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TORPEDO WAR. ' M.ders wffl recollect that, at the tea tfKpcis preceding the last, a law I?aed by matbody.makinjr an appro--rittion for the purpose of miking practi cal experiments oatheuse of the Torpedo, r ub-marlac explosoin, invented oy air. ; a Hnnmii tlius far shewed their wihet for the succe of the inrcn tion, the public hare certainly a right to know the rtiult of the experiments. A e therefore.ivotwilhitandiag Hi length. ly Wfure them tae following report from the yrr Department to Congrt on the iub- JT Depart feb. 12, 1811. SXm Under the authority of the act of Congress of the 30ihofMarchl81O, ntitfediuAn act mating an appropria tion for the purport of trying the prac tical use of the Torpedo or submarine . explosion;" certain preliminary experi meats hare been made in tbe city and harbor of New-York. By letter, acopy cf which i herewith transmitted one! marked No. 1, Messrs. Waicott, Colden, Livingston, Lewis, Williams, Garnett, and Kemp, were requested to attend the xperimenta, and to report their pin ions thereon, either jointly or severally. These gentlemen accordingly attended, and their opinions will be found In the papers A, B, C and DJ A Letter snd report signed by Mess. WoJcctt, Kemp, Golden, Garnett and Williams. B. Letter from Mr. Cotden. C. Letter from Mr. Livingston, t). Letter froai Mr. Lewis: Commodore Rogers k Capt. Chaun- ocy were also requested to attend th eperiments, and to conduct the defence against the t orpedo, incwromuumw bservatioris, In which it is believed cap i;n r,nmff concurs, will be foQnd in paper E. which contains extracts of his journal kept on that occasion. F. Is a letter from Mr. Fulton. These papers contain all the mate rial mfarmation, with respect to Mr. lultoo'a Torpedo system, at this time in tha possession of the Navy Depajt . snent. They shew that Mr. Fulton has not, in the opinion of a majority of the wmmiltee, proved that the government ajht to rely upon his system as a means i naiianal defence. Mr. Fulton states, however, that he has made important improvements since the. experiments were made; and as he appears very confident of success, it is contemplated to authorise further experiments in or itr to ascertain the effect of such im provements. Of the five thousand dollars voted, about one thousand five' hundred dollars have been expended, leaving an unex pended balance at this time of about three thousand five hundred dollars. All which is respectfully submitted. . PAUL HAMILTON. Tha Hvn. Joph B. Tamwn, Shaker of the Mouse oJlepret enSaJtvti. No. 1. T Oliver Wolcott, Zxpare. Sib Congress having, during their last session, provided -for. an experiment of Mr. Fulton's Torpedo system, it has . been proposed by that gentleman that some preliminary experiments be made in the harbor of Nsw-Yorki and that yourself, Mr. Colden. Mr. Chancellor Livingston, Mr. Lewis, Colonel .Wil liams. Mr. Garnett and Doctor Kemp, should be invited to attend such prelim inary experiments, and report your opinions either jointly or severally up on the merits of the' system generally, so far as a satisfactory opinion may be formed from an observation of such ex periments. ' . i It wilLnot, I hope, sir, be either in convenient or disagreeable to you to at tend Mr. Fulton's experiments, and to report your opinion upon his system ; and I shall consider myself obliged by your rendering this service. ' Favor me, if you please," with an an swer to this letter. ' i I have the honor to be, with great respect, sir, your nbed't serv't, PAUL HAMILTON. Same to CadwaUadcr C- Colden, Hoq, Robert R. JJyinjtton, Etq.. . , Morten Le-wit, Etq. -, Coknet Jonathan hiUmm. x , John Cunw,rV. " ' JJoctozJihuXemp. it 2.7- Tor K Jan. 22, 121L Sib We have now the honor to sub mit to your consideration a statement of ftptsaod Ql)servitioiS in: relation to ! 4 a certain r"rrw?riment exhibited , by Mr Fulton, as requested in your lctter of May 4h, 1810. J . . It seems to be generally admitted, that a ship may be destroyed by sub marine explosions ; but whether Mr. Fulton's system can be rendered prac tically useful, must as we conceive de pend on future discoveries and improve ments. The only opinion which we venture at this time to express with a ny . degree of confidence is, that this system is at present too imperfectly de monstrated to iustifv the covernment in relying upon it as a means ol public de fence. In expressing this opinion we, however, disclaim the intention of at- such investiga- lions ahd experiments as the wisdom of government, aiaca Dy oiuci information than we have possesscu, shall consider fit and useful. We cannot conclude this report with- nat ii9(TPfttinc' reflection, which has been strongly impressed on our minds during this investigation, ana ww hope will not be thought unworthy the attention of government ; namely, the necessity of an inviiution in the United States to which subjects cf this nature might be referred. A legislative body, frum the numerous more important ob- jects which demand its attention, must be incapable of ;hat patient ana syste matical investigation which is essential in all improvements of science. The many useim ana ingenious uiu.wnw made b Americans prove their inven tive faculties tmd powers