THE INVENTOR OF THE BRENNAN TORPEDO.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1525, 5 April 1887, Page 3

THE INVENTOR OF THE BRENNAN TORPEDO.

A London telegram recently stated that £3l),( 00 nad been proposed as part of a vote of £111,000, to be given to Oap'ain Brennan for his torpedo rights. The story of the invention ia remarkable, and quita as authentic as that of Walt and thH tea kettle. Mr Biennau, who it just 30 yearn of *ge, when a more youth, waß m a Melbourne engine fitting shop. Muting at home ono evening, he amua«d hittiße f with pull'ng at the cotton on a reel of thread on tbe table, and was struck by notioing that the more he pnlled the further the reel rolled away: At that, time torpedoes Were the rage, owintr to the ex< cation they had done urine tbe Russo-Turkish war The Wbitebead torpedo was then the principal arm of the kind, and the only fault fou d with it was that it would move m bui one direcion, so that the prey was able, if named m time, to escape <>y changing its course. The case was that of the wild Least, which, failing m its fitßt attack, tried uo more Experiments were being o.ade to get more command over it. The young Melboumitt*, liko other men m the engineering way, hud thought 1 of thip, and w. at a reward would meet the BUCco»Bful inventor, and the motion of tho reel gave him a clao which he patiently worked upon Mr brennan found a ecientiGc supporter m Profeacor Kernot, of Melbourne University, and financul backers m Mr divert, a Melbourne printer, aud his brother, Mr Samuel Caivurt.