The Portland daily press., 1889-01-31
WAR UNDER WATER.
Submarine Torpedo Boats Required
for Naval Operations.
New York Herald. ]

the world and upset all existing ideas as to
naval architecture. 1t may be said, in fact,
that the most powerful battle Iships of for
eign nayies today are but notifications in
greater or less degree of the Monitor type.
In recent years the machine guns inveated
by Calling, Hotchkiss and Maxim, the breech
mechanism for heavy rifed guns, the nu-
merous triumphs in small arms, and last,
but notnot least, the dynamite gun and the
cruiser Vesuvius have displayed the great
ingenuity and originality of American in
ventors. While the Yankee has thus been
pre-eminent in so many respects foreigners
threaten to win the palm in designing and
developing weapon that may prove TO be of
great yalue-the submarine torpedo boat.
There have been several attempts to solve
the problem in this country but with indif-
ferent success. During the civil war the
CoDfederates invented and tried a cigar
shaped diving boat which proved burial
casket for those who daringly attempted to
use IT, though it sent the Housatonic to the
bottom also. The Peacemaker, a recent boat
has sope excellent features, and appears to
be safe, as shown by several trials, but
1t lacks many of the elements of efficiency
possessed by boats of foreign construction.
The theoretical and practical difficulties
involved IN merely keeping a boat under
depth are by no means great, but there are
many conditions which must be fulfilled to
render such boat effective for the purposes
Of offensive naval warfare. It is essential,
ly understand all these requirements,
that their energies may not be misdirected.
WHAT is REQUIRED OF A SUBMARINE BOAT
The Navy Department has accordingly is
sued circular setting forth the qualities
that must be realized In any submarine boat
before 1t can be accepted by the Govern
ment, and the following is synopsis of these
conditions:
The design for a submarine or diving boat.
to be acceptable to the department, should
show the manner in which it is proposed the
vessel shall be manOeuvered under all condi-
lions, but more especially how she is TO be
brought into action from distance The
most desirable qualities to be possessed by
such a vessel while approaching a hostile
snip under way are speed, certainly of di-
rection, invisibility and safety from the enc
my's hre. The design and description should
show the amount of each of these qualities
tnat the boat will possess and the advantage
that results from diminishing any one for the
purpose OF increasing any other
The department has no knowledge of any
method by which certainty of approach to
an object constantly moving and constantly
changing its direction of motion can be Sc
cured, unless the object Is kept constantly in
view or is lost sight of for brief intervals
only; consequently, ii no novel method for
insuring cei tainty Of approach (when sub
merged be devised, a design showing, at the
expense OF lnvlsbility. great speed outside
the range Of effective hostile fire would be
desirable, providing always that submerg-
ence TO safety depth can be quickly secured
and certainty of approach still be retained
when coming within the danger zone. With
IN the danger zone part OF the speed Of APP
proach may be given up for the sake of OBJ
taining water cover, provided certainty of
approach can still be maintained until the |
object OF attack Is so near that this certainty |
Is virtually secure. even when the boat Is
deeply submerged for the purpose of obtain |
Ing total inyisibility or for delivering the at
tack at vulnerable point.
1t Is also stated in the circular that TO Sc |
cure the best results the boat should be de- |
slgnedmnrst, to run ON the surface of the !
water like an ordinary torpedo boat second. 1
TO run ''cOvered"-tlat is, protected by about 4
3 feeJ OF water over the highest point of the /
shell, not necessarily cut off from all connec- |
ton with the atmosphere. and with a glass
tower projecting above the surface or other
means OF obtaining view of the object Of |
attack through air third, to run "submerged" 1
at any safe depth, cut off from all communi- |
cation with the atmosphere, and affording no |
through water.
The features essential to the usefulness of |
q submarine boat designed for often sive war |
like purposes are in general terms held to be |
great great safety. facility and certainty of action
covered, good speed when running on the |
surface, a lair endurance of power and stores |
great ease OF maneuveriDg under all con- |
dltlons, sufficient stability, great structural
strength and fair power of offense.
