EXPLOSIONS***


E-text prepared by MWS, Tom Cosmas, and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made
available by Internet Archive/American Libraries
(https://archive.org/details/americana)



Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
      file which includes the original illustrations.
      See 51748-h.htm or 51748-h.zip:
      (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51748/51748-h/51748-h.htm)
      or
      (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51748/51748-h.zip)


      Images of the original pages are available through
      Internet Archive/American Libraries. See
      https://archive.org/details/torpedowarsub00fultrich





TORPEDO WAR, AND SUBMARINE EXPLOSIONS.


by

ROBERT FULTON

Fellow of the American Philosophical Society,
and of the
United States Military and Philosophical Society.


   The Liberty of the Sea will be the Happiness of the Earth.







New-York:
Printed by William Elliot, 114 Water-Street.
1810

New York
Reprinted
William Abbatt
1914

Being Extra No. 35 of The Magazine of History with Notes and Queries




CONTENTS


                                                                  Page
  TORPEDO WAR, &c.                                                   5
    PLATE I                                                          7
    PLATE II                                                        10
    PLATE III                                                       13
    PLATE IV, Fig. 1                                                15
              Fig. 2                                                17
    PLATE V,  Fig. 1 & 2                                            17
              Fig. 3                                                20

  THOUGHTS -- On the probable effect of this invention              20
    Estimate of the Force to Attack so Formidable a Blockade Fleet  32
    Manner of Arranging the Boats Until Wanted                      33
    First Mode of Attack                                            35
    Second Mode of Attack                                           36

  ON -- the imaginary inhumanity of Torpedo war                     40

  A VIEW -- of the political economy of this invention              43




EDITOR'S PREFACE


In view of the prominent part played in the present World War by
torpedoes and submarines, the subject of our Extra No. 35 is
peculiarly timely.

The original of 1810 is very scarce, only one copy having been sold
at auction in many years: nor are copies to be found in any but a few
of our libraries. Fulton's claims for his invention have been fully
substantiated and some of his predictions, made more than a century
ago, are remarkably interesting, in view of the events of the past
five months. His estimate of our population in 1920 has already been
exceeded in fact, and only his plan of affixing torpedoes to their
prey by means of harpoons seems--for it was made in the days of wooden
ships--fantastic, in these days of iron clads. He could not foresee that
almost exactly a century would elapse before his invention would be
extensively used--though he cautiously says "it is impossible to foresee
to what degree torpedoes may be improved and rendered useful."

In the Joline collection of autograph letters, sold this month, was an
extremely interesting letter of Fulton's, addressed to Gen. William
Duane. A part reads:

                                                 "New York, March 1, 1813

  I am happy to find you continue the firm friend to torpedoes; an
  infant art which requires only support and practice to produce a
  change in Maritime affairs of immence (_sic_) importance to this
  country. Expecting the enemy here, I have not been idle, I have
  prepared 9 torpedoes with locks that strike fire by concussion, and
  four with clockwork locks."

The letter is of great interest throughout, and tells of his plans for
blowing up the enemy or driving them from New York waters, his regret
that he had not enough torpedoes for the Chesapeake; and contains a list
of the cost of various sorts, &c.

We regret that we could not secure permission to copy the whole of it.




TORPEDO WAR, &c.


  _To JAMES MADISON, Esq. President of the United States, and to the
    Members of both Houses of Congress._

Gentlemen,

In January last, at Kalorama, the residence of my friend Joel Barlow,
I had the pleasure of exhibiting to Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Madison, and a
party of gentlemen from the senate and house of representatives, some
experiments and details on Torpedo defence and attack; the favourable
impression which the experiments appeared to make on the minds of the
gentlemen then present; and my conviction that this invention, improved
and practised to the perfection which it is capable of receiving, will be
of the first importance to our country, has induced me to present you in
the form of a pamphlet a description of my system, with five engravings,
and such demonstrations as will give each of you an opportunity to
contemplate its efficacy and utility at your leisure; and enable you to
form a correct judgment on the propriety of adopting it as a part of our
means of national defence. It being my intention to publish hereafter
a detailed account of the origin and progress of this invention, and
the embarrassments under which I have laboured to bring it to its
present state of certain utility; I will now state only such experiments
and facts as are most important to be known, and which, proving the
practicability of destroying ships of war by this means, will lead the
mind to all the advantages which we may derive from it. I believe it
is generally known that I endeavoured for many years to get torpedoes
introduced into practice in France, and in England; which, though
unsuccessful, gave me the opportunity of making numerous very interesting
experiments on a large scale; by which I discovered errors in the
combinations of the machinery and method of fixing the torpedoes to a
ship; which errors in the machinery have been corrected: and I believe I
have found means of attaching the torpedoes to a vessel which will seldom
fail of success. It is the result of my experience which I now submit
to your consideration; and hoping that you will feel an interest in the
success of my invention, I beg for your deliberate perusal and reflection
on the following few pages. Gentlemen who have traced the progress of
the useful arts, know the years of toil and experiment, and difficulties
which frequently pass, before the utility and certain operation of new
discoveries have been established; hence it could not be expected,
that torpedoes should be rendered useful without encountering many
difficulties; and I am aware, that in the course of farther essays other
difficulties will appear; but from my past experience I feel confident,
that any obstacle which may arise can be surmounted by attention and
perseverance: of this gentlemen will be better able to judge, after
examining the following facts and details:


