THE MAKING OF THE FISH TORPEDOES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 264, 24 May 1878, Page 15

THE MAKING OF THE FISH TORPEDOES.

It is at Fiume, on the Adriatic, that Mr. Whitehcad, the inventor of the. iish torpedo, has his principal factory. Scores of skilled labourers work there night and day at the manufacture of these engines of destruction ; and under bis immediate supervision, and continual experimenting this deadly weapou is daily undergoing improvements, which render it as nearly life-like in its attributes as it is in appearance when seen in motion under water. So much does the fish torpedo resemble a porpoise or dolphin when self-propelled through the Avater at a little depth below the surface that on one occasion, avlicii Mr. Whitehead first began experimenting Avith them at Finnic, n native sportsman Avho happened to be on the bcacb, probably on the look-out for wild fowl, fired at one which was being tried at long range but parallel Avitli the shore. At another time Mr. Whitehead lost a torpedo, which, after a lapse of more than a year, he recovered, through some accidental cast of fisherman's nets, and which proved a valuable haul to them eventually, when they took it to its original ovner, although they were at fiist disappointed to iind that the iish was a metal one. -Soinc of the lookei's-on "who had seen the haul at a distance reported the capture of an enormous monster to the town folks. The price of one of these fish torpedoes, as supplied to the British Government is about tAVO thousand five hundred dollars. When first the inventor experimented with his fish torpedo the maximum speed attained by it was nine knots ; the present oues go through the water for a given distance at the rate of sixteen to eighteen, and some are noAV in course of construction, by orders of and for the use of th-j Russian Government, Avhicli Avill tra\ r cl at the hitherto unequalcd speed of twenty -four knots. These latter Avill bo of large dimensions, but the given di&tance at a maximum rate of speed will also be greater and the explosiA'e matter contained in increased quantity. Each torpedo is tested before delivery, of course only as regarded its prppelling capacities, its accuracy of adjustment, etc., and not its exploding capabilities, which are naturaHy taken for granted. — London Times.