The San Francisco call., 1897-03-08
Sectional View Of Submarine Baltimore


If she is headed directly for her. 70 do
this the horizontal rudders are slightly
inclined downward and the porpoise rises
to within three feet of the surface.
While moving along in this position a
hollow tube, four feet long, is run from
the back of the boat up through the water
and foot above the surface of the sea.
In the side of this tube near its top, there
is hole, and in this opening there is q
mirror. The tube is revolved from the
turret and the mirror reflects picture of
everything on the waters and carries the
image down into the turret. The COM
mander of the submarine sees the officers
giving orders from the bridge of the
Royal Sovereign and the apprehensiye
crew scurrying about the deck of the bat
tle-ship. They are making haste TO get
out the protective nets around the ships
hull. The submarine now dives for the
attack. She passes under the spot where
the bat:le-ship was seen last, but the ex-
pected shadow of the hull in the water
changing his course in an effort to elude
the unseen destroyer.
The American arose TO the surface
again for another observation and the
battle-ship was seen just hundred yards
ahead. She dived again, and the two
men in the bow ready to fire the torpedoes
were signaled to "stand by" for action.
Soon there was seen dead ahead the
shadow of the invader. The order to fire
was given, and from out of the bow of the
submerged craft shot torpedo. 1t was
IL feet inches in length and IS inches in
width. Every inch of it was crammed
with explosives. 1t automatically pro-
PEELED itself by screw and rudder to-
ward the shadow. There was moment
OF suspense, followed by a churning of
the sea, and the Americans knew they
had hit something. As they arose to the
surface again for an observation they
passed throu h troubled waters, and they
saw that the nets OF the ship had been
torn and were hanging to the ships sides
in an indescribable tangle.
The troubled waters through which the
small craft had pa sed proved to be the
wake of the battle ship which was gath
ering neadway and making ready to put
out TO sea again. Quickly the Americans
got below again and found the Britisher's
shadow over their heads. A button was
pressed, second torpedo left the bow and
disappeared in the gloom beyond Those
aboard the battle-ship ielt their vessel
heave and raise beneath them. Water
shot up fifty feet in thick volumes on both
bows of the big warship. The bow rose
mp, tottered and then fell back into the
sea, while the whole ship labored and
tremb bled as if she were in gale. The
officers on the bridge stood still with
blanched faces. The crew were transfixed
at their posts. No one moved, no one
spoke. Then the engineers and stokers
from below rushed on deck with the news
that the ship was filling. There was
great hole in the ships bow. "Clear away
the iifeboatsl" rang out from the bridge
and was carried along the decks as the
magnificent vessel careened to one side and
settled by the head. While the men were
scram bling over the sides into the life
boats and the officers were still at their
posts on the bridge or deck the Roy al Sow
ereign gave lurch and went down by the
head. StruSgline men. floating wreckage
and sea of troubled waters was all that
was left of the mighty adversary.
Should the little fighter fire all her five
torpedoes and not hit her opponent she
still has her ram or arm mored turret with
which to fight This turret is shaped like
an inverted boat on the vessePs back,
with cutwater fore and aft. The armor
is 4 inches in thickness and the turret is
feet long, feet 10H inches in width and