A Novel Torpedo Boat

A successf ui trial of Capt. Ericsson's torpedo-boat Destróyer took place at the navy-yard yesterday. The strong tlde ofï tl-ie ordnance dock compelled a change of plan, and the target, a square frame covered with wire netting, was suecessfully placed in the Cove. The Destróyer was made fast to the old Constitution. The target was subinerged 300 yarda away. Everything being in readiness, Mr. Larroe, the represen tative of the Delamater Iron Works, the builders of the Destróyer, notifled Capt. Selfridge and Commanders Phythian and Crowninshield, the board appointed to examine the tests. At 3 o'clock the signal was given and the gun was flred. There was but a slight report, and all that could be noticed f rom theoutbide was a trifling turbance of the waters under the bow i of the vessel. Almost instantiy the portion of the target which was above the water was seen to víbrate, and a aecond later the projectile, a woodenlog flfteen f eet long, leaped ftom the water some 300 yards beyondthe target, with a motioii exactly similar to that of a porpoise playing under the bows of a ship at sea. From tuis point it ricochettüd along the surface of the water for some 200 yards further before it lost its inomentum. The target having been raised, it was found that the netting had been pierced almost exactly in the center and about flve feet under water. The offlcers pronounced this trial eminently successful, and ordered another for this morning at 9 o'clock. The Deotrover is an iron boat with huil nest entirely submerged. Upon this mil, placed well aft, is a deck-house of sheet-iron. The h-all is 180 feet long, L2 feet wide, and 11 feet deep. Slie is i double-ender, and ia propelled by an Migiue of 1,000 horse-power. The steering apparatus and the torpedo gun - in Eact.all of hereft'ective appointments - are below the water level. The armament consista oí a single gun placed just above the keelson in the forward part of the boat, its ïnuzzle opening directly into the water, which is excluded frouí it by a permanent valve hung by an elbow joint to the stem, and opened or closed by a piston operated at the breecli of the gun. When the gun is to be iired the valve is raised out of the path of the piojectile, and its place is taken by a temporary valve of wood and rubber cloth, which flta the muzzle tightly and is plaeed in the gun af ter it is loaded. This is shattered when the gun is iired. As the projectile leaves the niuzzle the permanent valve again comes in position, the little water that rushes in runs through the breech to the bilge and is pumpedout by a steam siphon. The torpedo which it is posed to uso m actual wanare ia chamber of iron or copper, large enough to contain 310 pounds of dynamite, and it is claimed that against this little vessel themostpowerful ironclads will behelpless, as the submerged gun will penétrate them beneate their armor, and her great speed and f acility of maneuvering would enable lier to get in her work araoRir i fleet of big ships almost at wil!, and with entire saiety.- N. YWnrld. A novel Bort of "love spell" ha8 recently beei' tiied in u small district of Russia, and, if it did not Biicceed (md of tbis no account ia given) it was ir want of e.nergetic appljcatioa. A peasant was perpetually quarreling with his wife, because, as he declared, he "had ceased lu love her." The village council took tke matter int consideration, and adjudged the peasant to receive twenty blows with rods, "to lompe] hlm to love his wife'again." Dnring the month of November, forty-twi) ISritish ships cleared from the port of San Francisco laden witli wheat; aggregate tonnage, 54,652. During the same peried 35 American vessttls of 38,025 tons;3 Germán vessels of 3,161 tons;3 Ilawaiian, 1,856 tons; 2 French, 1,948 tons. British one more than all others and in capacity exceisdiug them 10,662 toas. A large oumberof prominent railrüiiil men from Detroit and otii;i parts of the stal led the intiem! of the late Henry Ü. Wentworth in Chicago. Among t!ie floral tributes from Michigan was u reprww-ntftttofi of a tunuel being entered by a train, ünlast car of wliich only wus visible.