The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-14
The aaaiha psi1y eagle ThursdB ornins april 1904

long and 10 feet in diameter, with a tall
conning-tower plated for the use of her
crew whe nrunnig awash. She was pro-
PEELED by one screw. which was driven
by "a gasoline engine when running on
the surface. In this trim she is reported,
though not on altogether trustworthy
authority, to have made fifteen knots.
If this were true she was the fastest
submarine in the world, but probably the
fastest submarine in the world. Under
water she used an electric motor; sup
piled with current from storage batter
les, and capable of taking her thrty-two
miles at the rate of eight knots.
The hull of the boat was of steel from
one-half to a quarter of an inch thick,
supported by strong framing, and further
stiffened by bulkheads. which divided her
into compartments. She had one torpedo
tube in her bow, differing in this from all
our subsequent submarines. which have
two tubes. She carried $50 gallons of gas
oline, and a large quantity Of air COM
pressed in steel casks under a pressure of
1000 pounds TO the square inch She
dived porpoise-fashion; that is to say, she
did not sink by admitting water ballast,
but by setting her horizontal rudder
downwards. when her movement in the
water made her take header. OF
course, as a preliminary, her trim was
adjusted so as to offer very little resist
ance or bueyancy. To regain the surface
she set her horizontal rudders upwards.
or in an emergency could expel water
ballast from her ballast tanks.
The accident which resulted in her loss
with all her crew on board, consisting of
Lieutenant Mansergh, SubLieutenant
Churchill. and nine petty officers and sea-
men, might have occurred to any war
ship, whether acting on the surface or be-
low it. She submerged herself, off the
Nap Lightship nthe afternoon of Feb
ruary IS, and waited for one of the at
lacking cruisers to pass, when she in
tended to torpedo a vessel. AS she was
waiting, with only the periscope above
water, the Union-Castle liner Berwick
Castle came up at high speed from a diff
ferent quarter, and passed over her, tear
ing open the top of her coming tower.
and admitting the water. Az went to
the bottom with all hands. and was not
located till the following day, when divers
found her.
The cause of the accident is probably to
be found in the very imperfect view
which the periscope gives 1t does not
cover the whole horizon, but only small
sector of it, SO that if the officer in
charge was intently watching one quarter
of the horizon, a ship might com cup
quickly from aonther quarter without|1is
ever seeing it. The Berwick Castle came
from Spithead whereas the assailing
cruiser was expected to approach from
the sea. Hence it is most probable that
the officer in charge saw nothing what
ever of the Berwick Castle, or, if he did
see her, saw her too late.
A correspondent writes: AT p. m.
on Friday Captain Bacon, ont finding Al
returning from the maneuvers with the
rest of the submarine boats. decided to
go out and look for her. We We're then
al the Warner. The Hazard, Seagull, Sea-
horse, and two destroyers spread out like
a fan, the Hazard in the center. 1t was
decided to pass over the spot where ear
lier in the day the liner was supposed to
have been struck by a torpedo. (This at
the time was taken as the explanation, as
she was gray, and would appear much
like cruiser through a periscope. The
Hazard at that time had been running
from one of the enemy's cruisers with
the signal flying for submarines to attack,
Nos and All being left behind; both
dived and No. 8 torpedoed the cruiser.
though at the time We thought it was &C
compIished by AL When passing near
the spot where the liner had bbeen we
were electrified to see a swirling mass of
water bubbling and frOthing. The ship
was Immediately anchored, and a boat
called away, in which Captain Bacon
went and inspected the spot. He immedi-
ateIy came TO the conclusion it was the
Al and the bubbles were caused by
the exhaustion of her air she filled
with water. The diving gear was got
ready and boat was sent away with
hawser. and Immediately was successful
time was manned with divers and ap-
paratus on board and proceeded to the
spot and anchored there Unfortunate
ly. night was fast approaching and the
was made. it was found impossible TO get
dow nto her. The other ships were re-
called and the Hazard and Niger re-
manned alongside during the night with
probably with the faint hope that she
might rise In the morning salving oper-
ations were commenced" London
Graphic.