Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-03-26

gagemcnt fO7 1900 ton warship to b
blown to fragments in deep water, perhaps
In rough, stormy weather, than was the
Maine disaster In q tranquil harbor. The
Holland boat is simply floating torpedo
several floating torpedocs as to that
matter-rrorellcd in any direction the
pilot may wish, with q frequent map of
thcenemy's ships and their position reveal
cd on sheet of white paper in the little
cabin between the dynamite guns. In &C.
, ton the boat is monster of intelligence,
terror and death. 1t team ram holes through
the bottom OF nwarship, dive under a fleet,
| come TO tho surface for q moment, with
nothing about the water more conspicuous
than an ordinary barrel, only to belch forth
charges of dynamite sufficient to smash in
the decks OF the proudest ironelad-in fact,
TO utterly demoralize if not destroy fleet
Of wars!iirs.
1t is declared that tho best marksmen,
even at close quarters, could not hit the
little turrct-not tv ice in hundred shots.
One might as well Try to shoot tumbling
porpoise with cannon. And before the
| most expert gunner could train his piece
on torpedo boat 1t would be fathoms
deep in the green ocean, One of the most
vital points in the claims Of the Holland
boat is that she can destroy fleet on the
deep sea. In attacking battleship the
boat will move along the surface, propel-
led by her gasoline engine or her electric
motor, until she is within proper range Of
the enemy. All this time only the insig.
nificant barrellike turret has appeared on
the water, but when within range of a
-zssscl she sinks ,ky taking in water bal.
a. ri it,,v
when she Is entirely covered with water
the little telescope turret can be projected
high enough for the commander to observe
what is going on among the enemy's fleet.
Having taken his bearings, the engineer
viii apply the electric power to the ma
chinery, and when near the battleships she
VIII dive still deeper until within close
striking distance OF tho big war vessel.
One method of attack will be to sink be-
low the armored craft and fire torpedo
into her vitals. Another is to ram the
boats bow out of wster and discharge an
50 pound shell from the Hollands bow gum
II is said that this gun can be effectively
fired when 10 or IS feet under water
If there was a Hatk of torpedo destroyers
or other light hostile craft to force her to
dive, she would have very good chance
of closing to within 1900 yards of the
ship, in which case she would toss aboard
the ship $50 pound aerial torpedo from
her bow gun. There would be a probabil-
iiy for elective work, because she would
have the ship always in sight and the dis
tance measured. She would still be be-
yond the ships torpedo range, and from
the small target which she would present
would have little to fear from gun fire
She might even practice against oncom-
ing light craft. especially II these last were
charging her in a group, but her legiti-
mate role would be to lay all her attention
to the big ships and avoid the small ones.
When shot or two through her stack
intimated that the enemy were getting her
range, she would extinguish fires, douse
stack, sea up, head SO as to intercept the
ships course, dive and make a run at Eve
fathoms below the surface'o about 500
yards and then rise till the top of her tur-
mt or that Of her camera lucida tube above
water gave view Of the enemy and the
consequent direction for tho nsxt sun. -