ot commna lion ; but that they may be useiully di rected, a n:ional institution appears to be requisite. Such an institution, pa t ionized br eovernment, would at all times be ready to examine the merit of anv man for imDrovements in civil or military acience, and perhaps its appro bation ought to precede the grant of a- ny exclusive privilege. Almost every state in Europe nas such an establishment. In England there is a board of longitude, an institu tion for the improvement ot naval archi. lecture, an observatory, and a board of ordnance, to which a military academy is attached. In France an academy of sciences was established before the re volution, and since that period the na tional institute, which includes every department of science. It is not neces sary to enumerate other similar institu tion! in different nations of Europe ; and it cannot be doubted, that astonish ing improvements in every department of art and acience have resulted from their labors, and thereby entailed a debt of endless graliiude upon mankind. We therefore cannot but express bur regret that America alone, while possessed of ample means, should be deprived ot the advantage and glory which would re sult from unitine their efforts to those of other civilized nations. The present we deem an auspicious period for com mencing the establishment, which we take the liberty to recommend to your patronage ; as in addition to the re sources of talent and learning already possessed, men of profound science in every department might probably be found, who, disconnected with political vicissitudes, would bejdesirous to find a refuge in our country, hitherto .happily exempted from the agitations of Europe We have the honor to be, with the highest respect, air, your obedient ser vants, Oliver Wolcott, John Kemp, ' CadwaUader JD Ctlden. John Garnett, Jonathan IViUiama. The JTon. Paul Hamilton, Secretary of the J'axy. STATEMENT U Of ficta and observations in relation to expe riments exhibited by Mr. Hobert Fulton, explanatory of his aysteraT of toktzwo war, in and near the city of New-York, from September 21st to November 1st 1810. Ok the 21st of September, a majori iv of the Dersons named in the letter of the secretary of the navy, dated May 4, 1810, convened at the city hotel,, where they were attended by commodore Rod eers and captain Chauncey, of the navy, and Mr. noocrt r uupn4 nc oujcci oi this meeting was to agree on a mode of exhibiting the experiments proposed by Mr. Fulton, explanatory of his system of torpedo warn, in such manner as would enable the commissioners to re ran their ODlnion of the merits of said system, so far as satisfactory opinions could be formed from observations of said experiments. - At this meetings Mr. Fulton exhibit ed m torpedo lock, ajsb a model of a tor- pedo, which he proposed to launch under the bottom of a ship, by means of a spar, projected from the bow of a boat or ves sel ; for which purpose, he requested that the frigate President might be re moved from the North into the East ri ver. To this proposal of Mr. Fulton, commodore Rodgers replied, that a re moval of the frigate President would be attended with inconvenience ; but, that ihe proposed experiments might be made either on the frigate in the North river, or on the brig Argus, then at an chor near the navy yard, in the East ri ver. It was then agreed that the expe riments should be made on the brig Ar gus, with blank torpedoes ; and that such defence should be - made against them as a vessel of war could exert, without having recourse to her guns, or the employment of active force. Owing to unfavorable weather and o ther causes, the commissioners could not convene at the navy yard before the S6!h of September; at which time they viewed the brig Argus, prepared for de fence against the application of torpe does, in the mode which had been pre viously suggested by Mr. Fulton.1 This defence consisted of a 1 net, suspended from the bow of the brig, and reaching to the bottom ; alio, of spars lashed to gether and suspended from the bow sprit and yards, in such manner as wculd prevent boats from coming into contact with the brig. The studding of 'sail booms were moreoYerarmedwith kent lidge and heavy shot, and provided with grapnels, for the purpose of -sinking or taking possession of any boat or torpedo which might come within reach,. It was stated by the officers of the. navy, that, these means of defence wereTsuch as are usually possessed by ships of war and that after the preparations were made, all the defences could be dispo sed in proper order, or replaced in a ahip, in the term of fifteen minutes. Af ter hearing the observations of commo dore Rodgers, captain Chauncey and lieut. Lawrence, commander of the Ar gus, Mr. Fulton candidly admitted, that on the supposition that the net, before the brig, reached the bottom, he was then unprepared for an attack, by any means which he had at that time pro vided. The commissioners viewed at the navy yard specimens of different torpe does, and in particular anchor torpedoes, with the means proposed of securing them under water, in a position capable of annoying ships while passing over them. They also inspected a machine invented for the purpose of cutting the cables of ships while riding at anchor, the