New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-25
American Inventors New
Device May Doom Many
Big BattleshipS.
EUROPEAN NATIONS
BID FOR WAR TOY"
Metal of Vessels Will Attract
Speedy Carrier Filled with
High Explosives.


Europe. Those guns reduced the forts
Al Licge. Nsmur and Antwerp and
wrought havoc in Rheims. SO civiliza-
ion shnddered when the 27-centimetre
fcld guns Or the French army dcci-
mated whole regiments a. the rate a,
General Joare grimiy put IL. zone shel,
90 company" These weapons are
revolution ing warfare on land, and
that revolution is only in Is infancy
But there is still another internal ma
chine FOR winch even now the war-
ring powers across The sea arc bidding
!, may bring 2bou, revolution iu
naval warfare.
Allan 4. Canton. a Young American.
has invented torpedo which he de-
clares TO be more effective than any
other ever used. Re bases his ssser-
ton on lis accuracy. BY means Of al
electrical device, which is attracted by
sny great mass Of metal, the rudders
guiding the torpedo are affected, and
Il viii steer in that direction. So
sensitive is this device that II the mis-
sile be discharged at ship ST a range
or two or three or even FIVE miles.
which is far beyond the range Of the
torpedoes now i'm use, that ship is
doomed
And this torpedo is effective at ten
miles, declares Mr.. Canton. The gyro-
scope, used in all torpedoes. controls
10 for approximately eight miles, and
the electrical machinery viii control
II for two or three miles more. It has
speed Of forty knots sn hour, which
is almost double that OF any OF the
first line bsttleships or dresdnoughts'
and is faster than the swiftest de-
stroyers now afoat.
Success Centred in Coils.
In sppearance 10 is similar TO the
ordinary Whitehead torpedo now IN
usc. except that il has two arms o.
nickel silver attached on either side
projecting at right angles. At the
ends Of these arms are wire magnetic
coils. about four inches in diameter.
Upon these magnetic coils hinges the
success of the torpedo. A high fire.
ogcrcv current passes through them
Ind the presence Of any great mass o.
metal changes the sclf-inducton whlcf
elects the electrical relays, and these
in turn operate the motor controlllhs
the rudder. So the torpedo Will steer
for its target, and viii follow lt no
matter how often the target may
change its course.
Tho rvroscopc which is used % slc
in kccrinc the torpedo on even kec
and ia straight line Is effective until
the arms. or more properly. the coils
come within range of the target. liner
tho ryrosconc Is automatically cut Out
and no longer affects the steering Do
any way. Not only is this wonderful
engine Of destruction effective agslns'
ships above the surface o. the water
but is the only torpedo In the worlC
now which may be used against thC
submarine torpedo boats.
Rv means Of q hydrostatic valve, whlc
regulates the water pressure and also
controls a pendulum device, the tor
pedo $ kept on an even Keel.
Adjusted for use beneath the water
u will travel along until 10 comes with
in point blank range OF ITS INTENDED
victim. when the diving fins. which are
connected aft by the rudder, Wi
cause il 20 plunge deeper and on to th'
boat. or will send 10 crashing up from
beneath IL. or course, the llghtest con
tact will cause an explosion and Wrecf
whatever 10 hits.
This torpedo carries the regulation
varhead. with a charge of some 800 C
900 hounds Of wet guncotton or lyddlte
or. al the pleasure Of those using ID
can be loaded with the newly dlseov
cred trotal gelatin. IL has double
cxplosion head. At first contact d
tears a hole and then, plungng IN, eN
Modes a second time. this time IN th'
very vitals Of the stricken ship. NJ
craft could remain afoat for more thar
zen minutes after the contact.
The effectiveness OF any torpedo he
primarily BOO the great charge OF hgi
explosives 10 carries, and, second, u
the fact that none, or, no any event
few. Of the great batilesmps carr,
heavy armOr belts below the Waterilne
There is no ship which can hoat aite
being struck a smashing blow by tor
pedo. To be sure, there are instances
among others in the Russo-Japanes
War. in which torpedoed SHIPS wer
saved by Bleaching them, after whlci
they we're repaired, out lhese eA0eP
.ions prove the rule.
NJ Canton said last night that q
least 20 per cent Of the torpedoes as
charged az moving targets iaileo 70 h''
No Escape for Enemy.
All torpedoes. due 10 the terrih
speed al which they are driven csus'
q wake in the water. which IN daytime
Is easily discovered, but from the Can
ION torpedo there can be no escape
as there is no such warning.
II differs from the torpedo which u
controlled b. wireless from the fight
inr TOP Of cruiser, battleship o.
dreadnought. or from the bridge OF
DESTROYER. These are visible 70 the
opcrators. which. o. course, makes
,hem visible TO the enemy a. well
Csnton's war aid is self-controlEng
and GOES about It's work so FAR be.
10Th the surface Of the water that
no sbell can penetrate and hit H.
The inventor said yesterday that
civen the sea room in which 20 ma
nrnyre. ne would pit high power
boat equipped with his torpedoes
against a feet Of super-dreadnoughts
OF the New York type.
Such a weapon. 10 Is said, would DE
OF inestimable value II q harDor were
being blockadcd. A torpedo might De
Ioosed al any hour OF the day or night
and. since Il is deadly in It's accuracy
bprled against a single vessel II could
uick out its victim, as Do were N sent
into the midst Of feet. And IN sucn