Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1905-09-02
A SUBMARINE ride
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT MAKES
DIVE WITH TOPTDO BOAT.
was Aboard the Vessel About Three
Hours-one Time Boat Was Under
Tor DO Minutes-President Delight
ed With northumberland With
Manner of Boats Handling.

Oyster Bay.-President Roosevelt
recently made 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 80 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 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 a 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
president by Lieutenant Nelson, so
that afterWard 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 a
submarine boat, storm 40 feet above
him was raging unnoticed.
Explanations of the working of the
vessel having been completed, Lieu
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 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 a 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. 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 blockading
squadron. which might be passing or
repassing a given point. After many
maneuyers 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 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
tlny vessel was managed. He re-
marked particularly on the possible
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
MS FAMILY, was aware of the presi-
dents intention to make the descent
IN the Plunger, except, of course, Lieu
tenant Nelson.