The Irish standard., 1898-05-28
To SINK THE BRITISH NAVY.
Sure Triumph In the Science of
Naval Warfare.
SUGGESTED BY JULES VERNE.
The Opportunity of Destruction
Never Came to Them.

Here is story of an old Fenian ram,
John P. Hollands first experiment in the
way of submarine boat, as told by Cap-
tain Lawrence OBrien to the New Haven
correspondent of the New York Sun. The
ram has lain for twenty years now in
a shed near Mill river. O'Brien, who
tells tho story, was for years the leader
OF the Fenian Brotherhood in Connec-
ticut, and spent several years in Ireland
equipping and arousing the Irish peas
antry to rebellion. One of these years
was passed in Clonmel Jail as a penalty
for his anti-British activity.
"They have always kept pretty close
about the old Fenian ram," he said, land
there was plenty of reason why they
should. But nearly all the men are now
dead who had hand in her building
Jim Reynolds, the leader of the move
ment, is gone, and rare Irish patriot
he was, too-and, besides, there is moth
ing to be gained by keeping the secret
longer. Holland is building other ves-
sells like the old ram, which was his first
serious attempt at submarine boat. The
vessel which has caused so much interest
during the past four weeks is almost
exactly reproduction Of the one we
have owned for twenty years. So the
whole world, and, above all, the British
navy, possesses our secret. For that
matter, England knew it twenty years
ago. While we were building our boat
she had hundreds Of spies who kept track
OF all our actions day by day and re-
ported them to the government. I tell
you what, we kept John Bull pretty busy
In those old times; and there wasn't
anything he was so afraid of as our sub
marine boat. 1t revolutionized the Eng
lish navy, too--but I am getting ahead of
my story.
"It was about twenty-five years ago,
In the early seventies, that Holland be-
gan work on his first submarine vessel.
Those were stirring times. In the first
place the air was full of the plots of the
Fenians and the things they were going
to do-how they were going to free Ire
land and set up the republic. England
had not forgotten our uprising in 1856
no more than we. We were not discour-
aged by it's failure and were straining
every nerve to get to work again. this
time successfully. After 1 served my
time in the civil war-I was in Cahills.
regiment Of Connecticut volunteers and
had risen from a private to a captain-I
started over to Ireland and began to Stir
things up. l owe her majesty a years
board for that now; but that's neither
here nor there. You know, of course,
that we hoped for aid from the United
States in our plans. Our whole program
was based upon the theory that the
United States were going to war with
England. Everybody believed in the
early seventies that this was bound to
come. Englishmen were hated pretty
roundly in these parts in those days. We
could not forget the way she had sided
with the Southern Confederacy; and,
above ALL the Alabama claims seemed
sure to bring on war We Irlshmen
were as certain OF that as we are GER
tain that we are at war with Spain to-
day. 1t seemed a good deal more likely
that the Alabama business would bring Oh
e. war than it seemed few months ago
that the Cuban question would be settled
in this way. We Irishmen, of course,
were crazy for war. We were ready any
moment to shoulder our muskets and at
tack England. We would have been
willing to do this for the sake Of the
United States alone, but we had another
motive. One OF the surest results of such
a war, we believed, would be the freedom
Of Ireland.
eve Fenians, therefore, went on with
our preparations One of the first pro-
posals came from an ingenious chap
named Holland, the same man who how
is world-famous for his submarine boat.
Holland is an Irshman, and mighty
good and loyal Irishman, too. To be an
Irishman and Fenan in those days
was the same thing, and Holland was
one of the most enthusiastic Fenians of
us all. How he did hate England! How
we all hated England 1 knew Holland
In those days. 1 know him we'll now.
He was one Of the cleverest fellows in
the world. He had invented any num-
ber of interesting things, and we regard
ed him as one of the smartest chaps in
the ranks. In spite of his reputation, we
were all taken back when he suggested
as preparation for the coming war
submarine boat. We had read about
Jules Verne's wonderful vessel. and knew
that there had been few unsuccessful
q. experiments in that line during the civil