The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-15
TRIAL OF THH HOLLAND
Exhibition Run of the Sub Marine
Torpedo Boat on the Potomac.
Admiral Dewey and other Officers
and Members of the senate and
fnirs Watch the Little Vessels
Maneuvers-DetaiIs of the Test.


marine tc pedo boat Holland. which in it's
claims has interested the naval authori-
ties of the principal countries of the world.
was made yesterday afternoon on the Po-
tomac River before a large number of
naval officials. including Admiral Dewey,
Rear Admiral Rodgers, Capt. W. H. En-
DRY, Commander Kimball, who commanded
the torpedo iotilla during the late war
in Cuban waters; Judge Advocate General
Lemly, Lieutenant Henderson. Naval Con-
structor Caps. Naval Constructor Barney.
Senator Hale, Senator Mcmillan, Senator
Butler of North Carolina Senator Tllman,
Senator Perkins F. p. Sands, and Assist
ant Secretary Allen, who represented Sec
rotary Long who was unable to be present.
John G.. Holland, the inventor of the boat,
and Elihu B. Frost. Secretary of the HoI-
land Torpedo Boat Company, were also
aboard the yacht Sylph, which carried the
official inspecting party. A majority OF the
members Of the Senate and House Com
mittees ON Naval Affairs watched the ma
neuvres of the craft from the yacht Jose
| phine, which had been chartered for them
| by the Holland company. The members
| of the press were aboard the tug Tecum-
sch, which kept close to the Holland dur
ing the entire trial, which occupied more
than an hours time. II was IL O'Clock
sharp when the three inspection boats
left the navy yard docks for Fort Wash
ington. where the trial took place, and
that point was reached shortly after noon.
The Programme for the Trial.
The programme for the exhibition was
distributed among the guests and was as
| follows:
When the sylph, the secretary's yacht, blows
two whistles the captain Of the Holland will be
notified to commence the exhibition When the
/ captain of the Holland begins filing the tanks
preparatory to diving he will blow whistle
from the Holland. He viii then, as ready.
dive and run about ten minutes, making about
mile and quarter submerged run. The start will
be made about one mile above the buoy at Mount
Vernon. At the expiration Of the mile the
Holland will to the surface, discharge q
, torpedo at imaginary enemy's vessel and
dive immediately; turning around under water.
she will return about ons-eighth OF mile on the
same course. showing her ability to escape from
attack. Coming TO the surface she will then
make four OF i've quick PeEpoiselik dives TO show
the facility OF handling her In the vertical plane
The boat will then discharge the water from her
tanks and await further directions
Three whistles from the Sylph will indicate to
the captain OF the Holland that the exhibition is
finished sr.ts
In the event OF vessels lying in the course, in
order TO av5id accident, the Holland will come up
for obsersaion once or twice during the ten-Inin-
ute rTn- 20
When the inspection boats arrived off
Mount Vernon the lfttie HollsId could be
distinguished laying close to the waters
edge with her crew Of seven men, Lieu
tenant Caldwell admiral Dewey's secre-
tary. stap| e on, her deck.
The = snone, brightly as the three in
spection boats eirGled about the little
Holland There was considerable maneu-
vering on the part OF the inspection boats.
especially the Syiph. Thieh was particular
to gain a fair view Of the submarine yes
sci. The boats wers listed by the crowds
that gathered on one side, and all glasses
were leyeled at the Holland, which await
ed the starting signal from the Sylph-
The Holland Disappears.
Suddenly two whistles sounded from the
Sylph. There was an answering signal.
nash of reflected sunlight from the side
Of the little boat-the Holland had van
ished, and the race downstream was COM
menced by the inspection boats.
For ten minutes the race continued, the
Syiph closely following the Hollands flags
that skinned the water. Then, quickly
as a duck rises to the surface, the diving
boat appeared above water. For sn in
slant she remained motionless, the water
pouring from her sides. There was a puff
of smoke and a blank torpedo churned the
water at the Hollands bow and SKINNED
over the surface OF the river, leaving a
long black line of smoke in its wake This
spectators watched the torpedo's course
and when IL landed near Fort Washington
the Holland no longer visible. Her
two flags, seen above the water. showed
that the little boat was speeding up
stream to prove her ability to escape from
attack after firing
She ran between the inspection yachts
and with surprising turns passed the press
boat, her hull barely visible. showing like
a great black whale moving silently.
swiftly. and without making ripple on
the surface At times she would uneN-
pectedly aPSsar and before the spectators
realized that she was again riding the
waves she would be lost to view and plow-
ing along entirely submerged. Now she
wsnld suddenly appear. her low showing
first. and as quickly disappear. her stern
sinking first, and vice verso. At times
during these revolutions, the Holland
would seem to be fairly standing on end
in the water and vanish beneath the sur
face ike vessel wrecked
Builders of the Vessel Pleased.
Admiral Dewey wstchcd the trial from
the stern of the Sylph and apparently took
little boat On being asked as to the Hol |
lands work the Admiral would not talk at !
length. but remarked that she had sue |
cessfully carried out her programme The |
naval party refused to discuss the merits |
of the Holland after witnessing the trial. |
There was not "a mismoyement or mis- |
take during the entire exhibition. and the |
representatives of the Holland company |
were pleased with the trial and confident |
OF the adoption by this Government of |
their boat i-s..r
The Holland ia ilfty-three feet long and |
in its widest part 5siden feet in diameter. |
II has "A displace,nentiof seventy flour tons |
and what is called IL reserve buoyancy of |
two-tenths of a eoasl The boat is pro- |
PEELED on the sgIfaes Of the water by |
gasoline engine ~andsrbeneaih the surface |
by electricity supplied from storage bat ,
teries. IL can be5stsered below the sur !
face by driving cTudders or sent flying to |
the top by empfying the storage water |
tanks The Holland has a maximum speed |
capacity OF about tsncknots on the surface
of the water and abont eight knots when !
wholly Submerged She made this time
yesterday afternoon. ,
II is claimed by The owners Of the Hol-
land that she csp3gs l.3O9 miles Oh the
surface without renewing her supply of |
gasoline. She can go fully forty knots I'M
der water without coming to the surface.
and here is enough compressed air in the ]
tanL 30 suSply a crew with fresh air for
thirty hours. The Holland can dive
depth of twenty feet in eight minutes.
DEATH OF COL. r. B. WALLACE.