Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1881-11-19 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

NEW TORPEDO AND GUN.  The New fork Correspondent of the Standard, writin; Tueiday night, says:— In the presence of s distinguished company, a irste medal exhibition took place yesterday of • tome& vessel of entirely novel design, the invention of tit. famous John Ericssen. When he was consulted 131 Louis Napoleon, in 1854, Eritesen subniitted plans for a monitor and this torpedo; both were, howev rejected. The monitor, at Hampton Roads, revol tionised naval warfare; and similarly this torpe promises to mark a new departure In submarine opens eons. • The' torpedo boat is one hundred and•thlrty feel long, eleven feet deep, and twelve feet wide.- Thai vital parts are wholly submerged. It is as strongl* armoured as any vessel .float; is of one thousands horse power, and has realised a speed of over,sixteeti knots. Its novel hydraulic steering apparatnii enables it to change its course instantly. It moves ahead and "astern with equal speed and faciiityw Nothing afloat could dodge or escape it. . Passing by many considerable but minor novelties about it, the gun challenges attention for its simplicity,, novelty, boldness, and efficiency. It rests VA tba keelson, with the muzzle submerged six feet, ard dies charges the projectile directly into the water. Twai chief difficulties had to be overcome—first, to prevent the inrush of water, which would sink the boats, second, to obviate the deflection of the projectile when passing suddenly from the air into the denser medium" of water. These difficulties are overcome in the fold lowing manner :—First, two valves close the muzzis;' one is permanent, and moved by machinery. wilt wiltr the second is carried away by the projectile. An ilia, jury to the vessel is obviated by a valve of soft indissio rubber, which advances with a second missile,' eaf arranged as to seal the bore hermetically. Thentissillt thus 'carries with it a volume of sir inte the watee.l. By this plan a passage is accomplished from the aft into the water through gradually increasing densiti and the result is merely a retarding of the passage the missile without disturbing the accuracy of t aim.  Yesterday twelve pounds of giant powder formej the explosive charge, which in practice is intended tss be 3401b5. of dynamite. A dummy torpedo was mot jected accurately a distance of 600 feet; it passed at target five feet under water, and pierced the netting designed to represent the customary torpedo guard., The French officers who were present declared bolor. the expeximenta began that the operation of the gas was impossible, and the result amazed them. Alto 4 gether the murderous engine seems to deserve the name it bears, "Destroyer." The inventor says ho has made 52 trials of it, and each was successful.  1 Another remarkable Weapon deserves mention. AL casting has just been made of a cannon designed to test upon a large scale an invention which, tried in a model, was perfectly successful. The invention ill called the Lyman Haskell Accelerating Multicharg• Gun. The bore is six inches, and the length of the gun twenty-five feet. Instead of the usual sing* charge, four charges are disposed in chambers at intervals along the bore. Tnese are successively ignited as the shot passes along the barrel, with the result that its velocity is enormously increased. It is calculated that a ten-inch Haskell will be equal is destructive effect to an eighty-one ton sixteen-inch' Armstrong.  Ta be Let.  ROUSE AND SHOP TO LET in DAISY Corr, late occupied by the late Wm. Day. —Apply to Mr. F. SUTCLIFFE, Woodleigh, Rastrick.  ROUSE TO LET, in Huddersfield-road, Three Minutes' walk from Station; Sitting Item, Kitchen; and Three Bedrooms. For further particulars apply to Mrs. Noinu, Highfield House.  TO LET, the house in Mont Blanc Terrace, lately in the occupation of the Rev. S. Morgan. Rent, £2B per annum. Apply Bog 45, Post Office, Brighouse.  TO