"Spar"ring partner

[emike123]

This little puppy followed me home from Dalton.







This same spar torpedo fuse is pictured and discussed in Volume 33 #6 of North South Trader.  For more information on them, refer to pages 134 and 135 of Jones' fuse book

[PIA]

Nice!

[6lbgun]

Fantastic fuze Mike.  Pretty good photography too.
Dan

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Fantastic find Mike. you are so fortunate. Even tho you will eat only beans and franks for six months to pay for it.
John

[joevann]

Sure is shiny solder!

[Selma Brooke Gunner]

An awesomely nice piece there.

[joevann]

Does Figure 4 look familiar?  From "Submarine Warfare-Offensive & Defensive"  by Lt. CDR J.S. Barnes U.S.N.  New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1869.

[joevann]

Here's the accompnying text.

[emike123]

As one of the above posts only comment on this fuse, it does have shiny solder.  Thats because it was capped and in the bottom of a soldiers trunk for 145+ years.  The North South Trader article is worth reading to learn more about the trove of one of the first Civil War relic collectors who brought it home along with some other fantastic things.  The note was with it as well, but I did not take it out of its protective sleeve to photograph

[joevann]

Wasn't questioning the authenticity.  It's obviously the real deal.  Just marveling at the condition.

[Lowcountry83]

Mike what is it with you and all these common fuses? You should really try to add some rare and valuable items to your collection

Stephen

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Mike,
    If I may add to your illustrous fuze to illustrate how it was employed.  Probably used in other applications with minor modifications.  As you can see in the fuze drawing inset mine has a slightly different construction.
    In a famous quote "Damn the Torpedoes" these were actually floating mines, however this below "spar torpedo" was driven at the enemy by a vessel.
Regards,
John
This plate was featured earlier but I couldn't find it.

[emike123]

Thats it, John.  My Dad mailed me this article last week about one rather famous spar torpedo.

http://news.yahoo.com/experts-evidence-submarine-mystery-203606783.html

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Mike,
  I had read the article a few days ago and 'dugh' it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that being only about 20 feet away from X pounds of powder detonating is going make ears and eyes bleed but probably opened up some metal joint seams and allowed water to leak in.
Anyone know the explosive weight?
John

[divedigger]

yes, water does not compress, so the shock is transferrred right to the sub