The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-03-05
SUBMARINE !. &
BOAT is on TRIAL
If She Is a Success She Will Be a
Dangerous Foe for Large
Vessels.
CENTER OF GREAT INTEREST
If Claims Made For Her are Proved
by Trial She at Once Becomes
the Property of the
Government.

New 1Ofk, MuTCn S.-lue uullid iiiO
torpedo boat, which was built by John
=. Holland, left Nixon's shipyard at
Elizabethport and proceeded to
Princes bay. She is being put through
a series of trials to test her ability to
run under water, and, while sub
| merged, to attack n vessel with her
dynamite guns.
For a few days she will be run upon
the surface until her machinery has
been shaken down; then she will be
tried beneath the surface. f
The Holland was accompanied Town
to n point neal Sandy Hook by a tug
boat to carry supplies for her crew n
afford them a sleeping place. She was
followed by a launch filed with detec-
tiyes.
A force of detectives has lowered
day and night about the shipyards,
watching every movement on b
strange little craft, which is designed
to move beneath the surface of h
sea and destroy vessels n hundred
times its size. 1t has not performed
these feats yet, but it is expected that
it will prove it's ability to do SO.
The boat was completed within the
past week. Then the Nizcaya came into
the harbor. The government had full
~ nCSlOCN Ullu 4 III bllillE AuPPNAiSNA
to the big Spanish cruiser it must be
able to show that every precaution had
been taken to prevent a mishap having,
it's origin outside the vessel itself.
1t was decided that if the Spaniard
flew up it would be unpleasant to have
had a boat in the harbor that possessed
power to navigate unseen and unheard
fifty feet under water, carrying three
dynamite guns and enough explosive
to blow up a city.
The government has an interest in
the Holland, inasmuch as it intends to
buy her if h proves n success. There
was an element of the ridiculous in
watching her, but the. administration
decided to leave no room for reflec-'
ton.
The submarine torpedo boat which
was designed by John z. Holland and
built at Lewis NiXon's shipyard, was,
launched on May II OF last year, and at
that time attracted worldwide atten-l
ton. It was then expected that she
would be tried by the end of June, but
a series of several slight accidents oc-i
CURED which delayed her completion,
and then, when she had made several
runs on the surface, it was found adj.
visable to make several changes in her
construction. .4i
The work has occupied the past six
months. Owing to the dangerous char
acter Of the work for which she was
designed, every detail had to be thor
oughly gone over, that she might be-
perfect.
Her submersion will be gradual.
Z. The Holland is designed to navigate
to a depth of fifty feet, but her first
submarine trial will consist of a series
Of short, shallow dives. {,
One of these will tell the tale. IT,
when the nan in her coming tower
pushes the button that throws her An
like horizontal rudders down, she
pokes her nos deep into the water,
sinks beneath the waves, and then at
the command of her rudder rises again
to the surface, n new and powerful fac
tor will have entered into the problem
Of marine warfare, and the United
States government will receive u pow
erful addition to its sea force.
While the construction of the Hoi-
land was purely a private enterprise,
it has been understood from the first
that if she proved a success the gov
eminent would buy her at once.
The navy department. several years
ago awarded a contract to the John F.
Holland Submarine Torpedo Boat COM
pany for a submarine boat, and that
vessel was recently launched at the
yards of the Columbia Iron Works at
Baltimore, and is now nearly ready for
her trials. Congress passed a bill pro-
viding for the construction of two
more boats like her, provided she
proved a success, and the company an
ticipated this contingency by building
the Holland at the Crescent shipyards.
From the day the Holland was planned
the navy department has been watch
ing her.
Recent events have increased the in
tercst in her, and her trials are looked
forward to with unusual interest.