Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1905-09-02
A SUBMARINE RIDE
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT MAKES
Dive WITH TOPEDO BOAT.
Was Aboard the Vessel About Three
Hours-One Time Boat Was Under
for so Minutes-President Delight
ed With northumberland With
Manner of Boats Handling.

Oyster Bay.-President Roosevelt
recently made a descent in Long
Island sound on board the submarine
torpedo boat Plunger He was aboard
the vessel about three hours. At one
time the little boat was submerged
for so minutes and in that time was
put through all of the submarine
feats of which she is capable. The
president has expressed his delight at
the novel experience and said he was
immensely impressed with the boat
and with the manner in which she
was handled. In thus Drawing the
dangers of submarine maneuvering,
the president has endeared himself to
naval officers and men the world over,
and made Lieutenant Charles Nelson,
the commander of the Plunger, the
proudest and happiest man in the
United States navy.
The president long has desired to
watch the operations of a submarine
torpedo boat, and before this would
have made a trip in one had he not
been deferred from taking the risk by
the advice of his friends and official
associates.
The special trial of the boat with
the president on board took place in
Long Island sound, just off the en-
trance to Oyster bay.
AS soon as the president descended
into the boat the manholes were
closed, and conveyed by the naval
tender Apache, the Plunger started for
the sound. No maneuvers were at
tempted until the vessel was we'll be-
yond the entrance to the bay. A stiff
northeast breeze which had been
blowing kicked up heavy sea in the
sound, but the Plunger behaved beau
tifully. The water where the trial
took place is about 40 feet deep, too
shallow, in the opinion of Lieutenant
Nelson and experts, to enable the YES
sci to do her best work. Soon after
the vessel reached the necessary
depth she was directed downward I'M
til she rested on the bottom of the |
sound. Then the mechanism of the |
craft was explained infinitely to the |
that after%ard he experienced no diff |
ficulty in understanding the maneuv-
ers which were performed.
While the president thus was rest |
ing on the bottom of the sound in |
submarine boat, storm 40 feet above |
him was raging unnoticed.
Explanations of the working of the |
hox
tenant Nelson began to put her
through her PAGES. From the bottom
porpoise diving was tried, that is, the |
boat would ascend to the surface of |
the sound for several seconds, long
enough to enable her commander to |
sight any warship that might be in |
view, and then dive again Immediate |
ly. After this maneuver had been re-
peated a few times the Plunger was
sent down a distance of 20 feet below !
the surface and her engines stopped. |
Then the engines were reversed and |
the boat assembled to the surface back |
ward. Lieutenant Nelson made his
boat perform the remarkable feat of |
diving to depth of 20 feet, and while |
going at full speed, reversing her en-
gines. Next the vessel was sub |
merged to a depth of 20 feet. There
she was kept motionless, a demonstra-
ton of her ability to remain in that |
position for hours, while awaiting an
opportunity TO launch one of her tor
pedoes at a vessel in a blockadirg |
squadron, which might be passing or
repassing a given point. After many
maneuvers had been performed Lieu |
tenant Nelson ordered all lights on |
board to be extinguished to demon |
strate how thoroughly the members |
of his crew knew their business. They |
worked perfectly in the darkness, evil |
IDENTIFY with as much skill and ease as
if they performed their duties in the
glare of the electric light.
During the operations of the Plum |
ger the tender Apache remained with |
in a short distance, prepared to render
any assistance that might be neces- |
sary She was not needed, however. |
The president shook hands with all |
the crew as he left the vessel to re-
turn to Sycamore. hill.
In describing his experience, Presi- |
dent Roosevelt expressed great salts
faction with the manner in which the
tiny vessel was managed. He re-
marked particularly on the possibili-
ties of the submarine torpedo boats
in actual warfare. He related the de-
tails of his experience with evident
pleasure.
Nobody, not even the members of
his family, was aware of the presi- |