effect of which machine will be here after described. At this meeting experiments were made of firing a harpoon, to which a small rope had been attached ; the at tempts to place the harpoon in the tar get did not succeed at a greater distance than fifteen feet, and at that distance the harpoon struck firmly, but obliquely. On the 29th of September, the com missioners met at the Navy Yard ; when, to demonstrate tbe effect which the guns of a ship of war would have upon a boat of the size and description of that which Mr. Fulton had prepared for exhibiting his experiments, Capt. Chauncey 'caus ed an old boat to be moored at about 90 yards distance, in which three ..boards were placed upwright, represeqyogjthe sizs of men. At this object; a twenty four pounder, loaded with cannister and grape shot, was discharged t the'efiect was, that seventy -three shot passed through the boat ; eighteen shot pene trated through the first board, nine thro tbe second, and five through the third.. At this meeting, an attempt was made to cut a cable under water, which failed; owing, as is' suggested by. Mr, Fulton, to the imperfection of the ma chinery. - If was then determined to postpone further experiments till the 29th of October. On the 1st of Nov. the commissioners again convened at the Navy Yard, when Mr. Fulton suc ceeded in cutting a fourteen inch cable about six feet underwater, vrithout in-! juring his .machlrtry. The operation was performed .ont an open boat which remained about five minutes with in pistol shot of the vessel at anchor. - j The commissioners examined en an chor torpedo in ;Ujc"T!ast .river, which had several days rem :d under water ; it was viewed when th ; ebb tide had just commenced, and when the current was feeble ; the torrjeoVat that time appear ed to preserve nearly a vertical position. as intended by Mr. Folton but no ex periment was made of the effeel f the effect of the4machineryr upon the bot tom of a vessel, i j ' At this and other' meetings of the commissioners, various models 'were exhibited Ly Mr. Fulton of machines, by means of which it was supposed by him the defensive measures' of the offi cers of the iCavy might be counteracted and defeated : in opposition to 'which, they suggested counter projects, i The duty of the commissioners being, how ever, confined to an- observation of 7x ptrimtntsi it is deemed unnecessary to report on this branch of the subject. OUver Walcott, ' John Kemp, : ' Cadwallader B. Colden, ' ; John Garnett, : j ,t , Jonathan JVilliam. Mew-York, January 22, 1811. " () ';!. - v New-York, January 26, 1811. Sir I had .the honor to receive a letter from you in May last, desiring my services as one of a committee to at tend to a course of experiments to be made by Mr. Fulton on his torpedo sys tem, and requesting that 1 would report to you, either separately qr jointly with the other members of: the committee, my opinions on the merits of Mr. Ful ton's system, so far as satisfactory opi nions might be formed from an obser vation of his experiments. That gun-powder can be ignited un dcr water with facility, and the infinite power of its expansibility, when explod ed in that situation, seems to have hetn demonstrated by Mr. Fulton's experi ments. The efficacy of his cable cut ting machine, which requires but, a ve ry small charge, shews at once how easi ly powder may be .fired under water, and that its force is equal to what it would be if exploded in the same ma chine in the atmosphere. It seems to be proved that water is as resistible to a sudden impuTle4sa solid body : if so, a very small quantity of powder, if. fired at any depthrbejow the surface, as it' cannot move thj in finite weight of matter which resists its lateral pressure, must make way for its expansion through the perpendicu lar column of water with which it may be covered. When we see that the firmest rocks yield to the force of a small quantity of powder, we cannot doubt but that the strength of a vessel's bottom must be as nothing when expos ed to the explosion of the charge of a torredo. IS these may be taken as just princi ples, then if means can be found of plac ing a torpedo under the bottom of a hos tile vessel, notwithstanding, any act or forces he could use, the torpedo system would be complete. When we consider how much experience has been neces sary to bring to perfection what arc now considered as very, simple operations we should be cautious not to be dis couraged by the failure of first essays. The history of powder, from the time of its first discovery, till it was applied in the way in which it 'a now used, affords a striking example of the improvement to be derived from practice and expe rience. We should, have had neither land nor floating batteries, nor armies with fire-locks, if the world had rested satisfied from the early experiments which were made With gun-powder, that there were no better means of applying it than the leathern gun, and the match, which were used in the infancy of the invention. l The, committee sftw ho attempt on the part of Mr. Fulton tb place a torpedo under the bottqm of vessel He ac knowledged that he was not prepared to overcome the means which had been adopted for defending thecArgus against his floating torpedoes,' - and it, appeared frorn