The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-27
IMPORTANT TRIALS
OF SUBMARINE boats TO BE MADE
SHORTLY.
MAY CHANGE MANY NAvIES.
OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL As
THIS INTERESTED.

IL the Diving Craft Possesses ms,
Many Advantages as Are Claimed
for IL, the DattIeshfD Will he
Placed Out of Dusiness-The Cost
of One Great ArmOred ship Would
Build Forty Submarines-Expert
Opinions From Experienced Naval
Officers.
Washington. Oct. 26-Much interest
is displayed by the officers of the United
States navy, especially those in the bu-
reaus, in the coming official tests of the
new submarine boats Moccasin and
Adder, which will be held next month.
Peconie bay. Long Island Sound. a
beautiful sheet of blue water, will
probably be selected as the ground,
and the course will be off Shelter ISL
and, where the boats will be tuned up
for the occasion.
Exceptional care has been taken by
the officers in charge to make these
tests as comprehensive and as rigor-
Gus as is fair to the contractors. The
tests will be for endurance, speed.
stability. dirigibility. torpedo discharge
and general performance. Much de-
ponds on the results obtained and the
| contractors are confident that they will
demonstrate the practicability Of the
submarine torpedo boat beyond ques-
ton and it's necessity to the complete
navy.
The Navy Department is equally in
terested, for 1t is believed that on the
issue of the trials depends the future
attitude of the Navy Department to-
ward the craft, so tiny yet so dan
gerous. Heretofore the department has
been neutral, or even somewhat hostile
to the boats, and some of the officers
prejudiced against them believe their
theories will either be sustained by
the failure or demolished by the sue
cess of the boat.
Rear Admiral George w. Melville,
chief of the Bureau of Steam Engi-
neering, who is the most pronounced
opponent to the diving type of sub
marine boat. has called the attention
OF the officers of the navy to what they
may expect II the tests prove success
full, and has sounded a note Of warn
ing In an article in which he says:
IF the boat has any military or STRAIT
egic value we should change our pol
could justify the builamg of so many
battleships IL the submarine possessed
| even a portion OF the advantages their
advocates claim. In the indifference
of naval officers to this question there
is great danger. The boats are either
valuable or they are worthless for mill
itary purposes
From the time that the Senate and
House Naval Committees look with
favor upon these boats" continues the
admiral pontedly, there will be de-
creased construction of battleships:
and the action of Congress In strik-
ing out of the naval appropriation bill
of 1901 all authorization for battleships
and cruisers can certainly, In part be
traced to the belief that the submarine
possesses many of the qualities claim
ed by it's advocates"
The views so cogently expressed by
Admiral Melville are undoubtedly en-
tertained by other officers OF the navy,
which may, in part, explain the hos
tility which has been displayed by
them toward submarine boats.
The trials will be of interest also to
foreign nations, particularly to Eng
land and Norway, who have adopted
the American model for submarine
boats, and Portugal, Brazil, and a
number of other countries who are
awaiting the outcome of the trials.
Portugal has requested permission
from the Navy Department for officers
of the Portuguese marine and army TO
inspect the boats, and If granted, they
will come from Portugal to witness the
trials.
'"rhe smaller countries of the world"
said Rear Admiral Hichborn, who was
for many years chief of the Bureau of :
Construction. in discussing the subject
to-day, ARE greatly interested in the
question of submarine torpedo boats.
You can easily see what their success
means in nations like Portugal, Bra
I'll, Venezuela, Norway, Mexico, Peru,
Chile, and many other countries with
seaports, which they are anxious to
protect. but without the necessary
means to either equip suitable navy
or to erect and maintain extensive land
Notifications.
THE cost of a modern battleshiD or
armored cruiser of the first Glass; con-
tinued the Admiral, lis about $4,000, 900.
That would construct almost 40 SUBJ
marine boats. so that for the eduiva-
lent Of the cost of one of the great
fighting machines, almost any country
in the world, and especially the small
err ones, could secure enough subma-
rine boats to defend its harbors.
consider a thorough blockade of a har-
Dor defended by such boats a practical
impossibility. for the most intrepid
commander would not maintain his
fleet in the mouth of a harbor at night
exposed to their attack, but would draw
off to sea, thus enabling the defenders
to get out or their friends to slip in.
II anticipate the trials with great in
terest for they are the first to be con-
structed under the direct supervision
and inspection of the officers of the
navy and under contract with the
United States government The Hol-
land, which is the only one of the kind
in the navy. was built at her construc-
tors risk and afterwards sold to the
United States government. Many inn
provements have been made over the
Holland in the new boats, and have
no doubt of their ability to successful
ly meet the conditions imposed upon
them. / confidently expect the trials to
demonstrate the value Of the subma-
rine boats and to make their construc-
non pernlanentipart of the naval pro-