SUBMARINE BOATS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1523, 9 December 1886, Page 1

SUBMARINE BOATS.

The Spectator, of Oct. 2nd, publishes the following letter to the Editor oh a subject which is daily exciting more interest in the community : “ I think the writer of your article on ‘Two Electric Boats,’ which appeared in your issue of Sept. 18th, has done English enterprise in the matter of submarine boats some injustice. The Americans are behind and not ahead of us in this matter. Already from the Barrow Shipbuilding Company s yard we have launched three submarine boats, and a fourth is on the stocks, which it is expected will develop a speed of eighteen knots, and In able to stay submerged for twelve hours. The,boats are known a* ‘ Nordenfeldt ’ boats, and are constructed from plans and suggestions of Mr Nordenfeldt and Dr Garrett. I think the following facts will be of interest to your readers, and show that Englishmen have no lack of daring and enterprise. Dr Garrett was anxious to put his boat to a practical test, so during the blockade in Greek waters, he took his boat thither, submerged her, and crawled along underneath Her Majesty’s fleet, and thus successfully ran the blockade ; we hearing of his safe arrival by telegram from Athens. He came out the same way, and I fancy, if copies of telegrams are kept at the Admiralty, one might be found from the English Admiral saying that Dr Garrett had come out and bis boat had been seen to diaappear, but nothing more had been seen of her. Probably at the time of the despatch of the message she was somewhere underneath some of our toea-of-war ; and had n r Garrett been so minded he could have blown any of them up that he had a mind to. I believe the engines of Dr Garrett s boat were driven by compressed air, but electricity is to bo used in them. Truly the engines of death grow more fiendish and terrible,'