Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-07-21
VICTORY OF SUBMARINES
THEY HAVE UNQUESTloNA5LY AD.
DEO TO WARS DANGERS.

The United States Has SIX Effective Boats
of the Fulton Class Now Ahoat or
Building - Submarines Could Have
Defeated Dewey.
Since our war with Spain, four years
ago, no weapon has made greater gains
in the estimation of the naval men of
the world than the submarine torpedo
boat, writes John r. Spears. And that
statement Is astonishing to all who
know the praiseworthy dislike that all
able naval men have always held to-
ward these boats. Just how and why
this dislike is fading is one of the most
interesting stories of recent days in
the navy.
When submarines Were first proposed
to naval men it was with difficulty that
they could be induced to consider the
matter. Since the days when John
Paul Jones laid the Bonhomme Richard
alongside the Serapis, and the favorite
range for high sea battles was within
pistol shot" our naval officers have
asked no better opportunity than an
open fight on the high seas with no IA
vors. They have read with feeling
not far from contempt Of the shore
fighters who gained victories by ar
ranging ambushes for unsuspecting en-
emies. To their minds submarine
boat was worse than a rattlesnake in
the grass. To strike within range and
destroy at one stroke a whole ships
company without giving them any
chance whatever for their lives was lit
tie If any better than legalized assass-
ination.
To add to the disgust of the conser-
vative naval men the promoters of the
submarine schemes We're in every case
enthusiasts, and in most cases made
claims that were utterly ridiculous.
Thus pictures We're made and printed.
even in scientific journals, which rep
resented the submarine boat passing
under battleship and leaving under
its bottom two buoyant torpedoes. to
be held there by horseshoe magnets
while the boat went away to safe dis
tance and exploded the torpedoes by
current of electricity sent through n
trailing wire.
thusiasts, and because there was a
germ of success in their idea, they per-
sisted, and their most recent work has
brought frution.
The first real success was scored
when they persuaded Congress to build
place them in charge OF young naval
officers for trial and experiment. There
seemed to be not Il little spice of dan
ger in experimenting with thing like
that, and the youngsters took hold
with an enthusiasm equal TO that of
the promoters, and one result at least
has been simply astounding.
The submarine Fulton has proved
that she can dodge n cannon's projec-
tile as the loon and the elder duck
dodge n musket ball. When steaming
along the surface under service condi-
tions she repeatedly closed all ports
and dived far enough below the sur
face to be safe from an enemy's shot
in less than three seconds. 1t has been
done in two. Our best cannon throw n
n shell a range of 5000 yards at an av-
erage speed of about $500 feet per sec
ond. 1t follows that If the torpedo boat
were at range Of $500 yards, and
dived at the flash of the gun, she would
be safely beneath the water when the
projectile arrived, three seconds later.
AS compared with the latest subma-
rine boats built by France-the only
nation that has hitherto given this class
of vessels adequate attention-the div
ing speed of our submarines is strill-
ing. For the French have to unship
smokestack, draw n fire in Il steam
boiler and wait for the furnace to cool
in all about fifteen minutes-before
going under.
We have six effective boats of this
class now afoat or building. Great
Britain is building six more from eX-
actly the same plans, and that is fact
of which we may make boast. 1t is in
teresting to note, too, In connection
with the British fiotllla, that the in
ventor of these boats, Mr.. John Il. Hol
land, was described In New York
paper, about twenty years ago, as a
Fenian, who was making his expert
ments for the purpose of developing
craft to blow the British navy out OF
the water
Simple warships are these suDma-
rines. They are cigar shaped, sixty
four feet three inches long by eleven
feet in diameter in the middle. A gas
olene engine drives them when on the
surface, and works generator with
which to charge electrical storage bat
teries, used in driving the boat under
water. There Is coming tower of
four-inch armor plate, hatch for en-
trance and exit, and hollow flagstaff,
at the top of which is n ''periscope," a
thing that works like the finder of
camera, and enables the pilot to see
what is doing on the surface when the
boat is floating as much as eighteen
feet beneath. Horizontal rudders are
fitted astern, as well as the common
kind, and it is by fitting these to act
like ducks feet that the submarine