Note on vessels of war of the United States

From which a comparative estimate may be made of their expence, and the
expence of armed Torpedo boats; also the degree of protection which a
given sum would effect, expended in either way.

_The Ship Constitution_

  Guns                                             54
  First cost, dollars                         302,718
  Annual expence when in commission, dollars  100,000
  Draft of water, feet                             23

_The Wasp_

  Guns                                             18
  First cost, dollars                          60,000
  Annual expence in commission, dollars        38,000
  Draft of water, feet                             15

_A Gun Boat_

  First cost, fitted for sea, dollars          12,000
  Annual expence in commission, dollars        11,000
  Men                                              36
  Number of gun boats of the United States        167

  This Work having been published in haste, the errors of the press,
  and those of diction, shall be corrected in the second edition.

  (For tables, see pages 54-55)


[Illustration: PLATE I.]

PLATE I

_Is a view of the brig Dorothea, as she was blown up on the 15th of Oct.
1805._

To convince Mr. Pitt and lord Melville that a vessel could be destroyed
by the explosion of a Torpedo under her bottom, a strong built Danish
brig, the _Dorothea_, burthen 200 tons, was anchored in Walmer road,
near Deal, and within a mile of Walmer Castle, the then residence of Mr.
Pitt. Two boats, each with eight men, commanded by lieutenant Robinson,
were put under my direction. I prepared two empty Torpedoes in such a
manner, that each was only from two to three pounds specifically heavier
than salt water; and I so suspended them, that they hung fifteen feet
under water. They were then tied one to each end of a small rope eighty
feet long: thus arranged, and the brig drawing twelve feet of water, the
14th day of October was spent in practice. Each boat having a Torpedo
in the stern, they started from the shore about a mile above the brig,
and rowed down towards her; the uniting line of the Torpedoes being
stretched to its full extent, the two boats were distant from each other
seventy feet; thus they approached in such a manner, that one boat kept
the larboard the other the starboard side of the brig in view. So soon
as the connecting line of the Torpedoes passed the buoy of the brig,
they were thrown into the water, and carried on by the tide, until the
connecting line touched the brig's cable; the tide then drove them under
her bottom. The experiment being repeated several times, taught the men
how to act, and proved to my satisfaction that, when properly placed
on the tide, the Torpedoes would invariably go under the bottom of the
vessel. I then filled one of the Torpedoes with one hundred and eighty
pounds of powder, and set its clockwork to eighteen minutes. Every thing
being ready, the experiment was announced for the next day, the 15th,
at five o'clock in the afternoon. Urgent business had called Mr. Pitt
and lord Melville to London. Admiral Holloway, Sir Sidney Smith, Captain
Owen, Captain Kingston, Colonel Congreve, and the major part of the
officers of the fleet under command of Lord Keath were present; at forty
minutes past four the boats rowed towards the brig, and the Torpedoes
were thrown into the water; the tide carried them, as before described,
under the bottom of the brig, where, at the expiration of eighteen
minutes, the explosion appeared to raise her bodily about six feet; she
separated in the middle, and the two ends went down; in twenty seconds,
nothing was to be seen of her except floating fragments; the pumps and
foremast were blown out of her; the fore-topsail-yard was thrown up to
the cross-trees; the fore-chain plates with their bolts, were torn from
her sides; the mizen-chain-plates and shrouds, being stronger than those
of the foremast, or the shock being more forward than aft, the mizenmast
was broke off in two places; these discoveries were made by means of the
pieces which were found afloat.

The experiment was of the most satisfactory kind, for it proved a fact
much debated and denied, that the explosion of a sufficient quantity of
powder under the bottom of a vessel would destroy her.[A] There is now
no doubt left on any intelligent mind as to this most important of all
facts connected with the invention of Torpedoes; and the establishment of
this fact alone, merits the expenditure of millions of dollars and years
of experiment, were it yet necessary, to arrive at a system of practice
which shall insure success to attacks, with such formidable engines. For
America, I consider it a fortunate circumstance that this experiment was
made in England, and witnessed by more than a hundred respectable and
brave officers of the Royal navy; for, should Congress adopt Torpedoes
as a part of our means of defence, lords Melville, Castlereagh, and
Mulgrave, have a good knowledge of their combination and effect. Lord
Grenville, Earls Gray and St. Vincent[B], have on their minds a strong
impression of their probable consequences. Sir Home Popham, Sir Sidney
Smith, and Colonel Congreve, the latter now celebrated for his ingenious
invention of Pyrotecnic arrows or rockets, were my friends and companions
in the experiments; they are excellent and brave men, and from my
knowledge of those noblemen and gentlemen, and their sentiments on this
subject, I can predict that they would feel much disposed to respect the
rights, nor enter the waters of a nation who should use such engines with
energy and effect.

