HARBOUR DEFENCE.
Captain Ericsson, of the United States, appears to have invented an almost diabolic naval, engine of war, which promises to simplify considerably the question of Colonial defence. For some years this renowned sailor scientist has devoted himself to torpedo explosives. One of his last ideas was to substitute gunpowder for compressed air in the propulsion of submarine torpedoes. This principle underlies the whole theory of his new projectile, which is a wooden torpedo twenty-five feet long, containing a charge of two hundred and fifty pounds of dynamite. The powder is in the tail of the torpedo, and when ignited it gives the projectile an initial velocity at the rate of one hundred aud sixty miles an hour. The torpedo is fired from a smooth-bore breech-loading gun, made of wrought iron and hooped with steel; and this gun is carried by torpedo boats, and one shot is sufficient to sink the largest ironclad. A fleet of these torpedo boats could be built for the cost of one ironclad, and would be more than a match for an ironclad fleet.
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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 926, 16 March 1881, Page 2
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180HARBOUR DEFENCE. Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 926, 16 March 1881, Page 2
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