Coal Torpedo by OldHippieKeyboard
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Description
OK, kids ... it's time for a history lesson. :-(
First off, I am very much against war ... just wanted to get that straight. (Damn... I must be a peace-lovin' hippie!) But if you lived in this country in the mid 1800's and had to come up with a weapon, this is probably one of the coolest ones ever invented ... IMHO.
All right, here's the scoop ... A lump of cast iron, serrated and painted to look like a piece of coal, was hollow inside with a fuse and explosives. When thrown into a pile of coal, no one could tell the difference. Once it was in a steamship's firebox, the device heated until the black powder inside it ignited and blew up the engine. Called "the perfect weapon" by Confederate President Jefferson Davis, these torpedoes created fear and panic among Union naval officers. A coal torpedo was blamed for sinking the USS Greyhound, a command boat on the James River.
The coal torpedo was the primary weapon used by the Confederate Secret Service. It was so dangerous that in 1864 Adm. David Porter issued General Order No. 184 that anyone caught with this weapon would be shot on the spot. (Dubya would've loved this guy...)
Comments (14)
Liam.
Wnderful macro with excellent details
wonderworld
Man's inhumanity against man is something I've never understood. Excellent photo and reminder that I should think about heating with coal instead of stupid priced oil. Interesting weapon that I hope no terrorists or gangtras see!
Staticon
A very interesting shot - and the history lesson was fascinating. Many thanks for both. :-)
visualpoetry72
Very interesting, thanks for the shot and the information.
Valerie-Ducom
Ohhh, thanks for this lesson and nice picture ! Good day :)
NekhbetSun
Yep, bah humbug on war, but thanks for the lesson, Gary...interesting pic, and it really reminds me of a big black pig snout :o) ~ hugs ~
JaneEden
Thanks for the lesson and great image! hugs Jane xx
jeroni
excelente textura
lizzibell
nice image...
auntietk
Wow - that's really sneaky! I guess if you're going to kill a bunch of people for no really good reason, you have to be a little bit more up front about it. Where's the honor in being really GOOD at winning? Apparently that isn't "fair." sigh All those rules. I don't get it. I think I'll just stay home.
0m3g4
That's one helluva history lesson, and an effective guerrilla warfare tactic!
Richardphotos
outstanding piece of history and if I heard before, I forgot.excellent capture
vaggabondd
hey that was a cool history lession. I have never heard of that before. nice job
alhak
an excellent history lesson and shot! you learn something new everyday!