Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-10

ENGLAND's REMARKABLE SUBMA
MONSTRATED
battery which can send solid shot and eX-
p.osive shells through the water and al
Instructions until they reach the nun Oh
The doomed ship.
Tell the ordinary sailor or marine that
there Is danger ahead and he VIII cheeI
fully face it, That is his business, ana
what he is there for. He expects H. But
Ike the child who is afraid of the name
less and unknown terrors Of the dark,
both Jack and the jolly have a hoiy anu
reasonably pardonable horror OF the uH-
known.
In a state Of war everybody IS prepared
for such things as a sudden journey "'O
the air and a descent in fragments. or
Gul explosion followed by Il ripping Va
tbe hull and the graduated sinking Of lhe
huge battleship. There is nothing Ike
mis-. however. I'm connection with the us
charge OF n submerged battery.
There Is no report. 40 smoke ana no
intmatlon. save a slight ripple OF .n0
water. that anything unusual mas oJ
crr-al until suddenly the vast nun
etiyers trembles as If a ledge had Dech
struck. ana then with a roll and a plunge
goes downward TO the bottom.
Unlike the torpedo, which can III
measure be guarded against, ana tno
mine. which can be located and exploded
in a variety of ways, there Is no h ,.,, W..
mems of guarding against an aflili1'y
Geek when made below the surface.
For the experiments which demonstrated
fha entire feasibility OF the firing OF guns
l.ra4fb The surface of the water. a 4Iv-
pound gun was used. Inc eApoIliiieil'
were made in Portsmouth haIDoi' anu
were unique in detail.
Al low water the gun and It's carriage
We're lowered beneath the surface anu
Cd diver sent down TO place IL IN postum
on "a solid plank platform lald on tnS
bottom. The platform was Welsn'et
with large blocks Of granite 10 Keep ~
steady. and the gun and carnage "e'0
then placed IN position.
THE FIRST TEST.
For the first test. a target composed
o. oak beams and planks, Il lhcheS
thick. was lowered and set IN position
beneath the water, at distance OF 90
feet from the muZZle Of the gun. behH'u
this target the hull Of an old Yessei was
t1wel into position directly IN line OF
TIE fire from the gun. In order to make
tae test the more severe, several sheeIs
o. boiler plate 9 inches I'm thickness were
Tlyetei 20 the hull of the craft at the
point where the shell from the gun
would strike. n II was not detected by
The water and succeeded IN passing
throush the target, something VIII
tAe majority Of army and navy experts
present did not anticipate.
Having made an these preparations
The diver came 10 the surface anu
taking The shell with which the expert
ment was TO be made, again went De
low The surface and carefully loaded the
which fhQr aimed ~ the TAR
get and hull of the vessel beyond.
A wire connecting with the firing mocha
nism OF The gun led TO the shore some
distance away. where II was connected
with am electric battery In charge u
inl firing party The test was hlao0
ai high tide. When all the conditoi4S
were right the word was given, and the
current sent from the battery through
the wire 20 the submerged gun. 1heie
was slight disturbance Of the water
over The place where the gun was SUNK
and the vessel anchored beyond the tar
tti was seen 10 rock and sway ana theH
gradually settle I'm the water and sink.
apntcrs Of wood covered the surface
and there was every indication that the
experiment had been "a success AT the
next low tide an examination was maze
Of the sunken Vessel. when Il was found
mat The hull had been pierced completely
"HOiel by the solid shot. Inc taIsel
was in spiinters. The 3-lncn boiler piate
was in fragments. and portions OF y
driven into the woodwork Of the hull
While on both sides Of hull below me
Waler-line were two huge. Jagged holes
Dig enough to sink a ship OF the line
Do five minutes
no one was more surprised at the un-
expected results than the experts VINO naa
witnessed the tests. They had expscteu
one OF Two things-either that the gun
would burst and raise a small-sized water
spout. or, that the water would denSct
ile shell 20 such an extent that II wouio
20 vide or the mark On the contrary,
ne shot went as direct and accurately
as II hred in the usual manner through
ths air. The water appeared 10 have no