The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-31
SUB:SURFACE TORPEDO BOAT.
MR.. BURGER PLANS ONE WITH
TWO HILLS AND PROTECTED.
Has One Hull Completely Below water
and Only . Coming Tower Shows
From the Other-(0mpartmen Filled
With Cellulose to Insure Buoy ncy.

With Cellulose to Insure Buoyancy
A bill for the construction of submarine
torpedo boats for the navy, now before the
House and Senate, will make possible the
construction Of six protected boats Of n
new type which the Board of Naval Con-
'tructton has declared feasible.
The Spanish war taught the Navy De-
partment that torpedo boats were too easily
disabled. As Admiral Melville said at the
time, 1t Ia In the direction of the semi
submerged boat that we must look for a
dangerous weapon. and we must keep our
eyes open to that fact
Clarence l.. Burger, an engineer Mt 800
Broadway. together with Tams, Lemoi Q
4 Crane. the naval architects, after nearly
three years work. has designed a SUD-
surface torpedo boat which is bell we'd
will meet all the requirements The chief
difficulty was In attaining speed. Al a
test In the experimental b ,sin at the WASH
ington Navy Yaru before the Board OF Naval
Construction, working model did six
teen knots. The board reported the boat
feasible.
The plans call for a semi-submerg ed
boat, barely visible and almos, invulner-
able. 1t consists simply Of cigar shaped
steel underwater hull holding the ma
chinery, torpedoes, torpedo tube. and other
vitals. and the crew sale from gunfire, stls-
pended by q hollow. fin like structure. from
a distinct steel surface hull filed with cell
lulose acting as mere float IL give vision,
ventilation, buoyancy and seaworthiness.
By the separation of the two hulls, not
only are the lower hull and vitals placed
well out Of the reach of shells, but the dir =
placement is halved, 40 that the necessary
speed can be obtained: and the upper hull
made low and almost invisible at distance
from the lower hull through the hollow
fin slightly above the surface hull This
armored coming tower. from which the
navigator steers the boat, is proof against
all small guns and is too small a target, in
motion. for large guns to hit
hull through the armored coming tower
by means Of an ordinary blower SO that the
ventilation Is ample and gas engines are
enabled to be used, by which tho requisite
power il obtained to drive the boat at six.
teen knots.
The low upper hull and fin being divided
into compartments. which ~ in war time,
completely filed with wateT-excluding
cellulose. retain their buoyancy however
Perforated with shot and as only small
part Of the upper hull sufsices to sustain
portion Of the upper hull could II II were
possible. be shot away without disabling
the boat.
In compartments In tho middle Of the
upper hull, surrounded by cellulose, are
a galley, and quarters for the crew having
natural light and ventilation. and hatch.
ways leading to the lower hull. In war
time these compartments may also be filled
with celulose. and the quarters in the lower
hull alone used
Mr. Burger has this TO say for his boat:
the gun-proof, i6-knot, sub-s,rface
torpedo boat IL a. much rore valuable
than the vulnerable 2S-knot surface torpedo
boat, as the arnored ie-knot Oregon is
better than the 22-l,not Cohi,,bia.