A TERRIBLE TORPEDO.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6501, 16 February 1882, Page 3

A TERRIBLE TORPEDO.

A new torpedo vessel is thus described by; the New. York correspondent of the “ Stan-; dard,” writing on November 16th ; — ! 1 In the : presence of a distinguished company,’a sue-S cessful exhibition took place yesterday of atorpedo vessel of entirely novel design, the: invention of the famous John Briccsen.: When he was consulted by Louis Napoleon,; in 1854, Ericosen submitted plans for a; monitor and this torpedo; both were, | however, rejected. The monitor, at Hampton! roads, revolutionized naval warfare ; and'; similarly this torpedo promises to mark a, new departure in submarine operations. The; torpedo boat is 130 long, 11 feet deep, and; 12 feet wide. The vital parts are wholly:, submerged. It is as strongly armoured asj any vessel afloat; is of 1000-horse power,: and has realised a speed of over 16 knots, j Its novel hydraulic steering apparatus en-. ables it to change its course instantly. It j moves ahead and astern with equal speed j and facility. Nothing afloat could dodge or; escape it. Passing by . many considerablebut minor novelties about it, the gun chal-| lenges attention for its simiplicity, noyelty, J boldness, and efficiency; It rests on-the; kelson, with the muzzle submerged 6 feet, and discharges the projectile directly into ; the water. Two chief difficulties had to be; overcome—first, to prevent the inrush of; water, which would sink the boat; 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 following manner 1 First, two: valves close the muzzle one is, permanent, and moved by machinery at will,; the second is carried away by the projectile.. Any injury to the vessel is obviated by a i valve of soft indiarubber, which advances' with a second missile, so arranged as to seal; the bare hermetically. - The missile thus! carries with it a volume of air into the water.; By this plan a passage is accomplished. from; the air into the water through gradually in-! creasing densities, and the result is merely a; retarding of the passage of the missile with-| out disturbing the accuracy of the aim. Yes-: terday 121 b. of giant powder formed ,thej explosive charge, which in practice is in-; tended to be 3401 b. of dynamite. A dummy torpedo was projected accurately a distance of 600 feet; it passed a target 5 feet under; water, and pierced the netting designed to represent the customary torpedo guard. The; French officers who were present declared,; before the experiments began, that the; -operation of the gun was impossible, and the' result amazed them. Altogether the mur-; derous engine seems to deserve the name it; bears— ‘ Destroyer.’ The inventor says he; has made 25 trials of it, and each was sue-' cessful.’’;;' J