The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-30

Copyright, 1896, by S. S. Mcclure Coz
The navy department officials are
studying the problems they will have to
meet when the Holland submarine
boat. which is now nearing lis launch
al Baltimore, shall be completed and IN
commission. 1t will take q lot of train
ing to manage the craft skilfully. Nav
igating 4 cruiser or battleship viii be an
entirely different affair from running
this move boat. To run this ship al It's
best the captain must have a good deal
of experience in the quick application
of it's various appliances so as TO secure
widely different results. He must KNOW
which OF three methods are best 10 use
for sending his vessel under water ana
after he gets under water he must be
master Of the different way of keeping
his craft there, under motion or Varl-
Gus speeds, or al rest, and then ne must
be skilled in bringing the ship 10 the
surface. 1t will require delicate ADJUST
ment Of machinery in every case n no
che for a moment thinks that all TINS
can be done witnout a lot OF special
training.
Submerging the boa will be a com
rarafively easy task. The difficult thing
is the management of the ship after II
is submerged. It is impossible TO steer
by compass under water and constant
effort is required to keep the boat at an
even depth. Coming up is a little more
difficult than going down, because the
reserve buoyancy Of the boat may give
a sort Of bounding motion which must
be overcome. The Holland boat IS a
small affair. II is TO be only 80 feet
long n II feet in diameter. Its entire
displacement is only 13S tons. When
running on the surface, or "aWash," 1t
mill lnnlr lilo a email tnTnHGO hn9f II
viii have the power TO stay under wa
ter, going at the rate Of eight knots an
hour, for six hours. Remaining station
ary it is possible for the boat to remain
under water for several days without
coming UP, or until God or provisions
give out. A float with a hose attached
is sent UP to the surface in u c a time
and fresh air is pumped down into the
tanks.
Theoretically this boat can dive from
the surface to a depth of twenty-five
feet in 20 seconds. To learn just how
10 make the craft do this, n all the
other wonderful things it is supposed to
be able to accomplish. is the task that
will soon be set for the naval officers.
Mr.. Holland, the inventor, has made
more thar thirty submersions in his eX-
periments, and his skill will undoubt-
edly be at the disposal of the laval men.
The first thing to learn is to go under
the water with quick speed. This can
be done in three ways. The first is by
opening certain tanks, so as to leave the
ship almost no buoyancy. She will
gradually settle until a certain depth is
reached. The second way of going
down is by "down-hauI" screws, in the
bow and stern, worked by electricity.
The third way is by the use Of diving
rudders at the stern that serve a pur-
pose similar to h feet Of a duck drag
ging out behind the bird.
The BOAT is meant to run on the sur
face as boats usually do; partly sub
merged and also entirely submerged.
The first thing that Mr.. Holland will
show the officials is how to run partly
submerged. The captain has simply to
give the signal to his crew of twelve
men, so as to let them know, in case it
is desirable, the a condition of af-
fairs, and then by a lever he opens
certain valves and the water will rush
into compartments fore and aft and
that viii reduce the buoyancy of the
ship TO about two-thirds of a ton. The
smoke stack and coming tower will be
out of water and steam will be used
in propelling the craft. The next thing
will be to learn how TO send the boat
completely under water with despatch.
Signals must be made and every man
must be at his post. The smoke stack
is unshipped and the vessel is made
water tight. The fires are banked and
the engines disconnected with the pro-
polling apparatus. The electric stOr-
age motors must be set in operation.
Then the captain viii turn a little lever
in his coming tower and controlling
house. The two fiat rudders at the
stern will be dipped and the vessel will