The boat should be capable of making at |
least n1teen Knots when running ON the sur
lace. twelve knots when running covered" |
ana eight Knots when running Submerged"
one should De able to run for thirty hours at
full speed on the surface or covered while |
at the same time she should maintain at its |
greatest efficiency the power that is to be /
used Tor submerged" running. When sub |
merged she should be capable Of running at |
least two hours.
When running covered" or Submerged" |
the boat should be able, when working at |
full power, to turn In circle at or diameter |
not greater than four times her length, and |
this without reversing her engines.
If designed to run on the surface she should |
be able to pass from the surface to the Gov |
cred plane In thirty seconds. When below |
the surface she should be able to make very |
quickly change Of TO- in direction in the |
vertical plane. While lying still the boat |
must be able TO maintain any desired depth |
within the limits of safety from crushing |
pressure upon the shell, and it is not consd- |
cred that this requirement can be fulfilled |
simply by varying the specific gravity of the
boat.
The shell should be sufficiently strong to |
Withstand an exterior water pressure due to
suDmergence Of at east $50 feet.
Against any part of the bottom of a ship
under way the boat must be able to deliver
with reasonable certainty. t0rpedoes carrying
charges equal in minimum effect to 100
pounds Of gun cotton, the mode In which
TINS requirement is to be met being left en-
tlrely to the designer.
Besides the foregoing principal REQUIRE
ments the boat must be provided with means
LOT enanllng the commander to see the object |
OF attack when running covered" compen- |
s saa or Otherwise insnring the accuracy of
the compass when "submerged:" purifying |
the air for the crew so as to allow at ieasf
twelve hours SUBMISSION. keeping the fem
perature within the boat down to iOOe: ante.
maticaly preventing a dive below a pre-
determined depth lighting the interior,
and for the escape of the crew in case of dis.
aster.
These qualities are expected by the depart |
ment because in its opinion they are neces- |
sary, and because they have already been |
attained with more or less success In subma- |
rine structures now extant |
The department limits the displacement to |
200 tons when the vessel is submerged, aud |
it puts the displacement at so large a figure |
10 order that designers may not be hampered |
10 attaining good speed by lack OF space for |
motors; but 1t Is thought that designs show
Ing about ninety tons displacement will show |
the best results
AS result OF the publication of this cir |
GUAR TWO plans were submitted to the de-
partment, and the firm Of Cramp 81 Sons |
nave been given the contract for boat which /
IL Is hoped, will stand the severe tests re-
qulred. This boat is very like the NOrden-
1eldt boat which has been tried in Europe
with considerable successes
When submerged the Nordenfedt boat had
displacement of 243 tons, length 1913 feet,
pesm II feet, and depth IL feet. She is pro-
peleu oy steam, and with eight tons of Coal
can steam distance of 1000 miles at q speed
Oh eight knots an hour on the surface of the |
water. The reservoirs and boil7rs hold
enough superheated steam to enable the boat
70 run, entirely submerged, a distance of
twenty miles, with the fires put out, There |
Is steel turtle back inch thick ana two |
coming towers Of inch steel plates.
Near the bow and stern. in the middle line
OF the vessel, are two wells cut ENTIRELY
tnrougn the boat, through which the water
is Tree to rise. In each of these wells is
propeller revolving in horizontal plane for
tne purpose of forcing the boat down To The
submerged condition or making her rise II
she reaches too great depth. The action of
tnese TWO propellers in forcing the boar nm
or down Is exactly like that of the propeller
which drives a ship ahead through the water
-they merely set at right angles with the
iatter, and thus produce vertical instead of
horizontal motion. Horizontal rudders are
USED 10 make submarine boats dive when
tney are going ahead. But rudder il ME.
less when boat Is at rest hence the neces-
slty tor the propellers to enable the boat In
rise or sink at will when she is living still and
watching an enemy. The Nordenfeldt hos
the horizontal rudders also for usa when