The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1899-11-11
'LATE HOLLAmIORPEDO BOAT
IT Is 4 aaEAE DESTROYER


New York, Nov. THE submarine
torpedo boat Holland has been success
fully tested in PecOnic bay, l. /.
At the eloss Of the test the members
Of the board Of inspection shook hands
with John p. Holland, the inventor, and
congratulated him ON his sueeesA
He had waited IS years for victory.
Tears streamed down mis- cheeks when the
naval officers greeted him.
The members Of the board went into the
Holland Is she bay at the dock and min
utely examined the mechanism and work
ings.
The requirements for the tests as laid
down by the board were:
"tal Have three torpedoes in place.
~tbl Have all arrangements made for
discharging tOrpedoes without delay.
~(el Be prepared to fire torpedOes at
full speed when submerged - well ~
when at full speed on the surface.
| "td) Have crew exercised by actual
practice 50 as to be able to make required
submerged runs and steer a straight
course.
1 - CA0(A " AAAAAO tIAAA duDAAlEA kcu
run Of two miles it l. recommended that
two marking buoys be placed mile apart
and that boat to serve a. a torpedo tar
get be anchored at one OF these buoys,
so that the Holland, after running mile
under water, can come up to surface for
observation, discharge her torpedo and
then diving again, can return to the first
buoy.
This would complete her two miles I'M
der water run.
"A measure Of her efficiency will be
ShOwn by the number OF times 1t is neees-
sary for her to come to the surface for OBJ
servations."
The owner of the Holland complied
with these Specifications and suggested
more elaborate tests, but the suggestions
for additional trials were not accepted by
the board
When all was ready the Holland sank
to the depth Of 10 feet, while going at
full speed, which was attained almost i'm
mediately. 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 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.
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 10 sec
Onds she corrected her course, having de-
waited only 20 feet from the true course
and fred a regulation Whitehead torpedo,
weighing "a pounds, which went spinning
of toward the target 500 yards away.
| Meanwhile as the deadly missile whirled
through on its course the Holland swung
about and started back. She turned in a
radius Of IS feet or about one and one half
times her own length. She was flying
back to the starting point before the mis-
sile had run its course. The return trip
was made in about the same time a. the
outward run and was equally as success
full
The range and course Is taken by the
steersman as the boat sinks While sub
merged he cannot see anything and has TO
calculate, as he flies along, just how far
the boat travels each second, 50 as TO
know when to rise at 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 n quarter Of a
mile on the surface as a speed test. The
rate attained was eight knots but it was
claimed she would have passed this speed
had the whole mile been run. The OBJ
ieet of the short test, however, was to
see how quickly she got under way.
The Holland then headed for the New
Suffolk, where she was tied up. She will
remain at that place until next week,
when she will be taken to Washington
She will probably travel by the inside
route, although Captain Lowe has sought
Mr.. Hollands permission to go by the out.
side course, and the crew Is willing TO
take her that way.
The trials were had today with q fair |
sea running, though this, Of course, did
not affect the Holland while under water |