Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-03
THE SUbMAR-
Inc BOAT

SHIPS OF the lieu cISeC WOuIO make OH
the port tonight vas a one-sided affair.
Try as they would the torpedo boats
were only able to find the Kearsarge and
Indiana, and the Texas is still outside
unbound. 1t was shortly before 6 o'clock
when the submarine boat Holland left
her slip at the torpedo station, and
started out of the channel. She was half
submerged and her commander, Lieut..
Caldwell, expected great things of her.
1t was the first time that she has ever
been put to a test. The newspaper boat
passed her at Castle Hill and after ex-
changing salutes she was soon left in
the darkness behind. This was the las,
seen of her until she returned to her
dock at the station. l.
At dusk the torpedo boats Porter,
Rogers, Gwynn. Morris and Dahlgren left
the harbor and went out to sea to get a
good position for the work. that was be-
fore Them. and at a late hour tonight
when Commander Mason, in charge OF
the torpedo station was seen, he was
very much pleased with their work, and
said that he was satisfied that they
would be upheld by the board of aribitra-
ment.
1t was GAS before signs of a ship were
seen outside the lightship. A flash of a
$780, ">S e>>h StAA AAAtANS oNS - SNNS "
lowed by a red rocket. This signified
that a torpedo Dat had picked up a ship
and had torpedoed her. From that time
on at short intervals guns were heard in
the offing, and the red and green stars
could be seen. At one time three red
stars went up at once and it was after
ward learned that the Rogers, Gwynni
and Morris had all torpedoed the flag
ship kearsarge at one time. The Gwynn
was claimed at a victim by the kear-
sarge and she returned to the harbor.
The tug Leyden was the only craft to
try to run the blockade, and she had
hardly got beyond the lightship when she
was picked up by the Scorpion and sent
back to port. Shortly after this the
Gwynn torpedoed the Scorpion and later
the Eagle. having followed the latter for
tWenty-seven minutes. 81 When she fired.
the red star she was so close to the gum
boa that the star hit her stern. The
Dahlgren was out for bigger game and
she had to go miles out to sea to find
anything in the form of an enemy. h
says she torpedoed the Indiana and then
returned to port. satisfied with putting
the big battleship out of action.
1t was nearly midnight when the Hol-
land came into her slip at the torpedo
station, and it was learned that she had
accomplished her object and had it been
actual warfare the big ship Kearsarge
would be resting in thirty fathoms OF
water and her crew probably all drown
ed. The torpedo boat Porter, as was ex-
pected, worked largely in conjunction
with the Holland, and she also says she
t%orpedoed the K~earsarge. 1t was a long
run out to sea, but the Holland expert.
enced no difficulty, and Lieut.. Caldwell,
says that he could see plainly all arounH'
him. Not only'does the Holland claim to
have put out the kearsarge, but thinks
that she scored on one of the other big,
ships, out makes no claim, as Lieut..
~ &C. ,,o% ~Hto s~ sc ~ H. .
of the vessel.
The Holland after passing the light
ship was submerged so that only her con-
ming tower was out of water, but the
searchlights of the big warship We're UNI,
able to make this out. and she not only
got within torpedoeing distance but
hailing distance as we'll. AS soon as she
had fired her red rocket indicating a tor
peqo Lieut.. Caldwell threw open the
coming tower lid and, hailing the Kear-
sarge, said: -
It claim to have topedoed YOU" -,
Eyes, I guess you have. I have been
torpedoed several times tonight" was
the answer.
The Holland hen looked around for
some of the other big ships, but failed
to find them. She was miles out to sea,
and the time limit for the attack, II
O'Clock, having expired, she headed for
Newport, conveyed by the Porter. On
her return trip she ran under her gaso-
line engines and came in at a good eight
mot clip.
If the b%lockading fleet had followed out
the instructions, kept a close blockade
and used their searchlights, Is a
blockading fleet ordinarily would do, it is
safe to say that the Holland would have
destroyed the entire Red Squadron. From
a naval standpoint the work of the Hol-
land tonight is looked upon as proving
that she is a most valuable addition to
the American navy.
The Texas of all the Red Fleet Is the
only one that was not found by a tor
pedo boat, and it is thought she must
have been many miles out to sea. AL
though it is not thought that the Holland
had a fair test of her capabilities, those
who nave followed the boat are satisfied
tina she will do all that her builders
have claimed for her. In her work to-
night everything worked smoothly on
board, and not a sound was discernable.
Noise is a bad factor with torpedo boats.
This ends the manoeuvres at New
port, and while yesterday the Red Fleet
We're victorious, they they were COM
pletely annihilated by the swift little
torpedo craft. 1t remains only for the
board of arbitrament to make its de-
cision, and there is little doubt in h
minds of those who witnessed t~Onight's
affair but that the commanders of the
torpedo f1otilla will get the reward. The
Red Squadron will come in early In the
morning, and as soon as the board meet
ing adjourns the fleet will sail for New
York.
The second day Of the mimic war at
Newport, brought out the fact that the
city was in the hands Of the enemy and
the fine squadron Of the defence had been
destroyed. 1t was conceded by the
board Of ~arbitrament that the Red
Fleet was successful in its passage OF
the forts and the min fields and, though
in a badly crippled condition, got inside
the haSbor. Although in this crippled
condition. its superiority over the Home
Fleet made 1t impossible for the Home
Fleet to destroy 1t. The torpedo attack
was pronounced a failure, except as tc
the Stilettto, and her case is yet to ,bs
acted on.