The San Francisco call., 1897-03-07

and all, by the explosion OF a dynamite
mine hidden under the water, or TO have
q jagged hole made in the vitals of the ship
beneath the water line, but there is some
thing distinctivelE terrible in the thought
that along the shore, no one can tell
where, there is hidden a submarine bat
terry which can send solid shot and ex-
plosive shells through the water and all
distractions until they reach the hull of
the doomed ship.
Tell the ordinary sailor or marine there
is danger ahead and he will cbeerfully
face it. That is his business and what he
is there for. He expects it. But like the
child VINO is afraid of the nameless and
unknown terrors of the dark, both Jack
and the jolly have holy and reasonably
pafdonabIe horror of the unknown.
In a state OF war everybody is prepared
for such things as a sudden journey into
the air and descent ia fragments, or a
dull explosion followed by ripping of the
hull, and the graduated sinking of the
huge battle-ship. There is nothing like
this, however in connection with the dis
charge of q submerged battery.
There is no report, no smoke and no in
timation, save slight ripple of the water,
that anything unusual has occurred, until
suddenly the vast hull shivers, trem bles
as if ledge had been struck and then
with a roll and plunge goes downward
10 the bottom.
Unlike the torpedo which can in a meas
IRE be guarded against and the mine
which can be located and exploded in a
variety of ways there are no known means
OF guarding against a military attack
when made below the surface. For the
experiments which demonstrated the en-
tire feasibility of the firing of guns be-
meath the surface OF the water a 110-
pound gun was used. The experiments
recently made in Portsmouth harbor were
unique in detail.
At low water the gun and its carriage
was lowered beneath the surface and a
diver sent down to place it in position on
a solid plank platform laid on the bot
tom. The platform was weighted with
large blocks of granite to keep it steady
and the gun and carriage was then placed
in position.
For the first test a target composed of
oak-beams and plaEks twenty-one inches
thick was lowered and set in position be-
neatQ the water aL a QlSGd.sCS OI seventy
FIVE feet from the muzzle of the gun. Be-
hind this target the hull of an old vessel
was ed into position directly in the
line of the fire from the gun.
In order 10 make the test the more
severe sheets of boiler plate, three inches
in thickness, wer, riveted to the hull of
the craft at the point where the shell from
the gun would strike, if it was not de-
hected by the water.
Having made all these preparations the
diver came to the surface, and taking the
shell with which the experiment was to
be made again went below the surface and
carefully loaded the gun, which was then
aimed at the target ana the hull.
A wire connecting with the firing mech
anism OF the gun led to the shore some
distance away, where it connected with
an electric battery in charge OF the firing
party. The test was made at high tide.
When ali the conditions were right the
word was given and the current sent from
the battery through the wire to the sub
merged gun. There was slight disturb
ance of the water over the place where the
gun was sunk, and the vessel anchored
beyond the target was seen 10 rock and
sway and then gradually settle in the
, water and sink.
Splinters of wood covered the surface,
and there was every indication that the