Submarine Warfare, Offensive and Defensive, Including a Discussion of the Offensive Torpedo System, Its Effects Upon Iron-Clad Ship Systems, and Influ

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1869. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... ELECTBIC TORPEDOES. 161 CHAPTER XL ELECTRIC TORPEDOES. NECESSARY PARTS OF APPARATUS. AUSTRIAN SYSTEM.--COLONEL SCHOLL's FUZE. PLATINA FUZE. STATHAM's FUZE. COLONEL VERDU'S ELECTRO-MAGNETIC INDUCTION MACHINE. RHEO TOME. M. SAVARE'S IMPROVEMENT. WHEATSTONE's MAGNETO-ELECTRIC EXPLODER. BEARDSLEE's EXPLODER AND FUZE. ABELS FUZE.--RUSSIAN FUZE. GUYOT's FUZE.--ENGLISH EXPERIMENTS WITH MAGNETO-ELECTRICITY AND MAGNET FUZES.--WEST POINT EXPERIMENTS WITH BEARDS LEE'S APPARATUS. ELECTRIC TORPEDOES PART OF PERMANENT DEFENCES. BUOYANT TORPEDOES METHODS OF REMOVING THEM. ILLUMINATION _ OF HARBORS.--SUBMARINE GUNS. GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE DEFENSIVE SYSTEM. Military and naval engineers seem to have agreed that the most useful form of defensive torpedo is that which is exploded by an electric battery, and their attention has recently been particularly directed towards perfecting the apparatus by which its explosion may be controlled. It is also admitted that the general employment of the electric torpedo will greatly modify the system of harbor defence as now practised, while, in connection with far less costly works, naval enterprises against seaports will be rendered much more hazardous undertakings than they have ever yet been considered. The principal argument in favor of the electric over any other form of defensive torpedo is that it is harmless, except when it is desired to bring its power into action; and that its explosion is not left to chance or accident, but is controlled by the intelligent will of an operator. The application of electricity to produce explosions of gunpowder is, as we have seen, of comparatively recent date. It was suggested to Fulton during his time, but discarded by him as impracticable. In 1839, General Paisley is stated to have employed "galva...