The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-08-22
SUBMERGED VESSEL
Secretary Herbert Will
Have One Built for
the Navy.
SIX HOURS UNDER WATER
Is of Great Use in Harbor Defense
and Makes a Superior Tor
pedo Boat.

WASHINGTON, Aug. o. 1s94.-The Sec
retary of the Navy has referred to the
Construction Board of Bureau Chiefs,
the submarine boat project for their
opinion as to whether it would be adj
visable to build vessel of that type
during the present depressed condition
of the Treasury. when the necessity for
economy is so urgent and also whether
in their opinion the design approved
last September should be accepted in
case they agree to recommend the con-
struction of a submarine boat. The
board has promptly commenced the con-
sideration of the matter and a majority
of its members have practically decided
to favorably recommend the building OF
such a boat of the Holland type.
Opinion in the Navy for a long, Tina
was divided regarding the probable use
fulness of submarine vessels in naval
warfare AS long ago as August, 1888,
the Holland design was .favorably con-
sidered by the Ordnance Bureau, which
virtually controls such matters, but it
was finally abandoned for lack of ap-
preparation. Congress subsequently pro-
vided the necessary authority and fundss
and in June, 1888, nine plans. with bids.
were received from various INVENTORS
among them being two from Geo. G.
Baker of Chicago. Mr. Baker built a
vessel of this type, which was tried in
the presence of naval officers. whoreport-
ed against its practicabiiity- The board
found the Holland design most nearly
met the requirements which the desired
boat must fulfil and recommended its
acceptance.
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS.
Several conservative officers, however,
presented strong arguments against
asking an experiment which would cost
the Government sl5OOO0. and on their rep-
reservations the Secretary of the Navy
tried to get Congress to make the ap-
preparation available for building two
torpedo boats. This Congress refused to
do, and the Secretary decided, before
accepting any bids. to hav q careful
investigation made to ascertain what
would be the effect upon the crew of a
submerged boat of the detonation of
high explosive under water and near by.
These tests. which were made at the
Newport torpedo station, proved that
vessel would not be affected.
The Secretary has now reached the
conclusion to definitely determine the
value of this type of vessel by actual
experiment and favors the construction
of one under the appropriation in order
that if proved so valuable for coast and
harbor defense as it's advocates maintain
that our imperfeetly protected harbors
might have the full advantage of its
actual and moral effectiveness while
awaiting the creation of a suitable ar
mored fleet competent to compel any
possible enemy to remain in its own
waters on its own coasts. The design
which the board is considering and which
with minor notifications will probably
he commenced this autumn, represents
three different types of vessel 1t is
first a submarine boat wanting in Moth
ing that can be useful in such vessel.
1t can run for over six hours completely
submerged, at eight knots per hour Its
speed and endurance while on the sur
face of the water are sixteen knots and
eighteen hours fuH power run.
CAN BE sTEERED.
1t can steer on a straight course
while submerged and for the full length
of it's hours submerged run.
While the vessel is in the swash eondi-
ton it represents a distinctly new type
of vessel 1t is then protected SUBJ
mergible torpedo boat, because its hull
is then covered by depth of three feet
of water, which is ample protection
against projectiles. The top of the pilots
sighting turret. the only visible feature.
is of Harveyized nickel steel, eight in
ches thick, and therefore strong enough
to withstand the attack of rapid fire guns
without serious injury. As surface
torpedo boat it has the great advantage
of exposing practically no visible bulk
out of water and of having what is vis-
ible fully protected. a
BETTER TORPEDO BOAT.
1t also has a heavier torpedo armament
in no way affected or interfered with by
that any vessel of its size. Its useful-
ness in either one of these capacities is
its effectiveness in the others. The obs
lection to submerged boats. which has
heretofore been urged as insuperable,
is the difficulty of steering. as it is im-
possible to see for any considerable dis
tance under water. The new boat has
provisions for surmounting this obstacle.
being fitted with two independent sets
of apparatus for securing exact steering
while beneath the surface. One of them
is automatic. and compels3 the boat to-
run with fair accuracy on any prede-
termined course The other apparatus
is q sYroscope operated oy STORAGE pdt-
teries, which is said TO be an effectivs
substitute for the mariners compass.
Commodore Sampson, Chief of ord-
nance, advocates the experiment of build
ing the boat. Chief Constructor Hich-
born, in whose bureau the actual build
ing will be controlled, significantly de-
clares that the only stipulation he makes
is that he will have the selection of the
officers who will be assigned to duty on
the vessel.