SUBMARINE BOAT

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 396, 22 April 1902, Page 1

SUBMARINE BOAT

By Lewis Nixon, Proprietor of the Crescent Shipyard, New Jersey, America^, (Concluded). )• Numerous able naval auth.-rities who, within a few years were anta t 7 onistic to the idea, are now among its strongest advocates. In this connection, the name of Rear Admiral O’Neil had no faith in submarine navigation, i. Within a month, in an article in the Baltimore “ Sun,” lie has announced his conversion ; indeed he has become an enthusiast on the subject. Other : very influential naval authorities who thoroughly believed in the efficiency of the boats are Rear Admiral Hichborn, chief constructor of the United States Diving and Rising, a Submarine Boat Navy, and Rear Admiral Lowe. Acts Like a Porpoise. It is not difficult to explain the construction of tlie “ Holland,” and the special attributes which enable it to lead an effective under water existence. Sucli boats, as at present constructed, are about seventy-feet long, have a cylindrical form and are built entirely of metal. The general shape may be described as not unlike that of a cigar, excepting that, projecting from the top there is a turret, or conning tower, just large enough to enable a single man to pass in and out and take observations. When the boat is 11 running light,” several feet of the top show above the surface of the water ; but, when it is in fighting trim, nothing appears but the upper part of the turret. The change in the draught of the boat 'is obtained by opening cer-. tain compartments and taking in ballast. If it is desired that the boat dive' completely out of sight, the engineer need only receive the word to manipulate the mechanism in such a way as to cause the rudder to propel the boat quickly downward. An arrangement of weights gives the boat an even keel when immersed. In like manner, when it is desired to bring the boat again to the surface, the rudder is called upon to do the work. Just three and one-half seconds are required for an appearance a'.id disappearance The motion of the boat, in coming up and going down resembles that of a porpoise. When the boat is beneath the surface, it is propelled by an electric motor. Steam is impracticable for under-surface running, because of the waste and gas caused by the use of coal. This objection applies to other fuels for propelling power, when the boat 'is under water ; but, when it is running on the surface, gasoline is employed, although the motor, or noth the gasolie engine and motor, can be used for surface propulsion, The gasoline engine does double duty ; while propelling the boat in surface running, it is also generating electricity,' which is stored in the batteries for use when the boat is running immersed. Persons ignorant or the construction of these boats often wonder how it is

possible for the crew to exist when a boat is beneath the surface. This perhaps has been the easiest problem will which the inventors of such vessels have hail to deal. It has not been at all difficult to so construct the boat: as to make them watertight, and it is a comparatively simple matter to keep in storage a sufficient quantity of compressed air to enable a number of men to live aboard a boat, without inconvenience for a definite length of time.i During the recent trial of the “ Fulton,” which was built for experimen purposes, this craft, with several men aboard, remained under water for fifteen hours without any utilization of the compressed air. There was enonga of the latter to have enabled the me 1 to have remained beneath the surface for at least a week. So if an enem r were _ chasing a submarine boat, there would be no difficulty in having the latter craft remain long enough unde>water to get far beyond the reach of its pursuers.

One Could Attack and Withdraw with Speed and Salety.i but, imagine that the' * Holland ’ was attaching a battleship. Leaving iU safe harbour it would probably run 'light until it should reach the location oi the enemy. The valves would then be opened, the water would rush into the ballast compartments, and the boat would sink until simply itsemail turret would be visible. When v, it tun range oi the eyes of the alert lookouts oi the foe and the latter’s guns, the submarine boat would suddenly plunge, leaving nothing but a few bubbles to indicate where the iron mi nster of the deep had gone down. Tl.cn, under cover of many feet of wafer, it would approach the iron hull of the floating fortress. If the latter were at anchor or stationery in tho water, it might not be necessary for the captain of the submarine crait to take further observations "as to its location ; but if the ship were moving it could not, of course be exactly located from beneath the surface. The submarine vessel would be driven up warn ; for a few seconds it would remain above the water. The man in thr turret could obtain a new observation ; the boat would again plunge, anl steal closer to the enemy. .She would probably have been sighted from the man-of-war by that time, and guns would be directed towards the spot where she had last been seen, but there would be nothing to shoot at. When within a thousand yards, or less, of the vessel which would be her purpose to destroy,- a great torpedo, measuring from eleven to sixteen feet in length, and containing hundreds of pcunds of explosive matter, would he projected, the boat being still beneath the surface. If this torpedo should go true to its mark, the enemy’s fleet would be the weaker by one fighting ship and its complement of men. The submarine boat would steal away unbanned, or project two other torpedoes, three being her equipment of pro-

jectiles. Ti ere is No Possibility of Submarine Warfare. I hare heard talk of naval warfare k-neun the sea,—that is, of one submarine boat fighting another,—hut it is nonsense. While very powerful search-lights have been invented none is strong enough to extend to the area of vision more than a few yards in front of a submarine craft when immersed. A battle between such vesiseis would tie a case of the blind fight'jng the blind. Much doubt has been expressed as to the seaworthiness of ti,. : “Holland.” As a matter of fact,, there is no craft more seaworthy., When in fighting trim,—that is, when nothing but the turrets are above water,—the boat lies in the water ,isc a log, free from exposure to wind and but little influenced by the waves. Such craft will cross the ocean some, <lay a