THE BEST SUBMARINE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 19 October 1907, Page 3

THE BEST SUBMARINE.

SOME JNTEUESTLWi PRACTICAL TESTS. A contributor to the columns of the Glasgow llerald state*:—There has been a long controversy in the United Slavs as to the relative merit- oi" various types of submarine boats, and wlicil Cmivoted COfiU.iiUO fur tiie construction of new boats for this class they also granted 120!),0U0 to a specially appointed Naval Uuard, with Captain A. .Uarix as president, to carry out conelusive tests to guide the Depart ment in the acceptance of designs for the new vessels. The report of this Hoard now available has a wide significance, not only becausi: it establishes lite practicability of submarine warfare, but puts beyuijl eavill Lhc ciiiciem-y of the Holland type of boat. This is the type which the British boats have been developed from. The .special Holland vessel submitted for test was the ciopus. and the competitive triiils were made against the Lake typo of bout, of which much has been heard. The Hoard came to the I unanimous cipiiron {lr<t the Octopus was I the superior boat and the Lake the inI ferior.

The Octopus, which is of 273 lons displacement. ran a!. In knots under wa:.or, md 11',;. kind-; on the surface. Sho dived to briow the surface in for'v seconds, turned a enmpMe circle in three minutes forty *ecund, and when :joing full speed ahead reversed to astern movements in less lli.ru a minuie. She remained under water for twenty-four hours, and only about 2 per cent of air supply had to be used. Automatic gear brought her to the surface in eighteen seconds when she went below a premeditated depth. She received and made hell signals under water to the cruiser iin attendance, and talked by wireless telegraphy to her base forty miles j away. It is not, therefore, surprising \ that the United States Naval Board / were thoroughly satisfied with the vessel.