A NEW MARINE MONSTER.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 120, 12 February 1879, Page 3

A NEW MARINE MONSTER.

■ A now “ marine monster” is in proI cess of construction on the shores of j Communipaw, near Pamrapo, in the ; United States, which, it is asserted, ! will completely revolutionize naval war- ; fare. Before it the navies of the world j are expected to disappear “ as leaves bej fore an autumn breeze.” Tin’s seai lemon is built of iron, and is 2] feet 6 | inches length. Jo inelms in diameter, j and nearly 4 fi-et in circumference at its ! largest part amidships. From this i point it tapers down to the bow, which I is shaped exactly like the sharp end of a | cigar. At the how, screwed in, is the j torpedo, with a brass cap at the end. j It is charged with KMJ'.b of dynamite, j equal to tiOUib of ‘‘giant powder,”or j enough force to whirl into the air in i fragments the largest ship afloat, or in fact, it is said, a whole fleet. Aft of this torpedo, is the ct Under which contains the motive power of gas. This is generated in a machine ashore and charged in the cylinder. Amidships is the engine, and aft of that is the steering apparatus. The craft has a centre spring rudder, aft of which is a twobladed propeller on a hollow shaft, in which are contained the wires by which the craft is manned, sailed, steered, and fought from shore . While gas is the motive power, electricity Irom shore works the valves, starts the machinery and does the steering. There are two batteries aboard—one for the motive power and one for the steering apparatus. All the apparatus is in air-tight compartments except the engine, which is flooded constantly by holes through the ship, for otherwise, so intense is the cold generated by the gas that the engine would freeze up. In the vessel, astern, is a huge reel on which several miles of fine copper wire, coated with guttapercha, is coiled. The wire is attached to the battery ashore, and. is gradually unwound as the vessel goes towards its destination. When it returns the wire is by another process wound on a similar reel on shore. In action, however the vessel never returns, for after destroying the enemy it blows itself up. This interesting little monster has a speed of 15 miles an hour, and can be despatched to a distance of four miles and return. With a greater supply of motive power and more wire on the reel the distance can be extended. There is no risk to be run and no lives to bo lost (except the enemy’s) as on other torpedo boats.