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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 235, 4 October 1880, Page 2

Captain Edwin reported at noon :— *' Bid weather approaching; any direction between north-west and west and south. Glass rising within six hours." The Lady Barkly returned from Golden Bay yesterday afternoon. The Charles Edward arrived from the "West Coast yesterday morning, and returns there at 11 o'clock to-morrow morning. The Murray arrived at Hokitika yesterday, and leaves for Greymouth to-morrow morning, weather permitting. The Lyttelton arrived from Blenheim on Saturday, end leaves for Wellington direct at 10 o'clock to-nighfc. The Patea is expected to arrive here from Patoa on Wednesday. She is announced to sail for Patea via Wellington the aamo day. The Hawea arrived at Onehunga yesterday morning, and leaves on the downward trip to-morrow. The Taiaroa will take the next outward San Francisco mail, leaving here on Satur day. The Richard and Mary arrived from Oamaru yesterday, after a smart passage. She brings a curgo of wheat for Messrs Griffin and Son. The Wauaka left Wellington half an hour after neon to-day, will arrive here to-mor-row morning, and Bail for Picton, Wellington, and South by the same tide at 930 a.m. The Graf ton left Westport at 10 a.m. to#ay, will arrive here to-morrow morniug, and sail fcr Wellington and South by the same tide at 8 a.m. Defence Against Torpedo Boats. — The Admiralty having been desirous of ascertaining if a torpedo boat would stand a better chance against the Nordenfelt service gun at the full speed of a torpedo boat than it did in the trial when the gun was fired from the Medway some time ago, the Iris, Captain Seymour, was ordered to make a few runs at full speed towards the bow of a torpedo boat model to be used as a target. The Iris is one of the fastest vessels is the navy, and starting with a couple of miles spurt each time registered 17.2 knots per hour when the firing began. As the tide gave two and a Lalf knots more, the gun actually travelled at about 20 knots, or say 23 miles an hour. Ist iuu— The Iris steaming straight at the bow of the torpedo boat, fired 700 yards distance until close up, 102 shots in lmin. Osec. 2nd run — Same firing repeated, 1 1 1 shots in lmin. 11 sec. On inspection the boat was found to be hit by no leBS than 110 bullets out of the total of 213 fired in the two runs. Result, 93 shots and 48 hits per minute. 3rd run — The Iris ran past the boat parallel with her at a distance of 200 yards to represent the position when a torpedo boat dashes past a vessel for the purpose o£ discharging a Whitehead torpedo. The gun was limited to an arc of 90deg., and fired 58 Bhots in 22sec, during which the boat remained within the range fixed. The number of hits was 38. 4th run — A first class torpedo toit was got under way, and ran parallel to the Iris at the rate of 18 knots per hour, and the two vessels thus passing one another at 200 yards distance at the rapidity or over 40 miles an hour. The gun was fired throught the same limited arc of 90 deg., but ofjeouree this time with "dummy" cartridges, as the boat was manned, so that the hits can only be assumed ; but as 40 shots were fired in the 15secs. within the limited range, it is certain that the boat would have been disabled. These experiments show that excessive speed does not interfere with ,the efficiency of the gun, and on the other hand they prove how short a period of time is given for defence against torpedo boats.