The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-02-02

| The after-body holds all the WORK
ing parts of the torpedo. Here IS the
cunning turbine engine, operated by
compressed air, which spins the Two
propeller blades at the rate OF near
IIv 1000 revolutions a minute. Ihls
develops some 130-horse power and
hurIs the torpedo through the water
at an initial speed of almost 40 Knots
an hour and keeps it going Tor close
to 10000 yards.
And in the tail is the most wonder
full of all the working parts OF TINS
modern engine of death-the gyro-
scope. 1t is the soul and heart or
the thing. Adjusted as del1cately as
chronometer it automatically con-
trolls, steers and keeps the torpedo
true to it's line of flight
What could be more nearly hu-
man?
| Nor is this all the delicate apba-
! ratus within the steel shape that car
ries death and destruction IN us
blunted nose. There are more than
1000 pieces of steel, brass ana
bronze making up the machinery
which carries the explosive to us Il
nal destination Everything is auto
matte. self-contained. Once it leaves
its mother-ship the torpedo adjusts
itself to varying conditions, as II II
had in mind the one thing-hit the
other fellow!
Firing a torpedo is simple. That
eye of the submarine, the perlscope'
reveals the location of the enemy.
The torpedo, already in its tube,
awaits the touch of a finger-noth-
ing more. The tube has spoon
shaped mouth, well creased within,
so that the torpedo may shoot out
easily and take the water in a horl-
zontal position.
Meanwhile before it has been shov-
ed home the torpedo's air chamber
has been charged to provide the en-
ergy for its engines. An impulse
charge of more compressed air, sort
of air-cartridge, is placed in position
and all is ready for the word.
Fire." from the man who knows
the moment when the enemy's snip
is in direct line with the tube.
The turn Of lever; the torpedo
shoots out. 1t hits the water. Pres
to! Its mechanism begins to WORK.
The propeller in front frees the mr.
ing pin. The gyroscope takes up the
Droper course. The rudders adjust
themselves true to the mark. The
instrument sinks to a depth OF or
feet and stays there, flying fast.
Only a silvery wake, bubbl1ng to the
surface, marks it's course, sleek as q
grayhound's and twice as swift. NO
human power can stop it until II
finds it's mark or misses altogether,
to die away far off on the surface or
the ocean. Then an automatic ar
rangement causes the torpedo to sink
to the bottom so that it can't fall
| into the enemy's hands, be charged
M with air again and fired back.
Uncle Sans one place for the man
ufacture of these torpedoes is al
Newport, R. l., where the torpedo
station is located. Here officers ana
men are taught how to handle the
big fellows, just as soldier is taught
how to use his gun and hit the Dull S
eye on the rifle range.
And how do these men Work IN the
undermurk? Almost as they would
on the surface. The periscope-eye
of the submarine-picks up the enc
nv on the surface of the water and
the officer who has his eye glued to
its lower glass gives the orders that
point the submarine straight at Tn"
unsuspecting warship.
They are running submerged now,
but the periscope is still sticking ouS
of the water a couple of feet or so,
SO that the navigator sees everything
perfectly. But the enemy can hardly
glimpse the periscope until the SUB
marine gets within the danger zone,
and then it is practically impossible
to hit it in a shot or two. Before any
accurate range can be had the sub
marine hobs down serenely, perlscope
and ALL steering by dead reckoning
straight at the helpless foe. Press
ure gauges indicate the depth at
which the boat is running and norl-
zontol rudders keep her at an even
depth. There are no ports-nOthing
would indicate to the men cooped up
within whether they are on the sur
face or below it, except for the dials
of the gauges.
No guessWork for the shots-nO,
the submarine can approach as close
" as her navigator pleases, even to
within a few yards. Perhaps he ''pOr-
poises" a couple of tlmes-comes up
to the surface to see if his course be
true and aimed at the vitals OF the
doomed man-of-war, and dives I'M
mediately again, trick that all sub
marines know.
The torpedo rests snugly in it's
tube. The air is already behind 1t
for the impelling force that sends the
missile straight at the good ships
heart. The war-head carries its hun
dreds of pounds of the highest type
OF explosive. The men stand ready
at their stations The quiet word
is spoken-the submarine lets go.
Straight to the mark flies the en-
gine-a mighty, mufied roar and the
deed is done. One more vessel is
stricken from the enemy's naval list.
A single submarine, U-9, and three
shots was all that was necessary to
do this for the Aboukir, Cressy and
Hogue, three smart British cruisers.
And nobody will know which other
ship is to be the next victim OF the
deadly torpedo.
IA boor IN mind wears work