[Footnote A: Twenty minutes before the _Dorothea_ was blown up, Capt.
Kingston asserted, that if a Torpedo were placed under his cabin while
he was at dinner, he should feel no concern for the consequence. Occular
demonstration is the best proof for all men.]

[Footnote B: The morning of my first interview with Earl St. Vincent he
was very communicative. I explained to him a Torpedo and the _Dorothea_
experiment. He reflected for some time, and then said, Pitt was the
greatest fool that ever existed, to encourage a mode of war which they
who commanded the seas did not want, and which, if successful, would
deprive them of it.]

This fortunate experiment left not the least doubt on my mind that the
one which I made in the harbour of New-York in August 1807, would be
equally successful. The brig was anchored, the Torpedoes prepared and
put into the water in the manner before described; the tide drove them
under the brig near her keel, but in consequence of the locks turning
downwards, the powder fell out of the pans and they both missed fire.
This discovery of an error in the manner of fixing the locks to a
Torpedo, has been corrected. On the second attempt, the Torpedo missed
the brig; the explosion took place about one hundred yards from her,
and threw up a column of water ten feet diameter sixty or seventy feet
high. On the third attempt she was blown up: the effect and result
much the same as that of the _Dorothea_ before described. About two
thousand persons were witnesses to this experiment. Thus, in the course
of my essays, two brigs, each of two hundred tons, have been blown up.
The practicability of destroying vessels by this means, has been fully
proved. It is also proved, that the mechanism will ignite powder at any
required depth under water within a given time. It now remains to point
out means by which Torpedoes may be used to advantage with the least
possible risque to the assailants.


PLATE II

Represents the anchored Torpedo, so arranged as to blow up a vessel which
should run against it; B is a copper case two feet long, twelve inches
diameter, capable of containing one hundred pounds of powder. A is a
brass box, in which there is a lock similar to a common gun-lock, with a
barrel two inches long, to contain a musket charge of powder: the box,
with the lock cocked and barrel charged, is screwed to the copper case
B. H is a lever which has a communication to the lock inside of the box,
and in its present state holds the lock cocked and ready to fire. C is
a deal box filled with cork, and tied to the case B. The object of the
cork is to render the Torpedo about fifteen or twenty pounds specifically
lighter than water, and give it a tendency to rise to the surface. It is
held down to any given depth under water by a weight of fifty or sixty
pounds as at F: there is also a small anchor G, to prevent a strong tide
moving it from its position. With Torpedoes prepared, and knowing the
depth of water in all our bays and harbours, it is only necessary to fix
the weight F at such a distance from the Torpedo, as when thrown into the
water, F will hold it ten, twelve, or fifteen feet below the surface at
low water, it will then be more or less below the surface at high water,
or at different times of the tide; but it should never be so deep as the
usual draught of a frigate or ship of the line. When anchored, it will,
during the flood tide, stand in its present position; at slack water it
will stand perpendicular to the weight F, as at D; during the ebb it will
be at E. At ten feet under water the waves, in boisterous weather, would
have little or no tendency to disturb the Torpedo; for that if the hollow
of a wave should sink ten feet below what would be the calm surface,
the wave would run twenty feet high, which I believe is never the case
in any of our bays or harbours. All the experience which I have on this
kind of Torpedo is, that in the month of October 1805, I had one of
them anchored nine feet under water, in the British Channel near Dover;
the weather was severe, the waves ran high, it kept its position for
twenty-four hours, and, when taken up, the powder was dry and the lock in
good order. The Torpedo thus anchored, it is obvious, that if a ship in
sailing should strike the lever H, the explosion would be instantaneous,
and she be immediately destroyed; hence, to defend our bays or harbours,
let a hundred, or more if necessary, of these engines be anchored in the
channel, as for example, the Narrows, to defend New-York.

[Illustration: PLATE II.]

The figure to the right of the plate is an end view of the Torpedo H. H
shews its lever forked, to give the better chance of being struck.

Having described this instrument in a way which I hope will be
understood, I may be permitted to put the following question to my
readers, which is, knowing that the explosion of one hundred pounds of
powder, or more if required, under the bottom of a ship of the line,
would destroy her, and seeing, that if a ship in sailing should strike
the lever of an anchored torpedo, she would be blown up, would he have
the courage, or, shall I say, temerity, to sail into