ld be brief. Almost all modern ships of war are
constructed with false bottoms, designed especially to protect them
against torpedoes. There are many different forms of torpedoes,
employed in a variety of ways. A torpedo may be described as a
submarine exploding apparatus. It may contain from thirty to as much as
five hundred pounds of gunpowder; and the explosion is effected either
by means of electricity, or by a spring and a detonating substance when
the engine comes in contact with a ship. Some kinds of torpedoes rest
on the bottom of the sea, while others are anchored and float suspended
in the water. If a vessel strikes against one of these terrible
engines, she is either at once blown to splinters, or a rent is made in
her bottom which causes her rapidly to sink.

One type of torpedoes resembles somewhat a fish, and is impelled rapidly
through the water by a screw and other machinery. Torpedoes are so
constructed as to be able to rise and strike a vessel just at the right
moment. When not filled with gunpowder or gun-cotton, dynamite and
other explosive substances are used instead for charging these submarine
war-engines.

Various methods have been devised to secure ships from torpedoes. Nets
are sometimes extended in front of the ship, which catch the torpedoes
before they can come in contact with the vessel's bottom. This
safeguard was adopted, in many instances with success, by the Federal
war-ships when entering Confederate harbours. But a great deal may be
done to secure a ship against these terrible engines of destruction by
precaution simply, as was proved in the Crimean War, when the Russian
torpedoes did little or no damage to our ships, by reason of the
unceasing watchfulness maintained on board.

During the late war between Russia and Turkey one of the most daring
exploits of the campaign was an attack by a Russian squadron of
torpedo-boats on the Turkish monitor _Hifse Rahman_. The flotilla
comprised four ships, the _Czarevich_, the _Xenia_, the _Czarevna_, and
the _Djirid_. The two first named began the attack, the _Czarevna_ and
the _Djirid_ holding themselves in reserve until their assistance should
be wanted.

The launches were equipped with strong iron awnings which shielded their
crews from the enemy's fire. Each boat was armed with two torpedoes,
fastened to the end of long spars projected over the bulwarks and
working on pivots. The torpedoes could be detached from the spars