TRIUMPH OF THE SUBMARINE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 1 November 1907, Page 4

TRIUMPH OF THE SUBMARINE.

I NEWEST 'I'EfiBOE OF NAVAL WARFARE. (By G. Huntly in tho Daily Mail.) On lu!y 13, 1812, in tho course of our war with the United Stat©*, over the rights of neutrals, H.M.S. Ramiifies was lying a! anchor off New London, blockading that town. The RaraiUie-> was commanded by Captain Hardy, the Hardy of Nelson fame. The deck sentry on duty, happening to look astern, observed an object rise to the surface close to tho ship. Ho sang out, "Boat ahoy!" On this the submarine—for such it was—inupediately disappeared. An alarm gun wasi at once fired, and all hands were piped to quartets. The cables were cut and the vessel got under way. Once more the mysterious stranger rose to the ?ur. face, bat before the guns could be trained upon it it dived again, and fastened itecu* to the keel of the British ship. There it remained for half an hoar, daring which time the man who was in it sue. eeeded in drilling a hole through the cop per of the RamUlies, but the screw with which he was attaching the eiplosire to the bottom broke, no that the attempt to sink the ship failed. Tho account of this attack on his ship is given by Captain Hardy in his autobiography, and ha adds that tho inventor of this diving boat was stated to be able to propel it at the rate of three miles an hour under water, and could ascend at pleasure. THE BEGINNINGS. It would be a long story to give in account of all the submarine boats which were actually made and used with more or less success previous to 1750; but in 1776, in the war between this country and the American Colonies, no fewer than three unsuccessful attempt* were made up. of British war-vessels.

In 1797, Robert Fulton, the distinguished American inventor, designed a sub. marine and strongly urged its use by the French in their war with this country: and in 1801 a submarine, built under Fulton's directions with, funds supplied by Napoleon, was launched on the Seine and was named the Nantr'us. This sub marine in its trials remained under water at a depth of over 22ft. for ono hour, and demonstrated fts offensive powers: by blowing up an old schooner at Brest in August 1801 by means of a torpedo; ! while it made an undor-water ran of five hundred yards in seven minutes.

b the submarine to become the rod-lit", bacillus of the narrow seas* Are these or. teriea of the world's commerce, once infected by this iron brood, to become uninhabitable by the battleships of the modefll war fleet?

Oar neighbors across the Channel have as many as one handled of these uncanny little craft*, while up to the present there are aiity British boots either built or building. PREDICTED DEVELOPMENTS.

The rate of building and the size of t: vessels built are increasing everywhere. Commander Sueter, in bis book on the "Evolution of the Submarine," and many of the weighty authorities whom ha quotes hold the view that not only is the submarine oome to stay, bat that in tho immediate future ita numbers will multiply wry largely. Not only is the submarine destined to be of enormous importance to \hc Navies of the greatest maritime Powers, but the possession of these boats by second-rate Powers will offer a much better return for money expended than can be obtained by the purchase of secomLclaas battfesh-'ps and small oruuers of eve nthe best construc- , tion «nd fitted with the most modem equipment.

The cost of a submarine may vary from £20,000 to £50,000, according to its tinnage. This cost is at the most not luore than about one half the amount expended upon a first-class torpedo-boat destroyer, while for every battleship costing a million pounds no fewer than twenty submarines of first-class construction can be obtained.

The present-day submarine can travel under its own power and in the severest weather as much as 560 miles, as wa? one of the wonders of the age. If a'J actually the case with two Russian vessels, nfcich travelled under these condition} from Libau to Cronstadt in 1805. These two vessels were not, however, uwd in the Busso-Japanece war for the very good reason that there were no crews sufficiently trained in navigation and man. ceavring to render it possible to employ them with safety.

IN ATTACK What can a submarine, properly manLed actually accomplish? It can travel voder favorable weather conditions at thirteen knots in surface trim, that is, with its conning tower and back above water, while under water it can run -it nine knots. The effective type of action of cue even of the smallest type of tliis vessel is {oar hundred miles from tie coast on the surface and twenty-five mile.3 under water.

Special construction in war-vessels may do a good deal to neutralise, or at least very much reduce, the danger of submarine attack. Experiments have confirmed the view that a moderately thick layer of water is one of the best protections against modern torpedo attack. To secure this wafcet- layer the modern battleship of the Dreadnought class ii built practically in the- form o! one hull inside another, thus permitting the space between to bo readily filled with water By this device, combined with internal armour piotectiou below the water-jline and much cellular division into water, light ct'inpartirents, it is considered that (be best resistance to submarine torpedo attack can be attained. Dreadnoughts are, however, expensive, and, in spite of this latest design in reply to the sub. marine's tactics, the fact remains that the highest expert* are at present much exercised at the difficulty experienced >'n keeping tho submarine in the properly tumble position of sub-ordination wl„ iU comparatively insignificant size :■ pears to demand.