The San Francisco call., 1901-11-25
SUBMARINE BOAT
IS SATISFACTORY
Naval Officers Enthusi-
astic Over Work Of
the Fulton.
Those on Board Did Not
Experience Slightest
Discomfort.

NEW YORK, Nov 24.-In the presence
Of a big crowd which, despite the storm.
assembled to witness the emerging of the
submarine boat Fulton, that craft rose
from the bottom of the bay this morning
at 1880 O'Clock, with all well and greatly
surprised TO find there was a storm rag
ing. The test of the FUlton's staying was
highly satisfactory, not only to the Off
GERS Of the company that built her and
the naval officers present. but those who
went to the bottom in the boat. They
report there was not the slightest discom-
fort to them during their more than ff-
teen hours of submersion below the sur
face
Captain Cable of the Holland Company,
who was in command. said that the boat
could have remained down for three
months il there were food enough on
board. Although there was but six feet
OF water over the top Of the turret. those
on board felt nothing Of the storm.
Through the night there was light roll
ing motion TO the craft. but this was
ascribed to the regular motion of the
water and not to the disturbance which
was rolling the waves high on the shore.
Immediately on coming TO the surface,
the Fulton under her own power, ran
alongside the dock and tied up. Rear
Admiral Lowe and Lieutenant Arthur
sion Of the performance of the boat, eX-
cept to say they would be satisfied to
stay down longer. They are. however,
known to be enthusiastic over the work
of the Fulton thus far.
Members Of the crew say they expe-
TienceO no difficulty in breathing and that
the air was all that could be desired and
much purer and better than in an ordi-
nary closed room in which are several
persons. Every piece Of machinery worked
10 perfection during the night. The men
4- -
most Of them obtained three or four
hours sleep.
Rear Admiral Lowe said later:
When we went down assisted Captain
Gable in making an inspection of the
ship. Then I retired. while the crew
played cards and read Every few hours
was awakened and made inspections of
the conditions. Early this morning Cap
tain Gable called my attention to the
pressure gauge, which indicates the
depth. It showed that We were lower in
the water than at high tide last night
when We were submerged There was
nothing to show US why it was but a
little while later noticed that the water
as we saw it through he headlights was
very dirty, and imagined that a storm
was blowing. There was no rock or roll
Of the vessel to indicate what was going
on"
Continuing. Rear Admiral Lowe said
that the air in the boat was as clean and
as pure as in house CT in the cabin Of
a yacht.
NOl ONCE aQQ6Q lle dQn1lTal, 'QlQ i
notice any sign of bad air. gas or other
impUrity- Considering that we did not
draw on the tanks a. all I consider this
is wonderful 1t upsets all theories of
physicians and scientists who tell us that
what we did last night was impossible 1
was critical all night and nothing escaped
me"
The experts present unite in calling ar
tention to the sea-going qualities of the
Fulton. The submarine boat was not af-
fected by the sea or the high wind which
Id
mage rolled and tossei so that they had
TO get under way and seek a sheltered
harbor.
The longest time tnat any submarine
boat had been under water heretofore in
the United States was three hours. Lieu
tenant Harry Colwen kept the Holland
submerged that long in the Potomac last
year. The Fulton had never been under
longer than twenty-five minutes when
she made two-mils run submerged a
few weeks ago.