Admiral Porter's New Torpedo Boat

The New York Sun gives the followïng desoription of this novel veasel : A queer, rakish, mud-turtle-like craft steanied out of the navy yard yesterday, and headed down the bay. It was the newly finished torpedo boat Alerm, jound down the bay on a trial tr'p to ;est her engines, and especially the patent steering propeller with which she ia ïtted. She had on board Admiral Porter, who designed her, Admiral Boggs, Capiain Sohufeldt, Commodore Rhind, Captain Jones of the Bntish navy, and an ofiicer of the Germán navy. The steamer's torpedo apparatus is a long snout projecting twenty feet forward of her brow, and is ten feet below the surface of the water. This spout is really a cylindrioal tube, in which playa a tongue which can be thrust out fifteen feet beyond the orifice of the tube. At each discharge the tongue is returned to compartnienta in the largest part of the spout, there to be charged. Tbe Fowler patent steering propeller is a horizontal wheel, with feathering blades so arranged that the vessel can be steered by changing the angle of the blade whilo she is at the same time propelled. The engines were not operated at their greatest speed, as the main object was to tost this steering apparatus. Several experimenta were made with this in the lower harbor. It worked with the utmost ease. The vessel was made to turn completely around in a diameter of 200 feet, while a speed of eight miles an hour was made with a little over half her water power. Changing from full speed ahead to full speed astern occupied thirty seeonds. The steering gear is operated by suiall engines, and seems to be perfect. Besidea the torpedo apparatus, the craft carries a flfteen inch guu in the center of her bow, so that her attacks both above and below water will be irresistible.