Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-29

In this style Of marine architecture has NOT
been decided as yet Probably it win be Of
the Holland type named after its American
inventor-a steel cigar-shaped vessel, pro-
vided with steam engines for generating
the electricity used for actuating the twin
screws. This equipment renders II unneces-
sary Tor her to go to a shore station to be
charged, like the Zede She need only get
up steam and load her own batteries
naval experts. however, express the
op'hlon mat such facilities are not likely
70 be OF much value to a vessel of this
KIND Its natural duty Is to defend a har.
Dor. and there would be no difficulty In
running back to the shore station once Ia
twenty-lour hours to have the storage bat
ter1es hlled. Getting up steam on board in-
wolves coming to the surface for the neces-
sary air. and that might be dangerous.
Inc holland boat can run six hours con-
sinuously under water. at eight knots per
hour She is slightly less fast submerged
IMAM the Zede. but her speed at the surface
u the same-sixteen knots an hour. When
=, a. tne surface her hull is covered with
.nree Feet of water. the only part OF her
exposed being turret Of nickel steel, which
Is proof against rapid-fire guns. From this
turret the pilot can look out over the water
through q glass window.
Inc present Secretary Of the Navy has
no fatn In submarine vessels Congress-
gave sloo.OOo to build one, and he ask al
, ha 70 spend the money on two torpedo
now board Of experts is trying 10 and one
what type of craft is best II is NJ 1917 ~,
ticable to copy the zede. for her plans are
om plo.ouno secret Only a few French
II might be imagined that a few r,c,,
boats as the Zede would render warfare on
the sea impossible. because too destructive
could destroy whole navies. But This /.
not true. Partly blinded as they are while
under water, and moving at a slow rate
aney could only attack successfully ships
II la =
Jake good care not 70 anchor within reach.
Submarine Torpedoes.
Inc problem OF navigating under water
was nrst solved by the Whitehead torpedo,
which Is hollow projectile carrying I7p to
~ pounds Of gun cotton, driven by a
SCREW with compressed air for motive
power. and susceptible Of being shot with
accuracy at a mark 200 yards distant. IL IN
SET Tor q certain depth before firtne. ana
sIter piungfng into the sea Il reaches that
Ispen ana then travels horizontally. The
rIencn nre these torpedos at targets 700
yards away. and they will run LOCO yards
OF more. exploding on impact
~ ID tnis kind Of projectile that a dis-
charged from the tubes Of the submarine
boat The latter, In fact 10 itself simply
q very much enlarged Whitehead torpedo.
mace big enough to carry men and engines
One remembers Jules Verne's description
on tne attack by the Nautilus upon a vessel
GCeionslng 10 country TO which the stern
SdPS memo was an enemy. He had no
torpedo, but he ran upon the doomed craft
win the steel beak Of his boat which passed
neeS,e sn me ene nun OF the great ship ''as a
needle passes through ssilcloth" His en-
eines must have been more powerful than
any since invented
.Cnquestionably. the pressure IN the depths
visited by Capt Memo would have crushed
the Nautilus like an eggshell. no matter
how strongly she was built
Nevertheless the fact remains that the
imaginative conception OF the French ro-
mancer has been in the main realized bv
the building Of a gigantic metal FISH with
telescope eye. lungs that condense air
and electricity for a motive power II NAV
yet become the most dreaded agent OF de-
struction In the naval warfare OF the fu-
ture. RENE BACHE