ABOARD THE THUNDERER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 114, 14 May 1878, Page 4

ABOARD THE THUNDERER.

Oa March 2nd, says an exchange, the Speaker of the House of Commons, aooompanied by about 100 oi the members, travelled by special train from Victoria Terminus to Portsmouth, aad

proceeded on board the Thunderer, as the guests of Lord Charles Beresford After inspecting the ship tbe party paid a visit to the Vernon, torpedoship, moored in the harbour, but sufficiently suggestive expermenta were carried out in the tidal basin, alongside the Thunderer, from tbe Vesuvine, the old torpedo-ship. One of the " Whiteheads," a cigar-shaped metal cylinder, pointed in front and with a screw in the lear, was started from the guiding frame fixed on a stout steam launch. It was directed to paBS a little ahead of a boat stationed at a distance of about 200 yards. Plunging without any splash into the water, and sinking to a depth which can be regulated to great nicety, the torpedo sped straight as an arrow, at a speed of twelye or fourteen knots, out of sight, but indicating its track by the bubbles of air which rose in its wake; it passed a few feet from her bows of the boat, and might just as easily have struck her fairly amidships. To show that the •' Whitehead " is not dependent on the directing framework for effective übo, a second torpedo was discharged by hand from a common dingy, making as true a course for the point de mire as the first. These experiments, which were more nearly public than anything which has yet taken place in regard to torpedoes, conveyed an idea of what may be anticipated from the use of these formidable weapons in attack. The next demonstration went to show what can be done in the way of defence against the hidden dangeas of fixed torpedoes, strikingly illustrating at the some time the dependence of modern warfare upon ecience. It has bean found that the explosion of a mine will burst or destroy all fixed submarine torpedoes within a radius of 100 feet. Those however who attempted to clear a channel by laying and firing mines would probably soon be blown up themselves, ond the next experiment went to show bow, by means of electricity, these mines may be laid and fired from a steamer without a soul on board. A stout steam launch, having on each side a barrel with a' lin box on the bilge, was started from the aide of the Vesuvius, towing after her as she went a telegraphic cable fast to her mast head. Through this cable currents of electricity were passed acting on the tiller as rapidly and effectively as if a steersman has been in tbe etern sheets. The boat went to port or to starboard at tbe will of the operator, finally turning off to port at right angles, and then dropping the two barrels wbich were supposed to represent countermines for destroying torpedoes in a channel where it would be dangerous for a boat's crew to venture. The barrels were' disengaged and dropped overboard by the electric current causing and explosion io the tin boxeß. This, in turn, ignited a time-fuBQ, burning long enough to enable the launch to be steered out of danger, and then the two barrels blew up in succession, etch being supposed to have cleared the channel of all bidden mines within a radius of 100 ft. After this the buples on board the Thunderer sounded to quarters, and in seven minutes from the last note of the call everything on the upper deck wae clear of the guns, turrets were manned, and the ship was ready for action. Hon. gentlemen, whose conception of tbe naval power of their country was certainly not diminished by anything they had seen during a very pleaaant days outing, warmly congratulated Captain Wilson and their colleague, Commander Lord Charles Bereaford, before returniug to Loudon.