SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



99 



safety the shock of acceleration exerted upon it 

 when firing the gun. 



To successfully throw these engines of destruc- 

 tion, a steadily increasing pressure in the gun is 

 desirable. Therefore, in conjunction with Dr. 

 Robert C. Schiipphus, Mr. Maxim has invented a 

 new form of smokeless powder, which is cast into 

 multi-perforated cylindrical forms. The object is 

 that the ignition may proceed not only on the 

 outer sides of these cylinders, but throughout the 

 perforations which pass down the centre of each 

 piece. This invention is so important that it has 

 been adopted by the United States Government 

 after prolonged trials at Sandy Hook. 



The result of Mr. Maxim's invention of aerial 

 torpedoes will probably be to the navies of the 

 world similar to the discarding of metal armour 

 by soldiers in olden times, when it was found no 

 longer necessary or possible to keep out the pro- 

 jectiles fired by gunpowder. His torpedoes will 

 render useless the most powerful armour-plates. 

 We may expect after a time to see the energies of 

 those charged with the care of our coasts devoted 

 to the speed and mobility of vessels which can 

 carry one or more guns from which these torpedoes 

 can be thrown. Even now attention is being given 

 to these small fast-steaming vessels in the form 

 of torpedo-boat destroyers. Some have already 

 attained a higher rate of speed than would have 

 been thought possible only a few years ago. No 

 one can forecast what may happen if boats of the 

 Turbinia" type come into practical use. 

 These are driven at very high speed by the 

 power of steam turbines, instead of the ordinary 

 screw-propeller. 



Unarmed vessels carrying light, but powerful 

 guns to fire aerial torpedoes, may shortly be seen 

 with a speed reaching fifty nautical miles 

 per hour. With one of these desperate little 

 craft, a skilful and well-trained officer and crew 

 may render useless a whole fleet of ponderous 

 iads. 



The aerial torpedo has an immense advantage 

 over any torpedo launched into water and pro- 



llir.g itself beneath the surface, because of the 

 nT range and accuracy of the Maxim 

 torpedo, together with its comparative inexpensive- 

 new and the far greater quantity of high e.\j 

 it will - i 



In Mr. Maxim's book, just issued, are full par- 

 ticulars of the aerial torpedoes, the details being 

 explained at length, and illustrated by drawings 

 by these we find that the space occupiel by the 



rpedocs is extra- 

 inly %mall when compared with the Maxim 

 .' hi'., lor iflftani -leven times 



that of the Whitehead torpedo The '•■ 



a range of ■ whilst the 



Whitehead type has a range of less than a mile, 

 with only 200 lbs. of guncotton as the destructive 

 explosive. 



It will be readily understood that the exploding 

 of such masses will carry devastation sufficient to 

 blow in the whole side of a war-ship without ever 

 touching the vessel. A man-of-war representing an 

 area of 17,220 square feet would be utterly destroyed 

 if a Maxim torpedo containing half-a-ton of gun- 

 cotton fell and exploded within a circle of 245 feet 

 from the centre of the ironclad. Likewise the 

 same effect would occur if a Maxim torpedo with a 

 charge of one ton of cotton exploded within a circle 

 of 410 feet of the vessel. The pressure caused by 

 such an explosion at that distance from the ship 

 would drive in all the part beneath the water 

 which is " below the belt " and forms the protection 

 of the hull under water. If the torpedo were to 

 pitch on deck or explode above the deck, the effect 

 would be not only to sink the ship, but to kill every 

 living thing on board of her. 



Some readers will naturally think that great 

 danger will ensue to those brave officers and men 

 who man the guns which are to discharge 

 torpedoes containing half-a-ton or a ton of gun- 

 cotton. It has been found, however, that little 

 danger exists when the cotton is compressed in a 

 wet condition, for it cannot then be fired without 

 a specially constructed fuse arranged for the 

 purpose. In this state the mass may be tumbled 

 about with impunity, and the torpedo may be shot 

 through and through by an enemy without explod- 

 ing, unless the small detonator happens to be 

 struck. This occupies so small a place in the 

 shell that little chance exists of a shot striking it. 

 Thus, as the torpedo magazine on board the 

 cruiser is placed well below the water-line, the 

 chances of an explosion caused by the enemy's 

 shot are very small. 



When we consider that our large men-of-war 



carry each a population equal to quite a large 



village, we shall be reminded how awful will be 



the destruction of life in future naval warfare. Mr. 



Maxim's system, if generally used, will enormously 



add to that elimination of human existence. We 



believe, however, that such inventions are in the 



end for the good of mankind. When science is 



thus made the active agent in battle, instead of 



brute-force, the powers and governments must, 



under such circumstances, in time, hesitate to 



enter upon war. The human race will always 



e men whose ambition carries them beyond 



the thought of sacrifice of their kind to attain 



elfish ends /Venal torpedoes and thi like 



engine. 1 lion .'.ill, however, stop mm fa oi 



dour of their followers, for such applii ationfl 



nee reduce to a minimum the possibility of 



attaining distill! til ' the rank and file I 



the bel 



