The firing-bolt key has a small line attached to it by which it is withdrawn whenever desired after the torpedo has been launched. The tow-rope coming from the torpedo reeves through a leading-block on a spar lashed about 25 feet above the deck, and, coming inboard through another leader, passes to a reel secured on deck and controlled by friction-brakes. To launch this torpedo, it is hoisted by its tow-rope clear of the side, and the rope then being rapidly veered until the torpedo strikes the water and then gradually checked, it diverges at once. Veering then slowly, the torpedo takes its position at an angle of about 45° from the ship’s side. In attacking a vessel, when the torpedo has been towed to within a short distance of the desired point, the tow-rope is rapidly veered and the torpedo dives; checking the rope, it rises almost immediately, and at a very sharp angle bringing up against the vessel’s bilge. In case it becomes necessary to get rid of the torpedo, the tow-rope is cut at the reel and unreeves and the torpedo sinks. There are two rings for reeving the buoy-rope through, a large one and a small one. If the rope is rove through the large ring, the torpedo is lost when the tow-rope is cut; if rove through the small ring, the knot connecting the buoy-rope and the tow-rope brings up against it, and the torpedo is held up and buoyed the length of the buoy-rope below water. In securing the torpedo after the key has been withdrawn from the firing-bolt, a pair of tongs is used to grasp the bolt and keep it from being forced down. _The Menzing Towing Torpedo._