The evening times., 1902-05-31
SUBMARINE BOATS ARE
EXPERIMENTAL CRAFT
Rear Admiral O'NeiI Gives
His Views to Congress.
SCIENCE IN ITS INFANCY
Development Must Take Place and In
stead Of Buying Boats Of Present
Type, an Appropriation Should Be
Set Aside to Encourage Builders


Set Aside to Encourage Builders
Rear Admiral Charles ONef. Chief Of
TIE Bureau of Naval Ordnance. has sub
mitted to the House Committee on Naval
Affairs the following memorandum con
cernInE the value and functions of sub
marine boats:
I know Of no reason for changing the
opinion expressed by me before this com
mittee on January j.. 1901 with refer
eHce TO submarine torpedo boats OF the
Holland type
y still regard them as experimental
craft. whose utility for efficient service
has yet to be demonstrated and I am
fully convinced tat The Government
would not be iust-i in providing for
airy new beats Of this type until those
now under contract have been compIeL-
ed, accepted and thoroughly tested. and
until the Navy Department IS thorough
Iy satisfied as 10 their utility and recon-
mends the building OF additional boats
of this type
n Experimental Stage
In NY opinion the Holland boat does
not fulal all the necessary requirements
OF an efficient instrument of warfare.
believe that the science Of submarine
or subsuTfaCe navigation is yet IN its in
fancy and that considerable further de-
velcpment must take place before 1t can
with proDriety be said 10 have passed
beyond the experimental stage
Apparently the so-calIed Holland
boats have about reached the limit Of
development 10 which boats Of this type
are susceptible and if We are 10 pro-
gress IN the art, efforts should be made
10 produce submarine or sUbsurface
boats having fewer limitations than the
Holland boats and this can only be dane
by throwing the door cpen to other in
veptors. I think we do not need TO do
more at present than TO give such en-
eouraeement as viii awaken an interest
il the subject and induce designers and
builders 10 compete with each other in
producing the best type Of submersIDle
or semi submergible boat
The possible value Of submarine
boats in driving of a bIOckading feet IS
remembered that the surface torpedo
boat has already altered the character
Of bIockading operations, and the sub
marine boat. on account Of its lack OF
speed and OF its uiJed scope OF &C
ricn. is less 10 be feared than a we'll
handled torpedo boat Of ordinary type
No More Boats
Even # I believed that the boats OF
the Holland type fulfilled all the neces-
sary requirements I wouII not advocate
the building OF any more Of them at this
tine, as when all boats now under con-
struction are completed We shall have.
ffty-seven torpedo boats of various
classes. costing about ten million dol.
lars, exclusive of guns, mounts. toTpe-.
does. and torpedo tubes and il IS
veII--nown fact that we have not Off
GERS or men 20 place them in cOmmis-
sion and that al present we have no ad-
equate means OF taking care Of boats
already completed, 10 say nothing of
those which are TO follow
IF we should build thirty additional
submarine boats OF the Holland type as
is proposed il House bill 1914 We
should not know what to do with them.
and there is every reason 10 believe
that in a few years they would be prac-
tfcaIly useless
I would suggest that. in order to give
= stimulus to the art, the sum of $500
600 be appropriated for the express Pur-
pose Of enabling the Secretary of the
Navy. in his discretion TO contract for
or purchase such submarine or subsur-
face torpedo boats as in his judgment
are best calculated to meet the require
meuts Of the navy; the object Of such
appropriation being to encourage build
ers and designers 10 compete with each
other n the further development Of such
craft
Admiral BowIes' Opinion
Rear Admiral Bowles, Chief Of the
Bureau OF Naval Construction. appeared
before the committee in person While
he disapproves action OF any kind rela-
tive to the further acquisition Of sub
marine boats, he suggested that If such
action be deemed necessary by Congress
the suggestion should take the following
form:
THE Secretary OF the Navy is hereby
authorized 10 procure. IN his discretion,
four or more submarine torpedo boats
OF the most approved design. either by
purchase or by construction under con.
tract or in navy yards. AZ @ cost not ex-
cecdinE S5GG. 800 for all Of such boats.
provided that not more than one
thereof shall be procured from. or built
upoa the designs OF. The same Individual
CT company and
Provided further that the Secretary
OF the Navy shall, before purchasing or
contracting for any boat in accordance
herewith be satisfied that such boat is
or viii be substantially more effective
as q weapon OF war than any OF the
1---~r
now under construction for The navy.
and the sum OF S5)u,CC0 is hereby appro-
priatcd lOT this purpose
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