The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-02-10
SUBMARINE WAR VESSELS.
WHAT HAS REEN DONE IN THAT
 ZINE HERE AND IN TRANCE
Regarding Them-some Description Construction.

of the Plunser, Now in Course of
 Construction.
 The decision in the Naval Board of
 Bureau Chiefs in opposing the pur-
 chase of the submarine boat Holland,
 this class be built until the Plunger has
 been tested will no doubt be regarded
 abroad as a severe blow to the develop
 ment of this type of boat here, where,
 perhaps, more attention has been giv-
 en to the system than by Great Brit
 ain or any foreign power but France,
 The submarine boat first received the
 attention of the naval officials ten
 years ago, but since a contract was
 awarded for the building of type boat
 at Baltimore there seems to have been
 no further interest manifested by the experts in the. subject; and, mean while, France has. gone ahead rapidly in the experimental work with much success.
 The latest reports from that country show that the fotilla of these boats
 Wlii ilp Nioubb pI SoCllL q ElSctl NctllChy of types as the battleships and recent tests with the Gustave Zede have prov ed the practicability of the submarine boat, and, in the hope of still further improving on her, the naval authori- ties are now giving attention to the somewhat despised Goubel boat This vessel has shown a tendecy in late tests to dive to the bottom and remain there, and the authorities are now beginning to predict that still another type, known as the Morse boat, is a superior
 type of craft. Recent trials with her showed that, as regards range of ac- tion, she had scarcely any advantage over the Zede, and it had to be admitt- ed by the trial board that she could not be used for any other purpose than harbor defense. After all these experi- ments, however, it did not seem as if much headway had been made, but the French Navy Department, with praise worthy optimism, conveyed it's favors to the Narval, simply, it is claimed. because nothing is known of her type, and plenty of scope was allowed for the exercise of vivid imagination.
 This vessel is constructed of steel and has displacement of 10 tons The motive power is supplied by an oil en- zine, which not only drives the pro peler when the boat is either navigat- ing at the surface or with only her lookout and chimney exposed, but al- so operates 8 dynamo for charging batteries and accumulators, these be- ing used to propel the boat when she is entirely submerged and the chimney unshipped Sailing on the surface at | 12 knots, the Narval promises 8 range | of action of 252 miles, and at knots J the range is 625 miles. When submerg- ed, the accumualtors are expected to propel the boat 25 miles at knots and 1 70 miles at knots She is equipped | with, four torpedo tubes and carries two officers and nine men. This boat is to be the best type yet devel- oped in France.
 There may be said to be but one distinct type of the submarine boat in this country represented by the Hol- land, now at Washington, and the Plunger, building for the Navy at Bal timore. While the Holland seems to have fully proven her capacity to full i'll all the requirements of submarine navigation for naval purposes, the Plunger is said to possess or will have when finished, still further improve ments that will render her a most capable craft. It does not follow that because the experts have opposed the building of further submarine boats at present that this type of craft will not In all probability be adopted by the na- val service. The bureau chiefs are by no means unfavorable to the boat, but simply believe the Plunger should be tried before the Government enters up- on the purchase of other vessels of her class.
 The Plunger represents the result of m inquiry into the subject covering the ast ten years, during which the prob em has advanced from the theoretical Q the practical stage. There were many things to be thought of in con- lection with the submarine boat, the most important of which was the of life and management . If the craft beneath the surface of the ea. While intended for offensive pur- i poses solely, it's projection is an in- eresting feature of the structure. This ; s afforded by the body of water sur ( the boat, which is supposed l o dive below the surface to a depth , # 20 feet in 20 seconds after the order i 5 given to disappear, the boat at the l ime floating light and running full I peed ahead. During the period of I omplete submergency, with three feet f water over the turrets, the pilot who Y uides the craft obtains a view of the | r by means of a camera ' lcinda in tube which projects above r he surface and which can be hauled 2 n at a moments notice. f The pilot is located in an armored urret, which rises four feet above the a ull and is eight inches in thickness. q The upper surface of the hull covering r he part emerged while running on the r urface of the water, will be of steel a late one inch thick. The arrange a lents for lighting and ventilating the a lterior are ingenious and complete. r When the boat is on the surface of the V yater two large companionways, the n lower and the airshaft provide abun- n ant ventilation. When submerged, f. ir is constantly allowed to escape from f. ne air reservoirs slightly above atmos- f, heric pressure. Vitiated air from near le bottom is forced outward by a small " ump driven by an electric motor. l n lighting on the surface is provided fl trough the companlonWays and by r