The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-07-08
TRIP BENEATH WAVES
Interesting Account of an Ex-
cursion In Submarine Boat.
NEW WAR CRAFT Is A WONDER.

cngo and Others Test the Efficiency
Of the Adder In Waters Near WASH
Decentralization or Apparent Mo-
tion of Vessel Not Noticed.
Uncle Sans new peacemaker. the
Adder, is floating in the waters nea
Washington. By the courtesy Of its
officers many civilians have realized
the dream Of Jules Verne and have
travelled beneath the waves, says the
Chicago Record-Hera
Representative James r. Mann Of
Chicago and his young son have made
a long trip under the water in the sub
marine wonder. The boys story is
very interesting. He is a youth of
about twelve years, bright and OBJ
servant, and is up to date the only
child who has made the novel trip. He
says:
"When we got down to Marshall Hall,
the Adder was floating in the water.
It looked like a big pecan nut, and
WUc1l we eOL 11S1uC i SCS1ACu LAd We
were in a pecan nut with windows.
The crew consisted Of only eight per-
sons. They took papa, two other men
and myself on to the round deck. We
went down through a hole, which the
sailors called a hatch. Then they closed
the hole, and the light came in through
a heavy glass window.
"The officer explained that water
would be let into the places along the
sides, and as it came in the boat set
tied down slowly. When the round
glass window was just touching the
water, the boat began to rock In the
funniest way. l suppose it felt like
being in a cork. 1t moved with every
little wave and just bobbed about.
was looking out Of the window. The
boat began to move through the water,
and then the floor tilted under my feet.
I could see the sky through the win
dow. "3@
"The water came up and up, and
then there was only a little piece left
and we could not see a thing outside
except yellow water. We went along
with the deck tilted for awhile, and
then it came fat again.
"Then we went along as if we were
in a tunnel. The electric lights in the
big nut were lighted, and we could see
everything inside, but when you looked
out of the windows it was all dark.
You could not feel any motion. 1t was
not like on a car, because there was
nc shaking. After we went under the
water the boat stopped tumbling about,
making us feel queer, and while the
floor was fiat we could not tell that we
were moving along.
"After awhile the floor tilted up
again the other way. l was sitting on
a camp stool and felt just when it
tipped up. We went along this way
for a time, and then the water outside
the window got yellow again, and the
window itself began to come up and
the water to go down in front Of it.
1--WE went along a little ways. and
then the boat dived, and it was dark
again. and in a little while we came
up again. This last time we only went
a few feet under water. l did not
feel the deck tilt SO much as at first.
'"The officer said the first time the
boat went down fifteen feet, and that
was why we felt the deck tilt down SO
much. All the time we were in the
boat l remembered what it looked like
on the water and felt just as If l
were inside a big pecan nut. 1t felt
just like magic. They say that this
boat can come right up to a big war
ship and put a big torpedo under her
and get away before the ship Is blown
up.
'It must be just as if a big fish were
swimming under the water. l would
not want to be in a ship when the
Adder stole up to sting her. was not
a bit scared, because I was thinking
Of Captain Memo and the Nautilus
and how he used to sail under the
sea-"
Representative Mann was as much
interested in the trip as his son. He
said that during the experience he had
very little sensation.
1.-THE remarkable part Of the trip
said Mr.. Mann. ''is the lack Of vibra-
ton or apparent motion. Even on the
best built steamboats, in the smoothest
water there is a sensation of move
ment, and one a feel the throb of
the machinery.
Sin the Adder after the boat settles
down to her work everything is smooth
and noiseless. 1t wabbles a little just
after the cylinders are filled and the
boat is just awash with the waves, but
when she goes ahead and the rudders
are applied to guide her she is as
steady as a house on land, and there is
nothing to attract the eye. all sense of
motion being lost"
The naval officers in command of
the Adder are ready to take any of
the representatives or senator's for a
trip under the water. The giant Sy