326 TORPEDO WARFARE. 



tions by anchors or stockades. The bursting charge consists of gunpowder, 

 gun cotton or dynamite ; and the case or shell is either made of iron or wood ; 

 in Charleston harbor, old steam boilers were frequently used." 



"The Spar torpedo is fastened to the end of a spar from 15 to 38 feet long, 

 and explodes also either by electricity or contact. A most remarkable ex- 

 periment was recently made at Cherbourg, France, with spar torpedoes, 

 carried by a little vessel called the Thorneycroft, which was almost subma- 

 rine. A very small part of it was above water, but it was of suflScient 

 strength to carry engines and two lateen sails, and it was worked by a 

 lieutenant, two engineers and a pilot. The French Admiral had two disabled 

 ships in succession towed out to sea at a speed of 14 knots an hour. The 

 Thorneycroft, however, was able to go at the rate of 19 knots an hour, a rate 

 not attained by any vessel in the squadron. She very soon caught up with 

 her prey, delivered her blow with a Spar torpedo, which projected from her 

 bow and rebounded. A rent as big as a house was made in the side of the 

 ship attacked and she sank at once." 



"The Italian goveimment has already carried out this idea in the con- 

 struction of her formidable new ironclads, Dandolo and Duilio. The vessels 

 are fitted in their sterns with sort of armored dry dock, harboring a small 

 torpedo steamer. As soon as the services of the latter are required, the dry 

 dock is filled with water and opened and the little craft rushes out at the 

 enemy, returning to her safe berth after her mission has been fulfilled." 



"The Harvey (towing) topedo was invented by an English officer in 1862 : 

 it was soon adopted by nearly all the other navies, and probably will be ex- 

 clusively used in general actions at sea as least liable to injure a friendly 

 vessel in the melee. The Harvey torpedo is towed upon the surface of the 

 water by a wire rope towline from a derrick end of the yard arm over or 

 against the enemy; and just before reaching the ship to be destroyed this 

 towline is slackened, and the torpedo, being heavier than water, dives under 

 it. When in this position the explosion is effected by means of a mechanical 

 firing bolt striking down upon a pin as soon as certain levers of the torpedo 

 come into contact with the bottom of the target, This torpedo can also be 

 made to explode by electricity. Two different forms are used for starboard 

 and port." 



"Whitehead (fish) torpedoes. This invention is the secret and property 

 of the British Admiralty, but the following details have leaked out : These 

 torpedoes resemble in shape a cigar, pointed at both ends, and are 18 feet 

 long by two feet in diameter. The inside is divided into three different 

 compartments: First, the head, which contains a charge of 350 pounds ot 

 gun cotton and the pistol or detonator to explode it; secondly, the balance 

 chamber, wh ich con tains a contrivance for setting it so as to remain at any depth 

 at which it is wished to travel under the water line; and lastly, the air 

 chamber which contains the engines and the compressed air to drive them. 

 The after end supports the screws — a right and left handed — which propel 

 the torpedo and are made of the finest steel. The air chamber is tested to the 



