Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1905-09-01
PRESIDENT TAKES DIVE
Goes Down on a Submarine in the
Sound.
WAS SUBMERGED FOR FIFTY MINUTES.
President Roosevelt Spends Three Hours, All
Told, on Board the PIunger and the Sud-
marine Is Put Through All Her Maneuvers
for His Beneflt-The Boat Behaved Beauti'
fully, Though Heavy Sea Was On.


for His Beneflt-The Boat Behaved Beauti'
fully, Though a Heavy Sea Was On.
Oyster Bay, L. I. (SpeciaD .-Presi-
dent Roosevelt late in the afternoon
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 so MIN
utes. and in that time was put through
all of the submarine exercises OF which
she is capable. :. ct.
Tie President expressed his, delight
at the novel experience, and said that
he was immensely impressed with the
boat and with the manner in which she
was handled. In thus Drawing the dan-
gers of submarine maneouverlng the
President has endeared himself to naval
officers and men the world over, and
made Lieut. Charles H. Nelson, COM
mander of the Plunger, the proudest
and happiest man in the United States
Navy. .
The Presidents intention not only to
make personal inspection of the tiny
vessel, likely to prove so deadly IN navai
warfare, but to make submarine de-
scent in it was reached after confer
ence with Lieutenant Nelson. The
Plunger's commander explained to Pres
ident Roosevelt the operations OF the
boat and assured him that a trip on her
and a descent into the depths OF Long
Island Sound would be as devoid OF dan
ger as would be trip ON a New YORK
subway express train.
The President long has desired to
watch the operations of a submarine
torpedo-boat at close range, and before
this would have made trip in one mad
he not been deferred from taking the
risk by advice of his friends and Official
associates. Convinced by the logic OF
Lieutenant Nelson, he arranged to take
a trip on the Plunger and to see the
little vessel perform all her wonder
full maneuvers while he was on board.
The special trial of the boat, with the
President on board, took place between
and 6 o'clock in Long Island Sound,
lust off the entrance to Oyster bay.
Shortly after 3 o'clock the President
went aboard the Plunger in one OF the
launches of the naval yacht Sylph, which
he boarded at the ]. West Roosevelt
pier.
AS soon as the President had de-
scended into the boat the manholes were
closed, and, conveyed by the naval ten
der Apache, the Plunger started Tor the
sound No maneuvers were attempted
until the vessel was we'll beyond the
entrance to the bay. A stiff northeast
breeze kicked up a heavy sea in the
sound but the Plunger behaved beautl-
fully. The water where the trial took
place is about 40 feet deep, too shallow,
in the opinion of Lieutenant Nelson and
his experts, to enable the vessel to do
her best work. Soon after the vessel
reached the necessary depth of water
she was directed downward until she
rested on the bottom of the sound. Then
the mechanism of the craft was explain
ed infinitely to the President by Lieu-
tenant Nelson, so that he afterward eX-
perienced no difficulty in understanding
the maneuvers which were performed.
While the President was thus resting
on the bottom of the sound in sub
marine boat a storm 40 feet above him
was raging unnoticed The rain de-
scended in torrents and the northeaster
whipped the water into big rollers, but
it was as quiet and peaceful where the
President sat as an easy parlor would
be.
Explanations of the working of the
Plunger being completed, Lieutenant
Nelson began to put her through her
PAGES. From the bottom, porpoise div
ing 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 within view. and then
dive again Immediately. After this ma
neuver had been repeated few times,
the Plunger was sunk down distance,
of 20 feet below the surface and her
engines stopped. Then the engines were
reversed and the boat assembled to the
surface backward.
I.iutenant Nelson made his boat per-
form the remarkable feat Of diving to a
depth. of 20 feet and while going at full
speed at that depth, reversing her course.
The complete turn occupied only one
minute. Subsequently the engines were
stopped and the vessel was submerged
to a depth of 20 feet. There she was
kept motionless as a demonstration OF
her ability TO remain in that position for
hours while awaiting an opportunity to
launch one of her torpedoes at a vessel
of blockading squadron which might
be passing or repassing a given point.