo near
Vicksburg.
Crude. hut Effective.
The Confederates were tireless IN min
ing their rivers and harbors and expert
menting with boats Some of their fixed
torpedoes were crude but effective.
The ironclad Cairo was sunk on the
Yazoo River, December l.. 1885, by a
torpedo devised by DR.. ]. r. Fretwell. a
Western inventor. that consisted of a
whisky demijohn filled with powder and
fitted with a percussion cap. On July 3
1855. the United States ironclad DE Kalb
was sent to the bottom of the same
river by another of DR.. FretwelTs ma
chimes.
An electric torpedo, the first OF its kind,
destroyed the gunboat Commodore Jones.
near Turkey Bend. on the James River,