A RUSSIAN TORPEDO SCANDAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2222, 17 February 1886, Page 2

A RUSSIAN TORPEDO SCANDAL.

A correspondent of the Novoe Vremya ac Valdivostock has provoked a sensation in Russian naval circles by discovering the following incident. A few wee&go the German steamer China Bet oirrTror Port Posiett, unaware that the harbor; was closed by a double row of which had been placed there during the, war scate in springs On its arrival the boat stationed thero to, \jarij off vessels, was not in its place v and the German captain did not observe the red flag hoisted on shore, wipe also the naval pickctt was >*uj absent. Two or three people observing the danger into which the vessel was run» ning, shouted out, "Mini! mini!" (" Mines! Mines!"), but the captain did not realise what they meant until close to the first torpedo barrier. It was then too late to reverse the engines, and amid a panic among the passengers on board ho decided to trust to luck and steam full speed ahead. A terrible pause followed, succeeded by a feeling of astonishment when the steamer was seen to have traversed both .rows of sub> marine mines,, and to be calmly rnaXm her way into the harbor. The tojjpedoejj, were supposed to bq oji received from Russia list spring, and'they were laid down' by experienced Qfficers reported that it was im|Aible for. evM the smallest fishing smiffi to enter the harbor without being blown to pieces. None the less they proved a dismal failure when tested by the China, and. the Russian Admiralty have telegraphed that the most searching investigation shall be made into the affair. At St. Petersburg it is not believed that the. officers bungled in laying them down, buU that the mishap was due to a repetition, o? f what occurred more than, once, wrth, tho, submarine mines Russia \\sed agaiwst'Sip Charles Napier in. tho. Baltic" failing to chpclf tha| gallant officer's operations they were'hauled up and oxamined, when it was found that the rascally officials ashore had purloined the gunpowder and replaced it with sawdust.—Engiiieoring Times,.