Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-27

save the design, 1t was rolled into canal
near by There 1t remained for years after
| the war, for It's builders and all VINO
| knew Of it went down with It's successor
Years after. when the canal was being
| dredged, the hulk was found raised and
set upon the fort. .'.'' {" :.
played any part in the war, it was the first
of a type which. in the Holland sub
marines, now gathered by the government
into a little fleet bids fair to reyolutionize
| modern naval warfare From the plans
| tested In Its construction was built lie
David that inundated It's own crew In de-
stroying It's enemy. There is not in naval
history another example of a career so dis
astrous and tragic as that of the David.
Four crews went down with 1t in trial
| trips, and 1t lost its fifth when 1t was Itself
involved in the destruction of It's first and
last intended victim
The IIl-Fated David.
When the original submarine was tipped
| into the canal in 1862 her designers already
had in mind the cons trIction Of duplicate
craft. Working from plans of, the sunken
ship, they built in Mobile in 1868 the ia
nous and fiI-fated David. This name was
given to 1t because It was expected to de-
stroy the Goliaths of the Union fleet. The
original David, from which Its successor
differed only in minor details. was cigar
shaped, and resembled In general design
the Holland submarines Of the twentieth
century. 1t had coming tower which,
when the boat foated, was about all that
appeared. The boat was about thirty-fye
feet long and built of sheet iron. Its prin-
cipal differences from the modern suhma-
| rine, those which made 1t imperfect and
manageable only under the most favorable
circumstances We're these:
The Holland is always buoyant. 1t Is
submerged by DETECTING horizontal rud-
der when the boat is. under way. not by
filing 1t to weight q little more than that
Of the displaced water. The David was
submerged by filling, and possessed only
an upright rudder. In case of an accident
to the Hollands machinery the boat will
float to the top. 1t was vice versa with the
David. The Holland is run by gasoline
when on the surface and electricity when
beneath The propeller wheel of the Da-
vid was turned by eight men. The Holland
lies steady in the water. It is perfectly
ballasted when the water Is taken into the
tanks because they hold just the required
amount to bring the boat to fighting
weight or diving TRIM and it cannot
shift. The David was unstable In this
spect. The Holland fires the torpedoes
after moments rise to the surface, when
within range, to sight the vessel to be de-
stroyed and get a direct line upon her.
The David dragged her torpedo after her
under the keel of the vessel and 1t was ex-
ploded by the knock when it struck
Not Equal to Emergency. q
The original David was designed for
coast and river work in, the gulf and the
Mississippi river. When; 1t was put out OF
commission and thes second boat was fine
ished the ships Of sfhe north were block
aiding the principal southern ports and
there was brilliant opportunity for
submarine torpedo boata to do the most
effective kind of werR IL she proved man
ageable. This she did not do. On her trial
trip she sank before her. proper time and
did not come up againfIE1er crew OF ten
men Were suffocatedT She was raised. and
Lieutenant Payne or theiconfederate navy
volunteered to take command OF her. In
1854 he took her t0 Charleston to under
take operations againstf powerful block
aiding Meet. As shes MaS nearing Charles
her. Too heavy tosriseIto the waves, she
rolled like a wateflogg6d tree trunk and
the wash went over her. pouring down her
open hatch and quickly carrying her to the
bottom with her crew. Lieutenant Payne,
who was In the coming tower. crawled out
which caused the disaster rescued him.
Again she was raised ana again Lieut..
Payne took command. With his crew OF
ten men he made ready one evening to set
out from Fort Sumter upon an offensive ex-
petition against the Union feet. when for
turtle" taking to the bottom this time
eight OF her ten men. two Of the seamen es-
Gaping with the Commander. That was
enough Tor Lieut.. Payne; he gave up SUBJ
marine naval maheuvers.
DeslEner Relieved In Her.
In spite Of this disastrous succession Of
accidents, one man maintained his faith In
the David. That man was one 81 the de-
signers,v Mr, Aunley. He had the vessel
raised collected Q crew. not without dim
Guilty. and taking hfs craft sups the Stone
river. madessePeral trials which seemed %