AN AERIAL TORPEDO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10571, 18 January 1896, Page 3

AN AERIAL TORPEDO.

WILL SINK SHIPS TEN MILES OFF.

By means of theii- latest discovery, Mr Maxim and Dr Schupphaus, the gunpowder expert, have probably entirely revolutionised the art of war. The discovery is calld "tho Maxim-Schupphaus system of throwing auriisl torpedoes from guns by means of a npoeial powder, which Btarts the projectile with a low pressure and increases ita velocity by keeping the pressures well up throughout tliu whole length of the gun"; and. some experimnnU mude with this special powder have yielded most surprising results. lfor example, Irani a lOin gun, loaded with 1281b of this powder, a. projactile weighing 5711b was thrown night milts out to .sea, and equally conclusive proofs were obtained of its efficiency in torpodo practice.

To test by a really largo gan tho actual destructive work of this Dew powdfir would ho impossible in a civilised community. Tho fores of the high explosive thrown would be too great.

The gun which Messrs Maxim and Selwpphaue purpose to construct will ho a 20in (fun especially adapted for ooast defence. It will consist of a single thin steel tube about 30ft long, with walls not exceeding Bin in fchicknoßH. The recoil of the gun will be offset by hydraulic buflors underneath containing water and oil. A 20in gun of this type, using tha new powder, oonld be planted at the entrance of a harbour, and would command the entire sea for a radius of 10 miles. So uniform are the pressures and velocities obtained that a wonderful accuriuy of file is possible. It would only bo necessary to train the gan upon any ship sighted by the rauge-findar within this radius to ensure its complete destruction.

The quantity of. explosive thrown would bo sufficient; to aink a man-of-war if the projectile exploded in the water within 50ft of its side. At 150 ft the concussion would be severe enough to cause dangerous leaks, and to disable a Bhip. Eqnally fatal consequences would ensue if one of these great projectiles struck any part of the superstructure of a sbip aDd exploded. No man-of-war ever built could withstand such a shock. Its sides would be instantly torn asunder, and it wonld siok, a broken mats, into the waves. The explosion of one of these huge projectiles under water in proximity to & man-of-war would be equally disastrous.

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