The Portland daily press., 1889-01-31

One of the strong points of the submarine
boat is that 1t can be used as an ordinary
torpedo boat on the surface and being built
of much thicker plates to resist the pressure
successfully resist small projecliles. 1t
would, therefore, be more than a match for
the surface boat in fight between the two.
Lieut.. Hoogaard, of the Danish navy has
also invented boat to meet the require
ments of the circular issued by our NAVY De-
partment. This boat is propelled by steam
when running on the surface and by electric
lty when running covered" or "submerged''
A single propeller in a we'll cut through the
middle o. the boat forces her up or down as
ables her to dive quickly when going ahead.
She carries thirteen tons of coal and thirty
one tons Of water ballast in tanks that can
De nlled or emptied with little delay She is
ignted with electric lights, and when SUBJ
merged the air is kept fresh by taking away
the carponic acid produced by exhalation,
and adding oxygen to replace that consumed.
The carbonic acid is exhausted by pumping
the air through solution of caustic soda.
About 800 pounds would do for twelve hours
for the crew of the boat. Oxygen is stored
up In an accumulation under high pressure.
There Is a superstructure and two coming
towers, one forward and one aft The cleo
trio motors are run by storage batteries, and
the boat can make thirty-three miles under
water.
Suppose the vessel to be steaming along on
the surface like an ordinary torpedo boat.
Getting near the enemy the funnel and ven-
tilator are slowed away, the furnace and all
openings are closed, and water ballast Is adj
mitted until the boat comes down to the
covered condition. As soon as the steam
is all used the main engine is disconnected
and the electric motor thrown into gear and
the ventilating fan started. When the YES
sci comes within the danger zone she may
commence to make dives. Experience has
4l.aN 10
navigating in dense fog, so that the sub
marine boat must go up to the covered"
condition occasionally to get her bearings and
In this condition the torpedo must be fired.
Il There are many advantages in using cleo
trio motors, as there Is less heat generated
and less gas given off to pollute the air when
submerged.
Several other boats have been designed in
England, France and Germany, all the par
ticulars of which, with the facts regarding
the Nordenfeldt and Hoogard boats herein
given. have been published by the Bureau of
Naval Intelligence at Washington, edited by
Lieut.. w. c. Babcock, United States navy.
THE UNITED STATES DEEPLY INTERESTED.
No other nation would profit so much by
the triumphant solution of the problem OF
submarine propulsion and attack as the
United States. We can not build for years to
come enough ironclads to DEFEND us against
the modern battle ships of the world but
fleet of efficient submarine boats, which
could be built at any of our shipyards or
navy yards with little delay and expense,
manned by officers and men who will be
found ready to take any risk. might serve to
keep an attacking squadron at safe dis
lance, if, indeed, it did not sound the death
knell of the armored Ship These boats
could be sent as service boats fiom port to
port along the Atlantic seaboard, through
the inner passages and canals that are almost
continuous from New York to Charleston,
and thus meet an attack at any point.
Enough has been accomplished already to
warrant the belief that a perfectly trust
worthy submarine boat may be devised.
Let our inventors tackle the question at once
with all the information that may be OBJ
tanned from the Bureau of Naval IntellI-
gence, and with a knowledge of all the re-
quirements of the department circular, and
we may reasonably suppose that boat will
be forthcoming that will swamp foreign
ideas of naval architecture as completely as
did the Monitor in 1862.
I Now. if ever, let Yankee ingenuity" as
sert itself We are told that it can vanvuish
all foreign foes. An immediate revolution
in naval warfare will enable us to start even
with the world once more Let the Yankee
who can save us come forth.