The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-07
THE HOLLAND is A SUCCESS
TRIAL OF SUBMARINE TORPEDO
BOAT MADE YESTERDAY.
Inventor Congratulated By Naval
Oficials-Performs All That Was
Claimed For It.

| New York, Nov. 6.-The submarine
torpedo boat Holland was successfully
tested in Peconic bay, l.. l., today. AT
the board of inspection, Rear Admiral
Rodgers, Commanders William H. En-
DRY and Charles II. Rolicker, and Naval
Constructor Washington f. Caps.
shook hands with John p. Holland. the
inventor, and congratulated him on his
! success. He had waited twenty-five
years. for victory and tears streamed
down his cheeks when. the naval Off
GERS greeted him.
The Holland ran out to the course and
Captain Lowe and Commander Emor-
descended into the light round turret
on the top of the boat The cap was
closed and the Holland prepared to
make its first trip along the measured
mile. The beginning of the course was
marked by two red and white poles set
300 feet apart. The termination of the
mile was marked in the same manner
Beyond the termination pole was set a
pole to be used as target. Between
the two ends of the mile were poles so
that the board could note the adherence
to the course or any deviation from it.
The course was by compass due north
and south, the starting point being the
south end.
When all was ready the Holland sank
to a depth of ten feet while going at
full speed, which was attained almost
Immediately. This left the tips of the
flag poles on her deck exposed. But
for these it would have been impossible
to have traced the boat, as while sub
merged she made no disturbance upon
the surface. She travelled at the rate of
eight knots an hour, making the dis
lance from start to turning point in
nine and one-half minutes.
Arriving at the end of the mile she
shot to the surface. her turret coming
into view. Ten seconds later she had
again disappeared. Within the ten sec
onds she corrected her course. having
deviated only seventy feet from the
true course, and fired regulation
whitehead torpedo. weighing $40
pounds, which went spinning off toward
the target, 500 yards away.
Meanwhile, as the deadly missile
whirled through on its course the Hol-
land swung about and started back.
She turned in a radius of seventy-fi five
feet, or about one and one-half times
her own length. She was flying back
to the starting point before the missile
had run its course. The return trip was
made in about the same time as the
outward run, and was equally success
full.
then left the Holland and Commander
Capps and Lieutenant Henderson en-
tered the boat and another trip was
undertaken. The results were the same,
except that instead of rising to the
surface 10 discharge the missile the /
Holland fired it while submerged. AL {
most before the torpedo reached the
surface the Holland had turned par
TALLY about and by the time the missile
was well on its journey the Holland
was on its way back.
The missile was well thrown and ]
came so near the flag pole used as a I
target that it was evident that no YES
sci could have escaped if in the path of !
the torpedo. The boat shot to the sur
face between the starting flags. AT no .
Tine was there any error of more than
4 few feet in calculation as - distance
travelled.
The range and course is taken by the
;tesrsman as the boat sinks While
he cannot see anything and
has to calculate, as he flies along. just
low far the boat travels each second,
30 as to know when TO rise at the end
If the given distance. While doing this
lie must steer the compass course taken
1t the moment of diving.
The Holland then ran quarter of a
nile on the surface as a speed test
The rate attained was eight knots. but
was claimed she would have passed
his speed had the whole mile been run.
The object IF the short test, however,
vas to see how quickly she got under
way.