The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-11

Speed Was Fast. Steering straight
and Shooting Accurate.


From the Philadelphia Ledger.
New York. Nov. THE submarine tor
pedo boat Holland was successfully tested
in Peconlc bay, Long Island, yesterday
At the close Of the test the members Of the
Board of Inspection. Real Admiral Rog
ers, Commanders William II. Emory an0
Charles H. Roliker aud Naval Constructor
Washington J.. Caps, shook hands win
John p. Holland the inventor and con-
graduated him on his success. He had
waited twenty-five years for victory. and
tears streamed down his cheeks when the
naval officers greeted him.
The requirements for the tests as laid
down by the board were:
ta) Have three torpedoes in place
10 Have all arrangements made Tor
charging torpedoes without relay.
(c) BE prepared to fire torpedoes at fun
speed when submerged, as well as when at
fun speed on the surface.
I'D Have crew exercised by actual prac-
tice, 50 as to be able to make required
submerged runs and steer a sjraigh,
course. In order to make trial submerg-
ed run of two miles, 1t is recommended
that two marking buoys, TO be placed
mite apart, and chat a boat TO serve as
torpedo target be anchored near one OF
these buoys 50 that The Holland, after
running a mile under water, can come up
TO surface Tor ODSCfNallofis dlsCHttEt HtI
torpedo and then diving again, can return
TO first buoy This would complete her
two miles under water run. A measure of
her efficiency win be shown by the num-
Der of times Il is necessary for her TO come
to the surface for observation.
The owners of the Holland compiled with
these specifications, and suggested some
more elaborate tests. but the sugges Ions
for additional trials were not accepted by
the board.
The Holland ran out to the court. and
then Capt. Lowe and Commander Emory
descended into the little round turret on
the top OF the Holland The cap was
closed, and the Holland prepared 20 make
abe first trip along the measured mile. The
beginning of the course was marked by
two red and white poles set 800 feet apart
The termination of the mile was market
In the same manner Beyond the ternll-
nation poles was set a pole to be used as
q target Between the two ends of me
mile were poles so that the board could
note the adherence to the course or any
deviation from il. The course was by COM
pass due north and south, the staring
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 eX-
posed But for these It would have been
Impossible to have traced the boat, as
while submerged she made no disturbance
upon the surface. She Travelled at the
rate of eight knots an hour, making the
distance from start to turning point In
nine and one-half minutes. Arrived az
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 seconds she corrected her course,
having deviated only seventy feet from me
true course. and fired a regulation WHITE
head torpedo weighing $40 pounds, when
went spinning off toward the target so
yards away Meanwhile, as the deadly
missile whirled true on its course, the Hot
land swung about and started back She
turned ia a redius Of seVenty-five feet, or
about one and one-half times her own
length. She was flying back TO the start
ing point before the missile had run us
course The return trip was made IN
about the same time as the outward rum
and was equally a success.
Commander Emory and Capt. Lowe then
left the Holland, and Commander Capps
and Lieut. Henderson entered the boat,
and another trip was undertaken. The
results were the same, except that IN
stead Of rising 10 the surface 10 discharge
tie missile the Holland boat fired it while
submerged. Almost before the torpedo
reached the surface the Holland had turn
ed partially about, and by the time the
missile was well on It's journey the Hol-
land was on its way back. The missile
was well thrown and came so near the
flag pole used as a target that IL was evil
dent that no vessel could have escaped il
in tae path Of the torpedo.
The boat shot to the surface between
the starting flags.
At no time was there an error of moro
than a few feet made in calculations as TO
distance Travelled. The range and course
Is taken by the steersman as the boat
rr.sT -.
anything, and has to calculate as he flies
along Just how far the boat travels each
second SO as to know when 10 rise a the
end of the given distance While doing
this he must steer the compass course
taken at the moment of diving.
The Holland then ran quarter OF
mile on the surface as speed test. The
rate attained was eight knots but II was
claimed that she would have passed this
speed had the whole mile been run. The
object of the short test however was to
see how quickly she got under way.
The Holland then headed for New Suf-
folk, where she was tied up. She will re-
main at that place until next week, when
she will be taken to Washington. She viii
probably travel by the inside route, al
though Capt. Lowe has sought Mr. Hol-
lands permission to go by the outside
course, and the crew is willing to take
her that way.
The trials were had with fair sea run
ming. This, of course. did not affect the
Holland whileu nder water.