The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-08-06

Submarine navigation has engaged the
attention or inventors for long period
| It's first practleal application to the Drin-
/ cIples Of war was 10 years ago.
From the first. submarines were admit
| teddy weapons favored by the weaker
powers and consequently found very Few
advocates among British naval authorf-
ties.
| But Incentives 10 inventors were not
lacking. ami At last the British govern
ment during the Crimean war had a
! submarine vessel secretly built and
/ tested BY a special committee. But the
materials and general conditions that
then prevailed were not favorable 10 this
/ kind of craft SO that II was not until
! about 1898 that any real activity in
| building submarines was shown.
! In the modern development the French
nation took the lead. In July. 1861,
| France had twenty-eight completed yes
seis. and 1t Is estimated that By the end
of 1867 she will possess sixty, with to-
tai displacement Of 1900 tons.
English Cautious.
As regards the British submarine navy
! IL is difficult to get full particulars, As
the admiralty Is exceedingly careful to
observe strict secrecy on the subject
For years it has been the rule 10 pub
fish in the annual navy estimates full
particulars of dimensions and costs Of
all classes Of British warships. but in
formation concerning submarines Is
vigorously withheld or issued IN a most
incomplete form.
This IS to De regretted, especially IS
only one firm IS entrusted with their
construction.
From The best sources Of fnforma ton
:, In
Size and cost has been even more rapid
in Great Britain than in France.
The latest type of which particulars
are available are said to be $50 feet in
length, 300 tons in displacement. with
gasolene engines of $50 horsepower. The
radius of action at the surface is given
as 800 knots.
The great difficulty that c0nfronts the
inventor aad constructor of submarines
il that Of maintaining the vessel at any
desired depth.
Intricate Mechanism.
Presuming that the weight of one of
these boats is exactly balanced by the
water it displaees, it is in a state Of
equilibrium IL which ii nay float at any
given depth, but any change in its
weight. even by the smallest amount,
means that it either rises at once to the
surface or sinks rapidly to the bottom,
unless water is admitted or expelled
from tanks in the interior.
Consequently care must be taken IN
the first place to prevent all unneces-
sary changes in weight. The most dan
gerous is the sudden yielding 10 outside
pressure OF any part of the vessel.
submarine completely immersed at
considerable depth has an enormous
pressure acting upon It.
The buIging Of a plate or two in an
ordinary boat may be a trivial thing.
but the same accident 10 a submarine
means an increase Of weight relative to
the water displaced and the danger Of
sinking to the bottom.
The discharge of a torpedo. the using
W of fuel. and other causes that af-
feet the weight have also to be con
sidered and compensated for.
Danger of collapse under external
pressure is overcome by the soldity Of
structure, the quality OF material used,
and the circular shape, like that of a
cigar that is adopted.
Use of Tanks