Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-11
SUBMARINE VESSELS.
OLD JULES VERNE WILL PROBABLY
SEE HIS DREAMS REALIZED.
SPAIN HAD A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY.
with Such Ships She Could Have
Played Havoc With Our Navy
Something About Recent Expert
ments.
CFor the Dlsnatch.)

PARIS. September Jules Verne,
whose submarine dream in Twenty
Thousand Leagues Under the Sea-" has
proved such an accurate forecast OF the
future. has been emboldened by the ex-
periments made with submarine and semi
submarine boats during the late war TO
launch out into another and more empha-
tic prediction Of greater things to come.
NJ Verne is convinced that we have
reached q point in submarine navigation
where the way lies open, and that so
quickly shall we now progress In the
building of ships to sail beneath the
waves that the next great naval war Will
be fought entirely between vessels far
down in the sea.
THE SEA WILL PROVIDE.
The sea, says Jules Verne, contains all
that &c necessary to provide the submarine
shin with its motive power, and the Of
Acers and crew with food. While cleo
tricitv can be extracted from the ocean
IN move the screw of the under-sea boat.
and there is a limitless field TO draw on
for this power, food enough of the most
wholesome kind can be found In the sea
to feed the crews Of all the submarine
boats that could be built.
IT is pleasanter TO turn from the predlc-
ton of submarine fighters TO tnat othei
prophecy Of Jules Verne: The cities OF th
sea formed of air-tlght habitatons ina
can be made to sink beneath the wave
in stormy weather. rising TO oreathe III
the morning. and, having Drawn pieaSn
enough for the day, returning TO the SUD-
marine world, whose beauties are SO
vividIv described in the great novellsts
book. ..o.r,
KINGS GLASS HOUSE.
rho erst man TO follow out the Jules
Verne idea of a submarine habitauon ma
anneared. The King of Siam has had
bouea of glass constructed at the DotloI
of the lake in his palace grounds an
bare in hot weather, he retires 10 louh-
ord enolxe and read with such friends
orc favored with invitations 20 share u
luxury of the novel retreat. AIR is o.
,aired NV means Of tubes running from
the glass house to the upper regions anu
the atmosphere of the palace ID AWAY
| cool fresh, and heaithlul' II
When the millennium arrives the SUI,
marine city will be the only use man VIII
have for the Jules Verne suggestion. AT
present. while nations are struggling ior
holds the inventors attention.
SUBMARINE VESSELS.
As Jules Verne proudly points out, there
| orc submarine boats already built tha'
| hove done wonders in the way or subma-
rine navigation The story of the cruise
! of the submarine boat Argonaut mas peen
| read here with the greatest interest ma
| q submarine vessel should be able TO SINK
| 70 the bottom and make a long cruise
| among the fishes and the WRECKS Is re-
| qarded as a great feather IN the cap oi
| the inventive engineer IL Is reihaih eo
| thot his boat-the Argonaut-seems to be
| as great an improvement on ItS pieue
! cessors as it's predecessors were on tht
| crude means of under-sea travelling tha'
| were the hest the submarine explorer al
| one time had.
| Summarize travel is shown 10 be nc
| longer a question of the future. Man Is
| ,,ouy ahlA IN explore the depths OF the
| sea and move among the monsters or the
| deem with ease and security. 1t is, there
| fore. only one step TO the time Wheh
naval battle will be fought OF the KilI
| predicted by those who believe strussi'
| beneath the waters VIII De inc heN
| novelty in marine warfare.
Ar present the submarine boats in ex
| ietence can be counted on the myers o
| one hand The Plunger and the Hollah,
form a little navy. in themselves, ana
| eouipped with torpedoes, they would max
naval surface fighting Of the variety
which we have just had such thrlllihs
ulustratiou a matter of past history.
VERY FORMIDABLE BOATS.
To Tho opinion of French engineers an'
rax,aI men IL is not only possible, bu
eosv with boats of the Plunger and Hol
| land TYNE. 10 steal quietly beneath IN
u,aters 10 where a fleet OF leviathans
| the deep are lying quietly at anchor' ah'
| How the entire collection or armor-pro
| ,ected formidable and boastful SHIPS o
vvar into torn and shapeless metal VIVA
| could not the Spaniards have done IN TN
NAV of a surprise TO the fleets of Sampson
! 81 cchlev il is argued by naval mel
| bera had they been possessors OF wv
49, ~ the Plunger and Holland type
a~ned with torpedoes The blockade
Santiaoo could have been raised yer.
quickly by raising the American ship
~ Inc air with a series Of blows from be
18th that they would have been power
inss n resist. With pluck and dash an
saxv torpedoes the whole story OF IN
CO.. might have been changed.
uad such a thing happened IL woul
| - ravolutionized naval warfare. so tina
- naxjes Of the world would have bee
,dered as useless for effective fightln
az 90 many row-boats. This enemy tina
con come from the invisible world be
aa,h the keel OF the warships and smas
re f,nest boat as tue Maine was smashed
| ,o,,la have 10 be met with II ow
,yeanons and so there would come int
| existence the nayies OF submarine ngn'