Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-07
FIGHTING UNDER wAfra.
Pushing work on n Craft that VIII
Perform This EcnI

The announcement that orders, had been
given to hurry up the construction Of the
torpedo boat now being buiA At Baltimore.
says the Boston Advertiser, has aroused
some general curiosity as To- the nature OF
that craft. It is very questionable whether
the Holland torpedo boat, so called from
the name of the inventor, will eyer be used
far away from the Atlantic coast or poss-
bly, the Pacific, so that now that the war
scare is over II is very unlikely that the
vessel viii see any active service for many
years to come. Still the fact that such a
boat Is in existence, and in the possession
Of the United States government may do
much to inspire other nations with whole
some respect for the defensive powers OF
the United States.
1t Is now six years since there appeared in
the East river a submarine boat, which for
a time attracted much wonder by her pranks,
as she would dive under boat VIII ch was
going ahead full steam. She tried this trick
once too often, however. and was struck by
ferry boat her pilot only escaping with
some difficulty from drowning, while the
boat itself was swamped. The experiments
made with this vessel, however. showed that
II was possible to navigate boat at fairly
rapid rate of progress under water; and
finally the government agreed with the in
ventor for a submarine torpedo boat
1t is this vessel which is now being con-
structed under contract for the United States
government, and which Is expected to do
much toward revolutionizing naval archi-
lecture.
The American torpedo boat, when COM
pleted, will net be the only submarine tor
pedo boat in existence. A Spanish lieutenant
has already designed an electric torpedo
boat, to be operated by storage batteries.
The French government now owns two tor
pedo boats which are small, neither Of them
being over eighteen feet long 1t is current
rumor that the Russian government owns
several torpedo boats which have been sue
cessfully operated under water. Whether
Germany and England have any is not abb
solutely known, but II either country pos
sesses single submarine torpedo boat that
works satisfactorily the fact is not generally
known to naval experts.
None Of the torpedo boats in use abroad,
however, are likely to equal this boat which
Is being built for the United States, and
which is to have a length of eighty feet, a
maximum diameter of eleven feet, with a
displacement varying from 12O to 140 tons,
according to the amount Of surface sub
merged. The tests which will be instituted
for the government will be severe. The boat
will be examined before acceptance, and
must show satisfactory conditions for supply
ing air to the crew, also for the escape Of
the crew in the event of any damage to the
boat, and still again, for the safe storage of
projectiles and ammunition. An automatic
attachment must be constructed for main
tanning the vessel at any desired depth, and
the machinery must act so promptly that
within one minute after the order has been
given to that effect the vessel, running at
full speed on the surface, must be brought
at least twenty feet below the surface.
Only 900 is to be paid for the boat,
and the contractors have been required to
give a bond for $1S0,0OO that the vessel
will be satisfactory. In any case, there
from loss; while, if this submarine boat
fulflls expectations. she will indeed prove
a formidable menace to any invading navy.
With such vessel it would be possible to
destroy an attacking fleet with perfect i'm
punity within the course of half an hour.
No missile could reach this mysterious har-
b;nger of death. No defense could guard
off its unforeseen blows. There would be no
safety except in flight, and even here the
swift going torpedo boat, with her triple
expansion engines, could fellow after with
speed that is rarely attained by the aver
age heavily armored fighting vessel.
OF course, the torpedo boat could not be
kept forever under water; but as it's attack
upon hostile fleet could be finished within
an hour or two its need for taking in air
during that time would not be great, as i,
can remain under the water for six hours al
time before the lack Of air forces. the
cesslty should arise, however, the torpedo
boat could be kept under water for several
days. as it is equipped with float with a
hose attached, SO that this float could be
quietly released at HlSnt, OF III tne morning,
and at noon, and at sunset, and fresh air
could be taken into the boat by this means.
1t requires only few minutes to absorb
air to last for another period of six hours.
theoretically, at least, the submarine tor
pedo boat seems to answer every require
ment Of the service. In practice 1t is quite
possible that some defect will be demon
strated; but so long as American inventive
ness exists such defects can be satisfac-
torily remedied as they appear from time
to time by the adoption of new devices Con-
siderng the small cost Of such vessels, it is
to be hoped that should the first one prove
a success others will be speedily built, and,
with this development in naval construc-
tion, it is not at all unlikely that the time
will come when all the battles of naval war;
fare will be fought beneath the waves.