Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-09-23
SUBMARINE FLEET
FOR THE MIktD0
Some Of the Finest Submarine
Vessels in the World Are
Building.
IN A BOSTON SHIP YARD
Work Is Being Rushed Night and Da.
on New Terrors That May Cope
With the Baltic Fleet, II the
Latter Goes East.

Boston, Mass, Sept. l6.--At the tofe
River Shipbuilding works. in Quincy,
the Japanese government Is having
hurried to completion a feet OF sub
marine torpedo boats. intended to excel
any war craft of their type I'm the
world.
Screened by two unfinished American
battleshfps and two steel barges OF the
Standard Oil company, FIVE cigar
shaped steel hulls are on the docks in
the Fore River yards.
All day a force OF men worked with
~might and main on the hulIs. When
night came another force o up the
work. Thus ii has been since the last
week i'm July, and thus it will be until
h boats disappear from their docks.
1T is highly improbable that the
United States government can prevent
the delivery TO Japan of this formidable
fleet. International law forbids a neu-
trail power to increase the belligerent
capacity of q nation at war. but official
investigation of the secret work on
these torpedo boats would be met with
the reply that the feet is being con-
structed on contract with private par.
ties. This is literally true. because the
Fore River works are building h sub
marines for the Holland company.
Contracted for in June.
Explanation of the meaning OF Ibis
important move in the Russo-yapNn
var game, oes back to early In the
summer. A representative saile,t for
Toxic, and on June 4 entered into o. coli
trace with the Japanese government
TO build five submarine torpedo boats oS
greater speed and deeper diving ca
pacity than is possessed by any suf-
marine boa now known. Quite as i'm
portant as the prodigious activity in
completing them was the demand for
absolute secrecy. Japan desired to
catch her enemy w with the
most formidable, If not the largest sub
marine fleet possessed by any power.
The three fes lures which will give to
the boats Of his fleet a supremacy over
any other submarine craft are ability
to attempt long sea voyages, made pos
sible by bilge Keels. which have not
heretofore been installed on subIna-
rines; greater speed. to be accomplished
by a secret method of utilizing both
electricity and gasoline for motor
power, and greater powers OF submer-
sion, due TO diving rudders of secret
design, which Mr.. Holland will himself
put In.
The scene of building is admirably
calculated to serve the purpose of Sc
crecy. Quincy Point is on the inland
waters Of Boston bay. The Fore Riv-
err Iron works have few visitors. and
the lines have been drawn more close
ly. Uniformed guards patrol the plant.
1t lis impossible for a person 10 land
from the water side without being sent
back by a patrol.
In this manner the secret of Japan's
fast forming fleet has been guarded.
The submarines will cost $175,0 geo each.
One boat will probably be finished
early in November and the other boats
will surely be completed in December.
Their Guaranteed Speed.
Guaranteed speed is from s to 10
knots under water. The Moccasin and
the Adder, the two crack submarines
of the United States navy, claim a
maximum speed under water OF only
6 knots. The Japanese boats are also
guaranteed to maintain, their speed at
"a depth If I25 feet. Submarines OF
other nations seldom attempt to dive
deeper than 40 feet.
The boats viii have a continuous
running capacity OF twenty-eight hours
without r~echarging. This e~xtraordi-
nary capacity is made possible by the
introduction OF two gasoline tanks. one
on each side of the boat
Preparations are already being made
for getting the boats safely out OF the
United States. IL a at first planned
to take them apart and ship the va
TlOuS SECTIONS 1dl III caISOeS OF grain.
This plan was abandoned, however. the
latest orders being to deliver the boats
atlthe vard4in@fhraa- The
problem of shipment is by far the
greatest which now confronts the Japs.
1t is certain hat they have a plan sat
is~factory TO themselves, because of the
painstaking care which is being OBJ
served in preparing the sections.
Unless the unexpected happens a.
tighter viii glide into Boston bay some
night early in November, when it IS
plarned TO ship No. 1913. The subma-
rine. In three sections. will he placed
on board and the lighter will disap-
pear. Some ship will sail from Boston
next morning with chilled steel plows'.
or bridge iron" In her cargo destined
for the far east.
Mr.. Fagaturn is the Japanese repre-
sentative in this country who is super
vising the formation OF the fleet. Rear
Admiral Bowles. II. S. ~, who was
before his retirement chief OF the bu-
reau of construction and repair In
washington, is In full charge of the
Fore River Iron works, and is super
vising the work on the fleet.
ToGo's FORCE is POWERFUL.