The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-19
THEY LIKE THE ARGONAUT.
Officers OF Japanese Navy Inspect
the Submarine wrc,l king Boat.

the Submarine wrctling Boat
Baltimore, Jan. 1.-TWO officers OF
the japanese navy came to Baltimore
from Washington yesterday to inspect
the lake submarine boat Argonaut,
about which there has been so much
| talk since its successful public trial
few weeks ago. They were Commander
Katsuro Martha, naval attache of the
| japanese legation, and Lieut.. Saneyuki
Akiyama.
For some time Mr.. d. w. Stevens,
, counselor to the Japanese legation, has
! been in correspondence with Mayor
Master, president of the Columbian
Iron Works, and with Mr.. Simon Lake,
inventor OF the Argonaut, TO arrange
for the Japanese officials to be shown
through the Lake boat. Yesterday was
decided upon as the day and the two
officers arrived at Union Station about
10 a. m. They were met there by Mr..
Solomon Maas,na Baltimorean who has
spent much time in Japan and China
and who speaks, the Japanese language.
Mr.. Mas escorted them to the office
of Mayor Malster, in the City Hall,
where they were introduced to Mr..
Lake.
After being rendered the freedom Of
the city by the mayor and invited to
inspect the Columbian Iron Works, the
officers entered; u carriage with Mr..
Lake and Mr.. Mas and were driven
to the footdof South street, where lay
the Argonaut under the stern of the
sloop Dale. which is now the home OF
Maryland's naval militia. The Dale
was an object of much interest to the
IL know nf no
past and who discussed events in
American history with freedom and in
such good English as to surprise their
hosts.
The greater part of the Argonaut
was invisible. her deck just being
awash. and the visitors expressed some
surprise at her smallness until ii was
explained to them that her large hull
was entirely under water and out of
sight. The boat was not submerged
for their benefit Mr.. Lakes expert
crew not being available, but they wera
coon upon her deck and disappeared
down the coming tower TO have eX
planned to them the various workings
of the boat.
They admitted the practiCability of
all that Mr.. Lake suggested and re-
quested that they be notified when the
Argonaut takes her next trip beneath
the waves. Mr.. Lake promised to let
them know, and they are coming to
Baltimore again TO take a trip in her.
From the Lake the officers were driv-
en- TO Mr.. Lakes office, where he show
ed them some drawings of the boat and
told them of torpedo boat which he
is at present perfecting. They declared
that If this vessel proved as success
full as the Argonaut. battleships and
cruisers would in a few years be obso-
lete.
After being entertained at luncheon
at the Hotel Rennert by Mr.. Lake the
party went TO the Columbian Iron
Works and were shown through the
works by Mr.. Charles Boulder. who is
in charge during President Masters
absence, and Assistant Naval Con-
structor eco. II. Rock, of the United
states Navy, They particularly want
ed to go aboard the Holland submarine
torpedo boat Plunger, but no one is
admitted to the boat at this time. and
they had to be content with viewing
her from the wharf. They boarded
the surface torpedo boat Rodgers, how
ever, which is nearly completed. and
were pleased with her commodious ar
rangementS.
The officers went from the iron
works to the Journalists Club, where
they spent an hour, returning to Wash
ington late in the afternoon. They
took many notes in their memorandum
books on the Argonaut and the other
vessels which they saw. and will doubt
less make a report to their government
of the feasibility of the Lake boat for
war purposes if she be provided with
a torpedo attachment. Mr. Lake told
them that. this could be easily ar
ranged. and that boats of that type
could be constructed for about 500
000
Neither Commander Martha nor
Lieutenant Akiyama has been in Amer
lea more than a year. and both We're
actively engaged in the late Japanese
Chinese war and saw service in many
of the naval battles Commander
Martha was in command Of the gun
boat Bunjio and Lieutenant Akiyama
was an officer Upon the gunboat Tsu-
kushi.