Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/411

* TORPEDO. 357 TORPEDO BOAT. knots with almost perfect directive force. The application of the Obry gyroscopic gear to the otherwise perfected Whitehead, however, drove the Howell out of the field, and it is now prac- tically unused. In 1S73, while the success of the Whitehead remained uncertain in many minds, Mr. J. L. Lay brought out his first controllable torpedo, propelled by carbonic acid gas and directed by electricity through wires paid out from a reel in the torpedo as it advanced. The Lay was followed by a host of similar inventions, the La3--Haight, Patrick, Nordenfelt, Brfennan, Sims- Edison, and others; but, although some are still officially in service, none are regarded as of much use in modern warfare. Controllable torpedoes, steered by wireless induction currents, have been under experiment. The first Whitehead to be fired with hostile intent was directed at the Peruvian monitor Euascar by the British cruiser Shah, which sought to capture or destroy the former to pre- vent her from further lawless attacks on British vessels. The shot failed because fired at too ^eat a distance. In 1891 two Chilean Govern- ment torpedo vessels sank the insurgent armor- clad Blanco Encalada with Whitehead torpedoes, and during the Japan-China W'ar several ves- sels were destroyed by them. The recent im- provements in the range, speed, and directive force of Whitehead torpedoes, as well as in torpedo boats and firing appliances, has caused a con- siderable change in naval opinion, which now is inclined to regard the Whitehead as a most dangerous weapon; still it is not, as many un- informed people seem to think, likely to take the leading part in future wars, because the danger from it may be greatly reduced by careful dis- position of ships at night, proper scouting, and increasing vigilance. Moreover, since it is only useful against vessels and cannot support opera- tions against coasts, fortifications, or men, it can never hope to displace the gun and the well- protected gun-carrying warship. BiBLiooEAPHT. For further information, con- sult: Sleeman, Torpedoes and Torpedo Warfare (2d ed., Portsmouth, Eng., 1889) ; Armstrong, Torpedoes and Torpedo Vessels (2d ed., London, 1902) ; Annual of the Office of Naval Intel- ligence (U. S. Navy) ; Brassey, Xaval An- nual (Plymouth) ; Buchard, Torpilles et tor- pilleurs (Paris, 1889); Proceedings of United States Xaval Institute (Annapolis, quarterly). See articles on Torpedo Boat ; Torpedo Boat, iSuBMAHixE : Torpedo Director; etc. TORPEDO, or Electric Eat. A ray (q.v.) of the family Narcobatidse, which inhabits %varm seas, and often is of large size. These rays have a broad, flat body with a comparatively slender tail, and are of interest because of the electrical powers which they possess. (See Electric Fi.sh.) There are about 15 species, of which the best known is Torpedo marrnoratus of Southern Europe. A similar species, the 'cramp- fish,' or 'mimhfish' (Torpedo occidentalis), occurs on the Atlantic coast of the United States, and is said to attain a weight of 200 pounds. The same, or a very similar species is found on the coast of California. See Plate of Electric Fish. TORPEDO BOAT. A small war vessel fitted to use the torpedo as its primary weapon of at- tack. The principal requirements of a torpedo boat are high speed, efficient means of launching torpedoes, handiness, and fair seaworthiness. To attain these essentials the boats are long, slender, very lightly built, and low in the water. The torpedo tubes are pivoted on deck — on small boats on the fore-and-aft midship line; on larger boats, near the side. Modern torpedo boats be- long to four classes : (a) torpedo boat destroyers; (b) sea-going boats; (c) harbor boats; and (d) portable boats carried by men-of-war. Tor- pedo boat destro^-ers are here classed with torpedo boats because of similaritj' in general design and because they will undoubtedly be used for torpedo attack in the same manner as the smaller craft — from which they differ little except in size and the possession of a battery sufficiently powerful to quickly sink and destroy boats of' the lesser dimensions. They vary in size from 250 to 600 tons. The torpedo boat proper carries very few and very small guns. Sea-going boats are of 100 to 250 tons; harbor boats (capable of going to sea in moderate weather) of 30 to 100 tons; and portable boats of from 5 to 15 tons. The speeds are in somewhat similar ratio, destro.yers having 26 to 35 knots; sea-going boats, about 25 knots; harbor boats, 20 to 25 knots; and port- able boats, 13 to 17 knots. Torpedo boats can only hope to be successful when attacking under cover of night or of thick fog, and several should attack a ship simultane- ously and from different directions. The defense against them consists of picket boats, torpedo nets (q.v.), rapid-firing guns (q.v.), and search- lights (q.v.). Although it is difficult to sink a well-built modern battleship by torpedo attack, it is always possible, and the knowledge of this fact exercises a great moral effect. All maritime nations possess torpedo boats. (See Navies.) In 1903 the Llnited States boats were, with one or two exceptions, quite new, and averaged much larger than those of the same class in foreign navies. The American destroyers are much more heavily armed than the foreign ones. Sixteen of them carry two 3-inch guns and five 6poimders, and the other four have four to seven 6-pounders. Many of the foreign destroyers carrj" only five or six 1-pounders or 3-pounders; while, aside from a few of the latest British boats, none car- ries more than one 3-inch. In its earliest form the torpedo boat contained merely a large quantity of powder and was it- self destroyed by the explosion. Craft of this type were used by Gianibelli at Antwerp in 1585. (See Torpedo.) The first evolutionary step de- veloped boats which carried torpedoes that were designed to be attached to the bottom of the enemy's ship. All of this type were submarine. (See Torpedo Boats, Submarine.) The first surface boats appeared during the American Civil War and the first partial success was achieved (October, 1863) in an attack by a Con- federate boat on the Federal armorclad New Ironsides, in which the latter was slightly in- jured. Practically all of the torpedo boats of the war used 'spar' torpedoes, which were carried at the end of a long spar or boom rigged out be- yond the bow; and nearly all were ordinary steam launches or pulling boats, though the boat which attacked the Xcw Ironsides and one or two others were specially built craft with nearly sub- merged hulls. In 1873 the first fast (speed, 15