UNDER THE OCEAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 216, 19 September 1901, Page 2

UNDER THE OCEAN.

WHAT TWBJiVB HOURS IN A BOBMARINE WEBB LIKE. ! When the Frencksubmarine boat Narval returned to port after its experiment of twelve hours' continuous work [under water, the paragraph distributed for insertion in the French Press stated that the " triil succeeded without incident," but from the official repbrt furnished by Naval-Surgeon Gibr'at, who rep-.es3tited < the Ministry of Marinfc, it is clear that life under the ocean wave scarcely comes up to the sailor's ideal of a jolly existence. Afttr six hours under water the inhaling ef artificial, air became difficult, the long exclusion of natural atmosphere caused a painful irritation of the nerve-centres, which even the coolest of the officers could not resist; and ansenr'a eet in, accompanied by cerebral compression and sick headache that became absolutely cruel. Finally, the manufacture of electricity under water liberated among the crew sal's of lead and sulphur that generated digestive and intestinal troubles, which the constant distribution of milk could not counteract. Dr. Gibrat gms it as his view that in the present condition of knowledge twelve hours is the outside limit of efficient work on a submarine under water.