The record-union., 1897-06-06

/ Gent amount of power for run under
water can always be kept in storage,
ready for any emergency.
| Another exceedingly important nov
| city in the design of these vessels is
/ the horizontal rudder, arranged Just
!, above the ordinary vertical rudder
| When the former is depressed its eff
| feet is to throw the bow of the boat
downward; when it is turned in the
opposite direction, the bow aims up
ward Of course. the boat does not
| so straight up or down, but moves at
only a slight angle with the horizon
! tai. This however, is amply sufficient
for practical purposes, and, in fact. is
vastly preferable to a more perpendic-
ular descent and ascent An ingenious
automatic attachment to the rudder.
controlled by the pressure of the wat
er outside, can be connected with the
! horizontal rudder when the boat is
submerged, and will keep her at uni
| form depth. AT such times. as at
night, the interior of the boat can be
/ lighted with electricity.
! While under water the pilot is obliged
| to steer by his compass. He goes bv
faith, not by sight. This, however. is
precisely what ali ocean steamships do
after getting fairly at sea.
/ y VIEW ABOVE WATER
When engaged in actively aggressive
operations, of course, the commander
can rise every few minutes Just far
enough to thrust up his coming tower
and take fresh observation of the
enemy's position, and then drop down a
few feet again. This proceeding need
not expose him for more than few sec
onds. The tower is proof against bullets
in case he should be within range of
small arms, and it is too small for a big
gun to be aimed at it with dangerous
accuracy.
| Another device, a modification of the
camera lucida, has been invented for
use While the boat is completely sub
merged. This consists of a mirror,
| lens and tube, which can be thrust I'D
through the water to the surface. and
which will, or at least is expected to,
bring down q glimpse of the vicinity.
Some differences of opinion exist as to
the practical value Of this apparatus
Whatever may be thought on this point,
| however, the coming tower can be so
easily employed, and so safely, that the
camera lucida seems to be unnecessary.
| 1t is matter of course that, when
submarine boat remains under water for
| more than few minutes at a time,
supply of fresh air must be specially
| provided, or else the crew will perish
| from suffocation. Man, not being a fish.
has not the apparatus for disentangling
| llfe-giVing gases from the water 1t is
| customary, therefore, to supply boats
which are intended for this class of ser
vice with tanks containing compressed
air. The valve through which this air
| escapes into the vessel is so adjusted as
to maintain, in the space occupied by the
crew, a pressure exactly corresponding
| to that of the atmosphere at sea level
which is fifteen pounds to the square
| inch. Automatic regulation insures
uniformity, and, while making good the
losses from the escape of expired air,
guards against wastefulness.
! II is estimated by Mr.. Holland that
| the boat under construction in Balti-
more can make about seven or eight
knots an hour for six hours with the
amount of power stored in her electric
accumulators She will not be capable
of squirting, however. The battery of
the smaller boat will carry a charge suf-
| ficient to do the same work but will also
admit of a squirt for at least an hour
at the rate of thirteen knots. Every
one familiar with the use of storage bat
terieS is aware not only that SO many
cells will take only just such a charge,
but also that a certain rate of discharge
cannot be exceeded without damage to
the battery. Unless the latter be es-
pecially designed for extra demands,
therefore, it would be ruined by squirt
ing.
The means by which these craft are
navigated and the provisions for the
safety and health of their crews having
been described. it now remains to con-
slider their equipment for offensive pur-
poses and what the inventor claims that
they can do.
THE FIGHTING IMPLEMENTS.
In the first place, the Elizabethport
boat has a single expulsion tube for
the discharge of ordinary Whitehead
torpedoes. The tube opens out forward
and is arranged in the axial line of the
craft. Whitehead torpedoes, 1t is
hardly necessary to remind any reader
of the Tribune" are self-propelIing,
and, having once been launched, will
travel from 800 to 1000 yards They
inches in diameter, and carry a charge
of wet gun cotton weighing 100 to 12O
pounds The new boat win have three
of these torpedoes in her magazine when
fully equipped. The Baltimore boat
has two expulsion tubes one on
either side of her bow, and should be
provided with five Whitehead torpe
does. Another weapon which the small
arranged to project another style of
torpedo through the air. Mr.. Holland
believes that it will throw such q pro-
jectile fully mile and, if it be prop
erly aimed, that it viii deposit the
deadly thing right on a ships deck.
This class of torpedo would carry a
charge of from 80 to 100 pounds of gum
cotton or some other high explosive,
and he would allow room in the maya
zine for twelve such missiles. No tor
pedo boat has hitherto attempted to
do anything of this sort.
Thirdly, the new boat has a subma
rine gun, which, like the aerial gun,
and expulsion tube, is built into the
hull of the vessel. This piece of ord
nance opens astern, just above the rud-
ders, and has a bore of S5s inches. 1t
is intended to use a charge of powder
here sufficient to force through the
water 100 yards or SO a torpedo carry
ing from 100 to 400 pounds of explo-
sive.
Like other torpedo boats, submarine
craft are designed essentially for coast
| defense service, but it is claimed for
them that they are much more eff
Gent by reason of their ability to hide