New-York tribune., 1901-11-25
sUBMARINE BOAT

.ha submarine TORPEDO boat Fulton rested on
.se bottom Of Peconic Bay Saturday night.
Tho six men who were in her emerged at 10
,o,oc, Yesterday morning, and declared that
,bev never spent more comfortable night any
here They were Rear Admiral John Lowe,
$ y TetiredI; Captain Frank T, Cable.
Mate John Wilson. Engineer John Saunders,
rssc,rician Harry II, Morrill, and Boatswain
-narIes Bergh At q O'Clock Saturday night
ra,-ain Cable closed the hatch of the Fultons
oonuing tower, and the boat sank out Of sight
4, shout fifteen feet of water All night long
.he Law there, having absolutely communi-
.s,,en with the outside world, and utterly
,snorant Of the fact that the fiercest gale of
so-rv years was sweeping over Peconic Bay,
The test was made to demonstrate the truth
=, the contention that the air in the Holland
Submarine boats IS sufficient in quantity and
cuaI,ty 70 enable their crews to remain under
wafer for practically indefinite period. The
men named as going down in the boat are the
hoaf,s crew, with the exception OF Rear Admiral
Lowe. who went as a guest OF the company.
Food TO last all night and bedding enough to
make ali comfortable We're placed in the boat,
and the men took turns standing watch Four
heur watches We're kept
BEYOND ALL EXPECTATIONS.
,-ation far exceeded his expectations Not only
vas il a perfect success. but it showed the posi-
ss1ities Of the boat to be practically unlimited
rnur TASKS Of compressed air were taken down.
ard IT was figured that much of il would have
>. he used before morning. On the contrary,
-e TASKS We're not opened at all. and all of their
contents that was used was the small leakage
from one Of them.
Early yesterday morning. when the gale be-
gan Captain Gable noticed that the gauge indi-
Gated an unusual depth. He did not know
whether the tide was higher than usual or the
Fulton was sinking into the sandy bottom.
When the boat arose the wharf was under sew
eral feet of water.
Rear Admiral Lowe said that the conditions
during the test were wonderful. He regarded
the demonstration as perfect, and thought that
the length Of time that the Fulton could re-
main under water limited only by her
ca,acftv TO carry food for her crew. Admiral
Lowe served forty-three years in the navy be-
fore his retirement He said yesterday that
the air in the Fulton was perfectly normal al
night. He slept several hours, and it was a
perfectly natural sleep.
The crew of the boat 1corroborated the state
rnents of Captain Cable. Mate Wilson expressed
desire 20 go below at once. upon noting the
weather when the Fulton came TO the surface
During the night the boat was heated by cleo
tricity from the storage batteries which fur
nished the light and the power to move the boat
had il become necessary.
HARD TINE on THE SURFACE.
While the Fulton was on the bottom. utterly
Unconscious Of the terrific gale which was blow
ing overhead. the crew of the torpedo boat
winslow was having hard nights work The
arthur is commander. was moored near the
place where the Fulton went down She rolled
and pitched heavily in the storm. The Adder
which is being fitted out for service in the navy
passed through the blow with trouble The
yacht Gira!di owned by the Holland TorpecC
Boat Company was moored to a wharf near by
She was torn from her fastenings and had tC
get I'D steam Aboard her were Z. b. Frost
vice-presdent and manager Of the Holland com
pany, and a number of guests. Among the lat
ter was Lieutenant Ralph Spear, Of the navy
who inspected the building of the Adder. and ii
now watching the construction Of the Shaff
and the Moccasfn at Lewis Nixon's shpyarf
al Eliza bethport, N J.
Mr. Frost and Lieutenant Spear were in th'
party that saw the Fulton go down, and they
we're watching fer her temperance when she
came TO the surface. Both were highly elateC
ever the demonstra ton.
The Fulton is owned by the Holland Com
Paay, and was built for its private use 1t /:
of the exact size and model upon which th'
Adder and her sister submarine boats are being
constructed and fitted out. Their length II
sxty-four feet beam ten feet and displacement
about sixty-ffve tons The Adder Will be th'
nrst turned over to the government. Work OF
her will be finished, it is expected. within Z
will car
nine cubic feet of air when submerged, com
pressed 10 pressure of two thousand pound:
10 the square inch 1t was roughly figured
yesterday by Captain Cable that, in view Of tn
results shown by this demonstration. six mel
eosld live for eight months under water in tn
Fulton
ADMIRAL LOVES STORY.
In interview with Tribune reporter Rea
admiral Lowe said:
II is a long story or a very simple one
When We went down L assisted Captain Gable
ID making inspection of the ship Then re
hred. while the crew played cards and read
Every few hours / was awakened, and made in
Apectlons Of the conditions
Early this morning Captain Gable called m!
attention to the pressure gauge, which indicates
ne depth. It showed that were lower in tn
water than at high tide last night when W.
submerged. There was nothing to show us VIII,
Was. but little while later noticed that tn
water as saw il through the headlights, wa
very dirty, and ] imagined that a storm wa
OioNlng. There was no rock roll Of the yes
SCI 70 indicate what was going on
Continuing Rear Admiral Lowe said that tn
air in the boat was az clean and pure in
mouse or in the cabin of a yacht. Not once.
added the Admiral. did 1 notice any sign of ba'
arr gas or other impurity Considering that w
uio not draw the tanks at ALL consider thi
IS wonderful 1t upsets all the theories OF tn