The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1905-09-01
A SUBMARINE RIDE
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT MAKES
DIVE WITH T0PEDO BOAT.
Was Aboard the Vessel About Three
Hours-One Time Boat Was Under
for so Minutes-President Delight.
ed With Experience--Pleased 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 name 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 n 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 IN 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
oIoead oyJ oonuovod bu tho naval
tender Apache, the Plunger started for
the sound. No maneuvers were at
tempted until the vessel was well 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 bear-
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
2 ers which were performed.
While the president thus was rest
, ing on the bottom of the sound in
! submarine boat, a storm 40 feet above
him was raging unnoticed.
! Explanations of the working of the
vessel having been completed, Lieu
tenant Nelson began to put hel
through her PAGES. From the bottom
l%porpoise diving was tried, that is, the
boat would ascend to the surface o.
the sound for several seconds, Ions
enough to enable her commander tt
/, sight any warship that might be il
view, and hen dive again immediate
ly. After this maneuver had been re
q peated a few times the Plunger wa
sent down a distance of 20 feet below
i the surface and her engines stopped
q Then the engines were reversed ant
o the boat assembled to the surface back
ward. Lieutenant Nelson made hi
boat perform the remarkable feat O
O. diving to a depth of 20 feet, and, Will
% going at full speed, reversing her er
gines. Next the vessel was sui
merged to a depth of 20 feet. Their
~ she was kept m~otionless, a demonstrf
IS ton of her ability to remain in tina
q position for hours, while awaiting a
;s opportunity to launch one of her to-
"a pedoes at a vessel in a blockadin
squadron, which might be passing G
= repassing a given point. After man
20 ~maneuvers had been performed Liel
tenant Nelson ordered all lights o
- board to be extinguished to demon
ny strate how thoroughly the member
of his crew knew their business. The
identity with al much skill and ease q
if they performed their duties in tn
glare of the electric light.
p During the operations of the Plul
TO ger the tender Apache remained wit
en in a short distance, prepared to rendt
60 any assistance that might be nece
sary. She was not needed, howeve
81 The president shook hands with a
the crew as he left the vessel to r
turn to Sycamore hill.
n In describing his experience, Pres
lu' dent Roosevelt expressed great sati
faction with the in which tt
tiny vessel was managed. He +
~ marked particularly on the possibi
Z. ties of the submarine torpedo boa
in actual warfare. He related the d
n tails of his experience with evidel
I'D pleasure.
u Nobody, not even the members
his family, was aware of the pres
dents intention to make the descel