The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-27

FROM the Tlmes-ierald.
Each American war has seen the de-
elopment OF a new type of fighting ship.
The ironclad, the monitor and the tor
pedo were invented by Americans when
the necessity arose for new ideas to
outwit the enemy. The great inven-
tion of this war is likely to be the sub
marine torpedo boat built by John y.
Holland, of New York, which, TO the
surprise of all naval experts, has proved
TO be practical Several tests have been
made and they have proved its avail
ability for war.
The revolution that the Holland boat
will effect in naval warfare can be re-
allied from a glance at the pictures
printed above, which are reprinted
from the Scientific American. one Of
these shows the mouth of the aerial
torpedo gun and the superstructure of
deck and the coming tower. The other
shows the boat as she will be when
engaged in actual warfare. She is
cruising along at full speed and moth
ing but her coming tower and flags
are visible. The coming tower presents
the only target for the enemy, and ii
is necessary in order to enable the COM
mander to direct the shots of the fear
full little engine.
SATISFACTORY TESTS MADE.
The Illustrations were taken during
series of tests which were carried out
on March q for the benefit of Lieuten-
ant Sergeant, of the naval auxiliary
board. The work was done in thirty
feet of water and gave full satsfac-
ton both to the inventor and to the
government expert. The first trials
consisted of a series of surface runs at
speed of ten knots in which the boat
showed great powers of maneuvering,
changing her course with astonishing
rapidlty. The diving test was made at
the same speed, and upon the diving
rudders being thrown into position the
boat buried her nose and went down at
an angle of 10 degrees with the sur
face. At depth of seven feet she
came to an even keel and ran forward
steadily for several hundred yards.
Then the boat dved completely out of
sight, so that the flag poles were no
longer visible.
The Holland submarine boat em-
bodies the results of some twenty years
of experimental work on the part of the
designer, who firmly believes that this
type is destined to become the most
deadly weapon of future naval warfare.
This is the first submarine boat of its
type ever built and tested. Another
and larger of the kind is now under
construction for the government at
Baltimore, and is practically completed,
but the progress upon it was so slow
that Mr.. Holland determined to build
at once a smaller vessel for use in har-
Dor defense. She is a cgar-shapod boat
50 feet long, liz feet in diameter and
capable of sixteen knots speed on the
surface and ten knots when submerged.
Her displacement is 16S tons.
LITTLE. BUT DESTRUCTIVE
The Holland, as she is called is much
smaller, being only SO feet long. 1914
feet i'm diameter and of seventy-fiVe
tons displacement. The steel hull is
cigar shaped and approXimates some
what to the model of the Whitehead
fish torpedo, being bluntcr at the head
than the tail. Two sources of motive
power are furnished, a gas engine be-
ing used at the surface and motor run
by storage batteries when the boat is
submerged The storage batteries,
which are of great weight, are located
amidships, down below the axis of the
boat, and as their center of gravity
comes well below the center of buoy
anCy Of the hull, the boat Is kept at all
times on an even keel. Above the
storage batteries on each side of the
ship are located the compressed air
tanks from which fresh air is supplied
to the crew when the boat is submerg-
ed. The motive power is furnished by
gas engine and an electric motor,
both of which operate a common shaft,
the gas engine being located just ahead
of the motor. The gas engine is used
mainly when the boat is running al the
surface and tho NArhan &c
tirely submerged. This arrangement
1t will be seen, enables the motor tO
he utilized as a generator for charging
the batteries.
HOW SHE SINKS
The cellular bottom of the little ves-
sci is utilized for the storage of the
liquid fuel, and here are located the
water ballast tanks which assist in
trimming and i'm the operation of div
ing or rising to the surface. with tho
tanks filled and all the crew aboard
there is a reserve buoyancy Of 25C
pounds and the boat is caused to sinh
10y altering the pitch Of the horizonta
diving rudders, the forward motion OF
the vessel, combined with the down
ward pitch of the rudders, combining
To force her below the surface. She Is
maintained at the required depth 10y
means of delicate automatic mechan
ism, similar to that used in the auto
mobile torpedo
The offensive powers of the HOLLAND
are, considering the size and her meth
DDS Of attack, far greater than those
of any other engine of war; whether
ashore or afioat, In the first place sht
carries in her bow or nose an under
water discharge tube for launching thu
deadly Whitehead torpedo. OF thes,
she carries several slowed in a suitabl,
chamber. They are automobile, or self
propelling, carrying their own com
pressed air. They are shot out of tn,
bow by a small charge of gunpowder
and as they pass from the discharg
tube, a catch releases the little en-
gines and starts the propellers. Tn
torpedo then travels with the speed 0
IN a 2V K@ @ M A