Mr. Fulton's explanation of the manner of applying these instruments; that the defences' of ' the vessel, inde pendent of any force which might have beenrused, were insurmountable obsta cles to the application of a torpedo in a ny way Which Mr. Fulton had previous ly sn&gestedfBut though the means of defence, which were applied to the Argus,' were only such as a vessel of j war commoniy carries as parr oi ner e quipment, and though they could be put in the state in which thexommittce saw them in a very' short time, I cannot but think; that if the dredoV bf torpedoes were, tb produce, no other effect than tb induce every hostile vessel of. war which enters our ports, to protect herself in the way in which the Argus was projected, torpedoes will beno inconsiderable aux iliary in. .the defence of our harbors. , As, to the anchored torpedo, no other tl torpedo, no other optedthanto show cxpeimcnt was attempted th that when m the water, it hiight hertf. f tained Injthe position necessy, , "wr; its 1 having the desired hct.heitMe, however, being slack or nearly so9 at the time that the anchored torpedo was cx amihed bj "; the i.committeei'itsTerlttcal position at, that moment did hotfford ; any evidence that It would resist a strorig . current ; on the contrary, there J was j reason to believe, . that in the Wav: in which it was then anchored, it would yield to the pressure of a strong te, so : a looc envento the bottom; or to lay nearly horizontalljrin ihe water hut it cannot be ubted, but that UherCi are means of fixing a torpedo so that it will retain an upright position in the strongs est tide. .. , , ; -..: Mr, Fulton's cable-cutter appears t be a very ingenious invention, l Its cf ficacy, when properly fplie to the ca ble of a vessel, has been demohstrlted ; and it seems that it may be Japplied. when the persons who are to manage it are at a considerable distance from the object intended. tb be effected, jit was suggested by the officers of: the oa vy, and it cannot be questioned,- but there are j many means, by chains land J otherwise, ot guarding a cabl? against this machine ; but an invention which w!ft,obJiS!B ie vessel, , whenever she anchors in one of our ports, .to guard her'cables by the means above referrtlt to, must be of great importance in a sy stem of defence. A vessel of war surrounded by large booms and sparr, with nets hanging from her bows as deep as the water, with her riggbWlbad erl With wptn-hftr n!i& . ; 1 .rV ""& rv19 wwu, ana .Willi grapnels and shot suspended frorh;hcr yards to guard her against torpedoes, and with chains to defend her cables a gainst the cable cutting machine, must be much less wieldy, and of course much less formidable for attack or defence than she would be without suchlhcum brances. ! " ' ' . In Mr. Fulton's experiments it wa obvious, that he had labored untier great uiaauvaniages lor want ot experience Several of his experiments failed in the first instance -from defects in the ma chinery, whici it was obvious were ea- suy 10 pe remedied. ( The application of his cable cutting machine reouirArf as much nautical skilljas is requisite t manage a boat in a. stronc tide wav. For want of this skill, it was bbvioui; that the cable cutting machineas not applied by Mr, Fulton with as much fa cility as it might have been oy an ex perienced waterman. ,ToJm&e exjiei riments pon this important subject which would be entirely satisfactory would require the co-operation of a num- ' her of persons practised in the modes that have been, or may be suggesteeffor applying Mr. Fulton's machines Y can as little judge of, what may ;be the j efficacy of a torpedo, when we see it ia ' the hands of persons who have ho ex perience with respect toJrVas we could: of the efficacy of a mortar, were we only to see it managed by men who hat no practice in its use. Could Mr.Ful-' ton have the means cf making frtquentJ experiments, and of training a number of men to the application of his ma chines, the government might be able to fqrm a just estimate of the value tf hissystems. -;,v, .; , ;j: :;?X' The experiments which the commit tee witnessed, were too limited tft ai- thorisc -a confident opinion .as to what may be the merits of Mr. Fultdnii sys tem. It is impossible lo sav Krv fk- the very ingenious suggestions Traey Com. "Rodgers and Captain ChuqeeYv. for guarding aessel as well againsr torpedoes asgainst the cable cutteri would on experiment be foundl effectual -But I thjnk Mr. Fulton'sexferimentiT gi-gfound to,supposemhatVth& knowledge of gunpowder is yet in its ib fancy , and thay n , ime this ;iew"apph, cation of its irresistible nan: u- Sk. marine, expbsiohs may produce p.fV.. . cu ,iu,c worm , than-have been Eufe J fionor, tb bsft, With 4y m high respect, y our most obed't servant I ; 'y rrft - : ' L-f-'-s having prevented my tneeung tneteen the committee at the time. :' they mae tip cbeifrepon jnaic aa ly uiucr wiin inem in O pin w b as tb tfieutiliiyof Ibiedoes as a mer an. of defence in addition to those jUjUauy employed agalnsifafhaval rangrncnI think Uf?$tffixi coow i H ftp f-j,jnr!i : 1 f -4 if''
The Weekly Raleigh Register (Raleigh, N.C.)
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April 12, 1811, edition 1
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