The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-23

Lessons Of the Tests Now Being Made
on Long Island sound.

Lessons Of the Tests Now Being Made
on Long Island sound.
Brooklyn Eagle.
Experiments are being made beneath the
waters OF Peconic bay with an improved
type of the Holland submarine. SO far
the results have been highly satisfactory
to the experts under whose directions the
trials have been conducted. The Adder has
proved Its capacity to remain under water
for Indefinite periods and can be steered
and otherwise manipulated with an ease
and accuracy that are simply astonishing
when We consider the comparative infancy
Of that sort of navigation OF which the
Holland craft are, we believe. the very
best opponents. In the building and hand
ling OF submarines We are still long way
behind France, but we have this much
to the credit Of our inventive genius: We
have impressed the greatest naval nation
in the world with the efficiency OF a new
engine of warfare and have set Great Brit
which we not unnaturally expect so much
TO accrue.
War, or rather the education that pre-
pares men for IL, Is largely matter Of
hypothesis. In field maneuvers an zen.
envy is placed I'm a certain position. and
it is assumed that he can do thus and so,
that he Is capable Of accomplishing some
things and incapable of effecting others.
In due time he attacks, or is attacked, by
the army OF defense, which is likewise the
victim OF suggestions and hypothetical re-
strictions, that might or might not repre-
sent the conditions Of actual conflict and
the umpires determine the outcome of the
unensangufned argument by striking ball
ance between the probable and the pos
sible In naval experimentation and train
ing the same ideas and methods prevail
On Friday the Adder Travelled over a meas
ured course at q certain speed, rose to the
surface and sank again at the will OF her
operators, turned within a prescribed ra-
dius, demonstrated the power OF her en-
gines, the efficiency Of her steering mech
anism and-here comes the hypothetical
again-shot a torpedo right through an
imaginary battleship. The latter certainly
would have gone 10 the locker maintained
by Mr. David Jones .if'' she had been in
are penetrable stuff TO the hardened nose
OF a Whitehead and exploding gun cotton
can wreck the strongest ship that floats
We need not be unduly enthusiastic about
our own achievements nor unduly appre-
hensive of the achievements of others in
the work of developing submarines Il
would seem to be apparent that the inn
logical limit would result eventually in
the extinction Of the battleship and the
cruiser. because of the ease with which
these noating fortresses can be destroyed
by tiny vessels that sneak upon them un-
awares. drive a torpedo home and dsap-
pear as silently as they come. But We
must not forget that the energies of the
leading naval inventors in the world are
just now directed toward the ascertain
ment of some certain method whereby the
approach Of submarines may be detected
by warshfpe which, warned in time may
employ their higher speed powers to es-
cape attack. The real future of the sub
marine. 50 far as it has been gagged by
men who are competent to form an esti-
mate. is confined almost entirely TO the
sphere CT harbor and coast defense. With
IN the limitations now set upon them the
Holland boats certainly have the advantage
over their bulkier rivals which are COM
PEELED to remain on top Of the water. but
VINO knows when some genius may devise
a system of protection which to a large
extent, will neutralize the efforts of the
most daring submarine fighters even when
operating under conditions that are theo-
reticaliy favorable to them?