New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-30
TRAVELLING UNDER WATER
LIEUTENANT SPEARS EXPERIENCE IN
THREE HOUR TRIP IN THE ADDER.

The recent successful trials of the Holland sub
marine torpedo boats Adder and Moccasin in Pc
oric Bay have aroused the whole country to the
slue OF these small and invisible terrors of the
seas as weapons OF oHehce ana ue1ence In time OF
var
While realizing that the chief seaports on the
Atlantic Coast are more or less protected by forti-
scations merchants in other cities also alive TO
n. fact that there are hundreds OF miles and many
ssaports unprotected, which might be made
,Ire from an enemys attack by a small feet of
submarine boats at the harbor entrance TO this
end the Business Mems Association of Portsmouth.
"a has taken the initiative, by sending to the
secretary OF the Navy and to Congress petition
.,,.,ng the facts that seven torpedo boats re-
,.rtIy authorized by Congress are nearing compile
,ion and that Portsmouth HarbOr is a strategic
,oint IN time of and unexceed in time OF
rsace for submarine trials. They ask the Secre-
tary OF the Navy to assign at least two OF the
submarine boats to Portsmouth for the protection
>, Baltimore Washington, Norfolk, Newport
XeUs ANNAPOLIS and the mouth of Chesapeake
Raw Copies of the resolutions adopted have been
sent 10 each Senator and Representative of Nir-
,inta in Congress, with the request that they use
ber best effort - obtain the assignment of these
boats for the permanent and effective defence Of
the harbors named
Lieutenant Lawrence Spear formerly naval con-
s,r,etor who recently read a paper in this city on
submarine war vessels before the Society OF Naval
Architects and Marine Engineers, gave to a repre-
sentative Of The Tribune yesterday an interesting
descriptiOn of his experience while under water
during a three hours trial of the Adder in Peconic
Bay.
v.ithour coming the surface once, said he. and
I tell YOU IL got TO be quite monotonOus after the
frst hour. Eleven of US were down there, nearly
siEhteen feet below the surface. There no
motor driving the boat through the water at
Sven knot clip. Captain Frank Cable stood with
his head IN the coming tower. steering by the
little compass. and timing the boat by his watch
CO that he knew when to turn her around and be-
gin the return trip. for were circling around a
fbree-unile course. Once in while looked through
the little portfolios in the coming tower You
could see the rushing by, but nothing else
could be distinguished except the small brass
whistle which STANDS close to the rear Of the
tower: the rest was just wall OF green water
through which were rushing. OBJECTS ten feet
swav could not be seen AS for the air, il was as
rl1re as any would be in a room of the same area
FTt was d good deal purer than many cardroom
where I've sit, not for three hours. but
foF ten and twelve with closed doors and with the
air so foul with tobacco smoke that you could cut
ID and yet they knew the difference, so long
ioEed TO smoke while on board these boats, on &C
count of the gasolene which is used to drive the
engine when the boat is running the surface
but there is trouble whatever about having
renty of air TO breathe
The batteries which generate the power to run the
e. hnlsriue boats while they submerged are
slowed out OF sight under the floor amidshins. The
cir tanks are distributed along the sides The gas
olene engine is in the extreme after part and the
tnrpedo tube IN the bow. There is plenty OF room
below for a dozen men to live for many hours